by Bec Slack March 21, 2019

5 Factors to consider when shopping for the perfect toy gift

Picture the look of excitement on a child’s face when you buy them the perfect toy as a gift. The toy-buying process can be challenging, with so many colourful and cute toys to choose from. Deciding what to pick can be a difficult decision; but here are five factors to consider when shopping for the perfect wooden toy gift.

1. Adds educational value

The toy should help the child to learn new things in a fun and interesting way. Educational toys can give children confidence in their abilities and challenge them to think critically or problem solve as they play and explore. Pick the toy that can encourage the child to take the next step in their learning and development. Further on this point, wooden toys add an extra dimension of educational value to toys. We have written blogs about this before - so we know you've heard it all already - but to expand your childs mind, providing high quality, wooden toys will open up so many new educational doors.

2. Open-ended toys for longer use

As kids grow, their imagination and desires also change. Get toys that can be used in a variety of ways to foster their changing imaginations, creativity, and play. Make sure that it can be transformed to become more challenging as the child grows.

3. Encourages creativity

To keep the child’s imagination going, go for toys that can help them explore their creative side. Consider getting building blocks that the child can use to construct whatever they want, instead of a Lego kit to build a ship. This aspect is critical in ensuring that children learn more about the world around them and their abilities to make it better.

4. Fits the child’s interest

From a young age, kids begin to show their interests. It could be curiosity towards outer space, a particular cartoon character, or love for music or animals. You can fuel the child’s interests by gifting them with toys that relate to something they currently love. You can purchase the most expensive toy kitchen or carpenter bench on the market - but if your child prefers to climb and jump or do puzzles than it will probably collect quite a bit of dust.

5. It’s age appropriate

Curious school-going kids, active pre-schoolers, and infants just learning to crawl require different types of toys. Good news is that the packaging on most toys have clear labels indicating the ages they are appropriate for. It is important to follow the instructions because they are critical to the child’s safety, especially if they are below 3 years. However, parental discretion and level of supervision come into play here also. There are many toys that have labels for older children, that with the right level of supervision and guidance can help younger children learn.

CleverStuff can help you shop for the perfect toy gift for your child, grandchild, or your best friend's child. Call us today on 1300 552 500 for quality and educational toys in Penrith.