How to choose toys for children

Of all the topics I could have chosen. I chose to do a guide on the purchasing of toys for children. I have three kids. A boy age 13, a girl age 7 and a half and a boy age 2 and a half. When purchasing toys for my kids I have made mistakes in the past. I have also had many others gift toys for my children that were a mistake. Here are some great ways to save money and choose the right toy for that special child.

1) You want to be sure that the toy you choose is age appropriate.

2) Think noise, is this toy something you as the parent will want to listen to, or will your child's play become frustrating to you?

3) Quality. Can this toy with stand play? Will it break easily or lose parts too quickly? Is this some thing that will last?

4) Is this toy the best value for the money? Never buy a toy based on the fact that it looked fun on TV!

5) Will this toy stimulate or educate your child?

These are just a few key factors that you may want to consider. My daughter was given a generic type Barbie. She loved it, and played with it a lot at first. The next day the doll broke. Was it worth buying a generic cheaply made toy to save a few dollars, when the gift disspointed my child? Not really!
 Bret my 2 year old wanted the Dancing Brobee fromt eh Yo Gabba Gabba show. He was meant for his age and cost a pretty penny. My son wanted it and so I got it. Big mistake. Brobee swings his arms while he dances. Bret had grabbed Brobee's arms shortly after getting him. He was in dance mode at the time. The arm snapped upward and the doll no longer dances correctly.
  My son Chris age 13 was given a game for his PSP. The game was way too graphic and inappropriate for his age group. Honestly it wasn't some thing I would allow my self to play. It was full of blood and shooting. These are just a few reasons why more thought should be put in to buying the proper toy.

Better choices:

My son age 13 is not much in to toys anymore, however collectors cards, memorobilia and things of that nature are usefull and may provide some income one day in to his future. Books are what he is in to most.

My daughter age seven is in to Barbie dolls and fashion dolls of that sort. Amazon and places of that nature will offer them at low cost. I buy playsets that are on sale. They offer more for your money and out last non brand toys. For my daughter learning games can be a lot of fun too. Cranium is a good one because it gets the child active and allows them to open their minds to a new and fun learning experience. There are many versions of this game and it can be bought according to age group.

Bret at age 2 and a half tends to lean toward building toys. Blocks, digging toys for the summer, puzzles, learning activity books, flash card games, bop bags and more. These are very cheap and fun gifts, most of which are learning toys and fun. These are useful.

How to find a great toy at a cheap price?

1) Search bargain stores like Overstock, Amazon, Walmart, Target, Ty's Toy Box, Kmart and stores like these. Search frequently for the best prices and you can even use shopping.com as a price guide on most items.

2) Read reviews on Shopping.com or Epinions for a better idea of how the toy will last, get the information on the pros and cons of the toy from trusted members who have actually tried this toy.

3) Choose a subject. Will it be a learning toy? A doll? A figure of some sort? A car or electronic? Once you know what your genre is you can start to look.

4) Set a price limit on your spending. Tell yourself, I will spend no more than 10.00 on this toy. Or whatever the cost you can afford is.

5)Search for the toy on the above sites or right here on shopping.com and use a price guide of 0-10.00 as your cost you will pay. Select low to high as your viewing options. This way you have a better chance of finding a good gift at a good price.

6) Purchase the toy you have read about and selected. Then when it arrives or once you get it home you double check it for parts. Are they all there? Are they too small for your child?

These are just a few ways that I have learned to use in helping me to choose toys for my kids. As well as mehtods I have used to select gifts for other children in my family, or my children's friends.