Toddler Toys - Find and Research Safe and Fun Toddler Toys

Toys are essential in the development of the imagination, are helpful in exercising the senses and they aid in the improvement of skills. There are quite a number of appropriate toys available in the market ranging from baby toys, toddler toys to preschool toys. These toys vary from simple one-piece shakers, to multi-pieced board games. Toddler toys are designed to encourage critical and innovative thinking among youngsters. Whether these toys are based on traditional games or crafted with the latest technology, these toys must have the essentials. They must be safe, fun, and most importantly, educational toddler toys.

Toddler toys have many classifications based, either on the materials used, the location where it should be used, and the skills the toy targets to exercise. There are also award winning toddler toys determined by authorized bodies to evaluate the best and safest toys for toddlers. The Parents' Choice Awards, for example, recognizes the top toys for toddlers every season. For Spring 2010, the body recognized Recycled Cardboard Dollhouse as one of the top toddler toys.

Toddler toys according to materials used

Materials for toddler toys must be carefully considered before giving it to a toddler. Today, many toy manufacturing companies are coming up with ‘green toys.' These are toys made from natural and recyclable materials. These are usually made of any of the following materials: wood, fabric, leather, and cotton. Some use aluminum metal as it is safe and recyclable.

On top of the worries of parents on toddler toy materials is the existence of lead. Many top toddler toys are covered with lead paint, an industrial material that increases the durability of toys and resistance to moisture. While lead prevents damage and corrosion of toys, exposure to lead was later discovered to cause damage to the nervous system, hearing, growth and IQ. There is no instant way to determine the lead content of your toddler's toy. However, there are available lead test kits that can help you identify the presence of lead in an object.

Toddler toys according to play location

Outdoor toddler toys are ideal in the development of children's motor skills. These toys are more geared towards engaging in sports. This will prove to be beneficial in the future, especially if the toddler grows a special interest in a specific outdoor sport. An interesting outdoor toy setting that you can put up is a small obstacle course. This can include ropes for climbing a bit of height, a bike with training wheels, and some tires. This simple set up creates a challenging track for children.

Indoor toys are more varied in form, from actual tangible objects, to online toddler toys and games. Many popular toddler toys are designed to be played within the comfort of your home. One of the unique toddler toys that can be played indoors are the Plan Toy Nuts and Bolts. These are made of safe, wooden materials that come in many pieces of screws and formats, with corresponding bolts. The objective of playing with these wooden toys is to form various designs by imaginative twisting of the bolts and nuts. By threading the pieces together in a variety of matching and mixing, toddlers are encouraged to explore their creativity while developing their motor skills. It also builds up arm strength and dexterity of the fingers.

It is also wise to get toys for your toddler that can be played both indoors and outdoors. There are many toys of this kind. One good and traditional example is a ball. Balls can be one of those outdoor toddler toys and these can also be played indoors. Toddlers love to chase a ball around. Make sure you get one that has bright and attractive colors, such as green, orange and yellow. In most studies, toddlers are more attracted to bright colors compared to dull or dark ones.

Toddler toys for skills development

Most toddler toys are especially crafted to target the development of specific skills. These toys smoothly integrate the improvement of motor, cognitive and/or sensory competence in a fun-looking and interesting gadget.

Toddler toys to develop motor skills

Many toddler toys available in today's market exercise a toddler's motor skills. One of the popular toddler toys for motor development is building project toys. These toys are usually made from foam, cut into durable pieces that resemble wood. These toys can be formed into differently shaped structures and arranged into a community of buildings. There are interlocking ends to hold the pieces together.  Be wary of toys like these that have small parts that can be swallowed by a toddler.

Toddler toys to develop cognitive skills

Educational toddler toys are highly preferred by parents. These toys introduce early academic learning while keeping the process fun and challenging. These toys usually include the alphabet, phonetics, numbers, and pictures of animals as its main subject. From identifying shapes, to the order of the alphabet, to the number of objects in a picture, to the initial phonetic sound of the names of a group of images, these preschool toys for educational purposes augment the difficulty of stressing the benefits of school to the toddler.

Toddler toys to develop the senses

Toddlers are keen to attractive colors and materials that they can use to draw, paint or sculpt. These sensory materials such as water colors, pencils, scissors, and crayons engage toddlers in activities that develop their ability to distinguish one color from another, and identify textures. Baby toys are highly sensory as babies initially rely on their senses.