Health, Safety, and Nutrition for the Young Child

391 Words2 Pages
Part 1 Guidelines for selecting toys for young children. How do you decide what toy to get a child? Nowadays there are so many choices. Some toys can be very expensive; does that make them a better choice? You don’t want to buy an expensive toy only for the child to play with it one time. In this essay I would like to share some guidelines when selecting toys for young children. Safety is probably the most imperative concern when picking out toys. You should look over the toy to see that it’s well made, durable and can be easily cleaned. The toy should be painted with non-toxic, lead-free paint. Inspect the toy to be sure there are no small parts or pieces that could lodge in the throat, no sharp edges, eye danger, and is shatter proof. Next you should consider if the toy will be age appropriate. You can do this by looking at the age recommendation on the toy to see if it is appropriate, but this may not fit every child. Observing the child will help give you a better idea on what toys they like and what would be suitable. Young children need toys that fit with their developing abilities and stages of development, which brings me to my next guideline. Will the toy be stimulating? Does the toy look like it would be appealing to a child? Look for toys that can be used in a variety of ways, with simple designs that allow the child to be creative and use their imagination. The last guideline to consider is, if the toy promotes a healthy message. Does the toy encourage cooperative play? Some toys, such as war toys could enable inappropriate behavior and cause power struggles between children. Selecting toys for young children can be challenging. Hopefully using these guidelines will make the process a little easier. References Good Toys for Young Children. National Association for the Education of Young Children. Retrieved from
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