Toy Tips: A Parent's Essential Guide to Smart Toy Choices

by Marianne M. Szymanski

Book Overview

This entertaining and informative book--written by Marianne Szymanski, child development and toy expert, and Ellen Neuborne, an award-winning business journalist--is an essential and authoritative guide to toys and play. Based on thirteen years of independent consumer-focused research, Toy Tips offers invaluable advice and practical information about selecting appropriate toys and answers questions such as Why do kids play with toys? What is the true role of toys? Which toys are good and which aren't? How do toys figure into normal, healthy child development? "Invaluable and specific guidance about how the right toys can help your kids learn, develop, build skills, and have some fun." --Michele Borba, consultant, educator, and author, Parents Do Make a Difference, Building Moral Intelligence , and No More Misbehavin' "No one is better equipped than Marianne Szymanski to help you make smart choices when purchasing toys for your kids or for the kids in your life."--Spencer Christian, former host of Szymanski's guest segments on ABC's Good Morning America , and author, Is There a Dinosaur in Your Backyard? and many other children's books "Szymanski's years of experience and passion for serving children make her a leading voice in the developmental benefits of toys and play."--From the Foreward by Marvin W. Berkowitz

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0787974366
• ISBN13: 9780787974367
• Release Date: August 2004
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 242 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

BEST CHOICE FOR PLAY RESEARCH

As the mom of Lili and Eva, I am most interested in developmental research on toys and the value of play. I bought this book as a "bundle" with another similar title and I have to say that I could hardly put it down. My favorite chapter is about Smart Shopping and it made shopping on the internet for toys much more understandable. I would suggest this book for any parent who wants to learn about the values that toys play in a child's life. Also, the font of the book is easy to read and the toy quiz is fun to take.

Enter the Toy Aisle with Confidence

No need to be overwhelmed or intimidated by the huge selection of plastic and plush crowding the shelves in the toy sections of your favorite stores. After reading Toy Tips (an easy, delightful and entertaining read) you'll be able to sort through the stacks of children's products and make smart choices about what to buy for the kids in your life. Unlike many toy-focused books, Toy Tips does a great job in reminding readers that toys can be both educational and fun. It seems obvious, but sometimes we get caught up in the educational aspects of a toy and forget that a child can learn through play even if letters and numbers aren't prominent on a product. Toy Tips does a marvelous job of dissecting the advantages of particular types of toys and pointing out the less-obvious skill sets that are achieved through their use. A toy that engages a child's imagination encourages creativity, and exercising creativity is important. So a role play or plush toy can in fact be educational. Toy Tips charts out which kinds of products are safest and best suited for kids of different ages and developmental stages. Toy Tips uses a very calculated product rating system that doesn't dictate what I put in my shopping cart but instead arms me with the knowledge I need to make my own informed choices. Plus, it's full of fun tales from the Toy Tips lab that, even if you don't have any shopping ahead, are enjoyable to read.

A Good Guide

This is a valuable guide for anyone trying to wade through the confusion of the toy market. The format is very user friendly and the mini worksheets help to take the guesswork out of your toy purchases. The information is practical without being overwhelming.

Toy Tips is a must have!

This book is full of excellant information! It also serves as a great reminder that toys play a huge role in a child's development and we should not underestimate their power to stimulate young minds both positively and negatively. Toy Tips is a must have especially for parents, grandparents and teachers.

A great resource

This book is a great resource for anyone who really wants to put some thought into what the buy there children. It is well organized, well written and very informative, with a lot of practical tips for parnts, grandparents and anybody in a position to potitively effect a child's life.