Subscribe to Child Toys News through RSS.
What's an RSS feed?
November 16, 2006 19:21 - Toy Recall : Oct 2006 - mid Nov 2006
Here is the list of child toys recalled for the period of Oct 2006 - mid Nov 2006:
For tips on toy safety, read our child toy safety page.
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link: (Permalink)
November 16, 2006 20:25 - CPSC's Top Safe Shopping Tips for 2006
Here are CPSC's Top Safe Shopping Tips for this year:
- Magnets - For children under age six, avoid building sets with small magnets. If swallowed, serious injuries and/or death can occur.
- Small Parts - For children younger than age three, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking.
- Ride-on Toys - Riding toys, skateboards and in-line skates go fast and falls could be deadly. Helmets and safety gear should be sized to fit.
- Projectile Toys - Projectile toys such as air rockets, darts and slingshots are for older children. Improper use of these toys can result in serious eye injuries.
- Chargers and Adapters - Charging batteries should be supervised by adults. Chargers and adapters can pose thermal burn hazards to children.
CPSC also recommends using the following tips to help choose appropriate toys for children:
- Be a label reader. Look for toy labels that give age and safety recommendations and use that information as a guide.
- Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills and interest level of the intended child. Look for sturdy construction, such as tightly-secured eyes, noses and other potential small parts.
- For all children under 8, avoid toys that have sharp edges and points.
Once the gifts are opened:
- Immediately discard plastic wrappings on toys before they become dangerous play things.
- Keep toys appropriate for older children away from younger siblings or neighbors.
- Pay attention to instructions and warnings on battery chargers. Some chargers lack any device to prevent overcharging.
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link: (Permalink)
November 18, 2006 14:43 - Top Holiday Toys 2006
With the holiday season looming, I'm sure many of you have started shopping. Toys are proven to be popular gifts for those with small children. So, those of you who have small relatives and children may now be on the look of the hottest holiday toys.
So what holiday toys are popular for 2006 ?
Canadian Toy Association asserts that radio-controlled and electronic-based toys which respond to stimuli, including electronic pets and dolls, are popular this year. However, whilst there are many of such toys, according to www.besttoys2006.com, it looks like the TMX Elmo will be the toy parents are going to try desperately to purchase this holiday season. May be you remember, the original Tickle Me Elmo doll, which giggled after being tickled, was a Christmas favorite in 1996. This year's version responds to tickle in a more outrageous manner. It giggles uncontrollably, slaps its knee and literally falls down after being tickled.
If you or your child don't like this kind of toys, you may want to have a look at Today's Parent's 2006 Top Toy Guide. This magazine had asked 85 families to test more than 470 toys and games, and came up with a few which are interesting and fit most family budgets.
This is the list of the 2006 top toys from Today's Parent Magazine:
2006 Top Toys Infants
- NooBoo Ball (6m+, Manhattan Toy, $15)
- Lamaze Play and Grow Larry the Lion (0m+, Learning Curve, $20)
- Taggies Sleepy Fleece (0m+, Mary Meyer, $20)
- NooBoo Stacker (9m+, Manhattan Toy, $35, includes 2 AA batteries)
Toddlers
- Handle Haulers Haul & Ride (12-36m, Little Tikes, $45)
- Zip Bin (2+, Neat-Oh!, $25-$30 and up)
- Lil’ Dump Truck (12m+, Mega Bloks, $18)
- My First Hunt and Seek (2-4, Éditions Gladius, $16)
- Thomas Flashlight (18m+, Little Tikes, $20, includes 2 C batteries)
Preschoolers
- Imaginext T-Rex Dino (4+, Fisher-Price, $40, includes 3 AA batteries)
- Feed the Kitty (4+, Gamewright, $15)
- CooCoo the Rocking Clown (3+, 1-6 players, Blue Orange Games, $25)
- Fast Talkin’ Lightning McQueen (4+, Mattel, $45, includes 4 AA batteries)
- Magtastik (3+, Mega Bloks, $10 and up)
