I tell ya, if I had a dollar for every time someone told me that their child has too many toys, then I would be a very rich woman! So how do you prevent a toy box that is overflowing with unplayed with toys?  Well, you shop wisely when you buy toys. 

Here are a few questions to ask yourself…
 

What Age Is This Toy For?

Do not buy it if the toy is either too young, or too grown up for your child. If it is too young for them, they will grow bored of it very quickly.
 

If it is too advanced for them, they may get frustrated that they cannot master the intricacies.  They will either hurl it across the room, lock it in a cupboard, or leave it sitting there, unloved and unplayed with.

Try to buy toys that are age appropriate for your children so that they get the most out of them.

What Is My Child Learning?

Children learn so much from play, so why not encourage that by selecting toys that help their learning?

A toy does not need to specifically labelled as a ‘learning toy’ for your child to get value out of it.

For example, children can get a lot out of playing dolls, tea parties and racing cars.

But if you are buying a toy tea set for a 12 year old, they are unlikely to learn much from it!

 

Do They Have Similar Toys?

Will they have something similar at home that teaches them to use the same skills?  If yes, then it is unlikely they will need a second virtually identical toy.  This of course differs if you are considering collection items like carriages for train sets, dolls, or coloured pens.

Even if it is a toy they can have multiple of, it is still important to purchase collection items in moderation.  No child ‘needs' 100 train carriages!

Does It Have Longevity?

Is this toy a one trick pony, or does it have some staying power? 

The best way to tell a toy that will last is to look if it has multiple functions.  Can your child use it in different ways to get variety in their play, or is it more one dimensional?

Sometimes toys that have longevity come with a higher price tag than other toys so it is important to weigh up whether the specific toy is worth the investment, or if you are buying into hype.
 

Be cautious not to buy a toy that is too advanced for your child's age in your quest for longevity!
 

Rotate, Then Rotate Again

Once you have your toy selection at home, you might want to consider storing some away for a few weeks.  Then when your child gets a bit bored of their current toys, rotate in the stored ones and they will feel like new toys again.  Then store away some different toys for the next case of boredom.

Continue to rotate the toys around on a regular basis so that your child never becomes overwhelmed by the number of toys on offer to play with, and there will always be something ‘new' and interesting to play with.

Buy Toys That Don't Get Old Quick...

Here are some suggestions for the types of toys that will stand the test of time in your house…

Pretend Play Items: Kids have the most amazing imaginations, so anything that will get them imagining is sure to be a hit. That includes dolls, farm sets, cars, dollhouses, dinosaur toys, or anything else they can pretend and story make with.

Simple Sports Items: How many hours of fun have you seen your kids have with a simple old ball? So many! Try balls, bats, mitts and wickets.

Things That Move: Bikes, scooters and anything else with wheels keep kids active and outdoors!

Board Games: Hours and hours of fun, not to mention the learning and team play opportunities.

Puzzles: Hone those fine motor and problem solving skills with puzzles.

Science Experiments: Putty, slime, things that go boom and do any other sciency things will be a hit again and again.

Art and Craft: The freedom to create whatever they want with glue and glitter… who can resist that?

We have a massive selection of toys here at Jumpin Jacks Toys. You will be able to find something for even the fussiest player.

We have even made it super easy for you by not only categorising by genre,  but also by age and developmental skills. That way you know you will be making a wise decision when you buy toys.