The document discusses what makes a good toy. It states that good toys should encourage development through educational play that stimulates creativity, problem solving, and motor skills. They should also be durable enough to withstand rough play from children and easy for children to use over time as their abilities change. Additionally, toys should attract and hold children's interest through qualities like color, sound, and responding to their actions.

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
 Howwas 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?