1. What Makes a Good Toy?

2.  Always been a part of the child’s world!
 Simple, home-made, complex or high tech.
 Provide entertainment
 Educational, encourage creativity
 Encouraging development

3.  Skill and abilities needed to work a toy.
 Challenging enough to stimulate
interest, creativity and further development
 Physical (coordination/motor skills)
 Mental (creative and problem solving)
 Social (cooperation, team mates, friends)

4.  Isthe toy interesting to look at? Does it grab
your attention?
 Colour, sound, texture, weight, movement.
 Response to child’s action.
 “Attraction” factor depends on the child.
 Older children are attracted to “realness” of
a toy.

5.  Can the toy stand up to the kid?
 Unbreakable
 Washable materials
 The longer a toy can last, the better.
 Toys are expensive!

6.  Can a child use the toy over time?
 Number of ways to enjoy a toy.
 Allowsfor the changing maturity/interest of
the child.
 Example: sports equipment

7.  Playing rough, dropping, throwing
 Putting the toy in their mouth
 Soft/Flexible vs. Hard/Breakable
 Materials
that do not attract bacterial
growth (mold, mildew)

8.  Different
stages of play (how they play and
who with)
 Encouragea variety of activities (individual
and cooperative)
 Design should allow for minimum supervision
 Cause frustration?
 Limitations (batteries)

9.  Is the toy easy to keep track of?
 Designed so that all parts stay together.
 Can missing parts make toy unusable?

10.  Are the materials safe?
 Biodegradable or recyclable
 Durability – Toys that can be passed along to
siblings or other families
 How was the toy produced? Child
labour, working conditions, Canadian made.

11.  Sometimes the cheapest and simplest are the
best!!
 Cost varies widely
 Quality over quantity
 Expensivetoy is worth it is all the other
factors apply.

13. What were some of the
simplest and most
entertaining toys you had as
a child?