- World Map Puzzle, 96 pieces, 3 x 4 1/2 feet (87 x 134 cm) (3+, Cha Yau Sponge Enterprise Co., $40)
- Monster Jam Super Stomper (5+, Mattel, $30)
- Disney Fairies (4+, Playmates, $10 and up)
- PlayFoam (3+, Educational Insights, $13)
- Hullabaloo DVD Game (4+, 1-6 players, Cranium, $35)
School-Agers
- Hot Wheels Radar Gun (7+, Mattel, $40, requires 4 AAA batteries)
- Plasma Eggs (6+, Mega Bloks, $8)
- WonderWorks Picture Studio (5+, Cranium, $13)
- Trixiville Dolls (6+, Manhattan Toy)
- Monster Truck Custom Shop (5+, Creativity for Kids, $30 for three trucks)
- Nerf Weather Blitz All Conditions Football (6+, Hasbro, $15)
- LEGO Belville (5+, LEGO, $15 and up)
Preteens
- JellLoopdeLoops (8+, The Bead Shop, $16)
-
- Big Brain Academy (8+, Nintendo, $25)
- Brain Age (13+, Nintendo, $25)
- Deflexion/Khet (9+, 2 players, Deflexion, $55)
- Pirates of the Caribbean DVD Game (10+, 2-4 players, Imagination Games, $50)
- Fly Pentop Computer (8+, LeapFrog, $99; requires 1 AAA battery, included, or optional recharging base, $40)
- Paper Stained Glass (8+, Klutz, $25)
And here are other opinion on best toys 2006:
You will find that many of the holiday toy toys 2006 are electronic toys. If you don't like such electronic toys (or other non-electronic toys listed above), you can get traditional children toys which has popular children characters embedded on them, for instance the new version of Etch of Sketch. This makes the toys don't look like the 'toys from the past'. I personally prefer traditional toys since they are just better for children's growth. However, sometimes children want the latest toys. So I guess, this is one way to compromise.
OK ... now enough with what children and industries think about the top toys 2006. So what does the expert think you should get for your child this year ? Watch out for my next blog entry .... (to be continued)
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link: (Permalink)
November 19, 2006 15:38 - Best Holiday Toys 2006 - What Do The Experts Say ?
Holiday season is the season when parents and other adult make a splurge on children toys. Most will go for the latest and popular toys for a particular year. Toy industries and parent's magazines even have their own version of what is considered as the top holiday toys.
But, are these toys actually are the best for child's growth and development ?
Let's see what the experts say.
According to Keith Sawyer, PhD, associate professor of education in Arts and Sciences at Washington Univ in St. Louis, the best toys for children under six are the one which are safe, well-constructed, age appropriate and have low realism. Low realism refers to toys that are not likeness-based, for example a generic cowboy toy is better than a toy cowboy resembling cowboy from the movie "Toy Story" because when playing with a generic cowboy toy, a child might act out scenes from "Toy Story" , but might also do something completely different. For very young children, though, he suggests toys which have extra-realism to help with the pretend play.
For school age children, he suggests to add some educational-based toys and games that help the children understand rules and strategy.
I totally agree with his assertion. The best toys are often free. I often watch my children turning laundry baskets into boats or cars, a piece of wood into station platform, and a stick into a magic wand. Even a pencil can be a syringe when they play 'doctor office'. My children can play for hours when surrounded by these things plus the stuffed animals.
Linda Crowe, a professor from Kansas State Univ supports Keith Sawyer's opinion that the best toys are regular simple non-electronic toys. Toys with no bells and whistles, is the way she described these kinds of toys.
So what does she say about electronic toys which are becoming more and more popular and touted as educational ? She warns parents to be careful with their electronic toy purchase since these toys can pose several dangers in child's development. Read more here.
Visit our best toy shopping guide for more information.
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link: (Permalink)
|
