How to Choose a Toy for Christmas

How do you go about choosing a toy for Christmas, there are so many to chose from.

This isn’t just a matter of finding another piece of merchandise.  It is about the delight of a child’s Christmas and perhaps the whole year.

Here are some guidelines that may help with that process.

1. First, think in terms of something that establishes rapport. 

You will need to find something in accord with the child’s interests, level of skill and temperament.  Find out the child’s favourite books, films, sports, computer games and so forth.  It you can’t do this directly talk to relatives to find the child’s interest. Take the child on a visit to the local toyshop and see what catches his/her eye.

2. Consider the child’s age. 

Toys are generally marked as suitable for a certain age group.  There are two reasons for these guidelines.  First, they reflect safety concerns.  A toddler for instance should not be exposed to small parts.  They also give guidance as to what would suit the intellectual and practical development of an average child.  Providing a toy at the appropriate level of intellectual and practical development is important.  A present that is suitable for a younger audience will be rejected as an insult.  A present that is designed for an older child may be rejected as too difficult. While it generally best to buy a present for the correct suitable age it is worth bearing in mind that children do develop at different rates.  Children who develop specialist interests can have very precocious tastes. Classic toys and games that have stood the test of time are less likely to have an upper age bound. Some children stay with creative toys and construction kits longer than the age range would suggest. 

Some toys may have age bounds because they are associated with particular classes at school. When I was at school there was a clear distinction between one year that played with marbles and the year above that did not.

3. Consider the child’s gender.

This is still important in our age of equality.  Boys do prefer movement and action based toys and adventure themes.  Girls do show a preference for passive toys, family pretend toys, playing “house” and dressing up.