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An On-Line Guide to Buying Toys This Christmas
Seema LaL
October 27, 2001
"Mom and Dad! You know what I want for Christmas?"
The joy that many children experience in counting down the days until the 25th of December stems from the anticipation of what they will receive. It is always difficult to try to find the best fit between what a child wants, what you can afford, and how safe the product is for the child.
Christmas shopping can be made much easier by making a quick trip to the World Wide Web before venturing out into the crowded hallways of the nearest mall. One web site that is particularly useful in helping you select the perfect toys for the children on your Christmas shopping list is www.toytips.com.
The Reviews link from the ToyTips home page offers in-depth examinations of recently released toys. An easy-to-read ratings scale analyzes toys on a number of "developmental skill" factors, including Motor Movement, Thinking Skills, Character, and Social Interaction. Each toy is given a score from one to five on each of these factors. ToyTips also gives the age range for which the toy is most suitable.
During the Christmas season, parents will be bombarded with ads--and likely a few in-house appeals--for the latest in video-game systems. www.toytips.com offers some alternatives sure to score points with children while luring them away from the television screen.
From the News link on the main page, select the hypertext link to "Press Releases". From this menu, select the article "Ten Tips on Shopping for Smart Toys". This article makes some helpful recommendations for Christmas gifts based on the child's interests and needs.
These gift ideas might seem old-fashioned but ToyTips has recognized each as helping children to develop important developmental skills. For instance, ToyTips claims that nothing fosters a child's self-esteem and confidence like model building, or construction toys like Lego.
To pick out the best toys for your children, safety must also be a consideration. From the main page, ToyTips offers a link to "Safety" articles. This is where you can find information on recalled toys and other safety related concerns.
ToyTips also offers a list of "Toy Safety Guidelines" that should be kept in mind while shopping for Christmas toys. Although these may seem like common sense guidelines, it is important to review this list, since ToyTips claims that in 1995, 21 children died in toy-related accidents in the United States, while another 150,000 were injured.
Another site worth taking a look at is www.toy-testing.org. This site outlines the strengths and weaknesses of toys, the recommended age range, a rating of the product on a three-star system and the retail price.
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