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Christmas is approaching and with it nervous visits to toy stores. Lists and letters to the Three Wise Men , Infant Jesus, Santa Claus, Olentxero, Befanaor whatever is fashionable in your family and, in the midst of the bombardment of advertising about dogs that poop, supersonic robots and video game consoles that make until breakfast (what seems – do not think so – the panacea of any difficulty domestic), you: helpless and overwhelmed fathers, mothers and grandparents, trying to understand how each and every one of the “best-selling” gadgets works that on TV promises illusion and of course? Those that “guaranteed”, will become the dream come true of the little ones at home. Yes, we know a lot of information and on certain dates, the illusion deserves everything! But be careful, not everything is as they paint it.

Well, in those that are and here I am, so big, that I use this post to let them mercilessly (and at the risk of saying a nonsense) that advertising does not always tell the truth. In any case, my intention is always to help so, neither short nor lazy I am willing to give you a cable and offer you a much summarized list of 5 basic tips to buy a toy (without dying in the attempt). I do not like to synthesize excessively because each family and child is different, but it is also true that, from the outset, it can be very useful to alleviate the questions about choosing “a good toy”.

Let's start from there then, what is a good toy?

The point, then, is to think about what are best toys and games although in this surely we will not have so many coincidences, it is also the best starting point to reflect on the subject. A toy is an instrument of self-discovery and recognition of the outside that is also fun.

We would summarize our recommendations for choosing a toy well in 5 basic points:

1. – Age is important but more importantly, it is to know what your daughter / son is like.

What does this mean? Well, simple, there is a basic and infallible rule – and less obvious than you would expect – that we must take into account when purchasing a toy: all 2, 4 or 5 year old children are NOT the same. So if your offspring, for example, have no siblings, you don't have much time to play with him / her, and there aren't many neighbors to share with, a game of the goose is not the best option.

2. – Toys with batteries are not unfailingly the demonstration of modernity and technological advance. There are times for everything, technology is there and your child will surely not be left behind or become a technological illiterate if he or she does not handle an iPad – as a worthy heir to the Jobs era – while drinking a bottle. Don't worry; you will know how to do it when you are a little older. There are ages in which the fundamental thing is not even with what she plays, but the bond she creates with others through the game. Fathers and mothers you are irreplaceable, do not deny yourself that privilege. 

There is no rush, the iPad will come later, the important thing in early childhood is that the sensory stimuli and the first learning come from the hand of a figure with which the child establishes a bond of affection. So for the first three years of life -at least- make the games become a learning experience through discovery, fostering their curiosity and the use of their hands, mouth, eyes, ears. 

Take advantage of textures and psychomotor development in these stages. It will be difficult for them to develop these skills adequately, if we do not give them the ideal tools to do so at an early age. Oh yeah! What about batteries? Well, they will make the toy in question swift and fast to turn on, walk, eat or roll, nothing more than finding the “ON” button (and if you are like me, you will immediately look for the “OFF”) and stay “still-stopped” as a good spectator seeing how well the toy “plays”: alone and almost unnecessarily to have your daughter / or close, which is a “Smart Toy” for that. Little word for a toymaker.

3. – Your child has abilities to discover, please do not underestimate him. There are times when we mistakenly assume that our child is not able to do certain things. In these cases, trust those who have designed and created the toy – serious manufacturers work hand in hand with pediatricians, psychologists and educators – this means that the fact that our daughter / or has not yet emerged great faculties in a specific area does not mean that you do not have them, you can be sure that your brain has the gift of plasticity and that challenges become an enhancer of maturity, cognitive development and curiosity. 

It is obvious that, following point one, the intention is not to go ahead and buy a logic game designed for 7 years for your child of 2 … common sense and your trusted toy store will know how to advise you, but above all think that challenges, perseverance, and self-confidence are built through achievement and frustration. Believe in him / her, it will be a gift that will mark you forever.

4. – Materials DO matter. Just as we take care of what we eat, we must take care of what our little ones play with. It is a question of security, eye, not only of aesthetic appreciation. Let's take a moment to see what and how the toys we buy are made of. If they are made of plastic and are for children under 3 years of age, make sure they do not contain BPA or Phthalates (common additives in the manufacture of polymers) as they are HIGHLY toxic due to their action as endocrine disruptors. If they are made of wood, try to make it certified sustainable forest (FSC), note that everything made of wood is not ecological by decree:

 if to manufacture they deforest the Amazon, it will be very eco It is not. A well-made and safe toy will give you hours of peace of mind. On the other hand, the certainty of a durable toy is a good investment. The paint used and the glues used also matter. The former must be soluble in water and the latter free of formaldehyde. Yes, I imagine you are thinking: does this lady think I am a chemist? Obviously not, but that information should (by European legislation) be provided on the packaging or should be known by whoever sells the toy. If you are not sure you have all the information, I recommend that you do not purchase the product. It's better to prevent than to cure.

5. – A GOOD toy is always educational. If you are one of the mothers / fathers who insist on giving their children toys with which they learn, I congratulate you, but let me tell you that you can be calm because whenever a toy is good, that is, it has a manufacturer behind Kitchens and dolls -which have such a bad reputation in the world of educational toys- are also a fundamental learning tool: 

They develop social and affective skills, language, values, role learning -breaking prejudices- and feed the imagination. So go ahead! Imaginative games / toys are a great source of learning. That not everything is mathematics, man that the creativity that we need “those of letters” (and the others too) is very important because it offers us mechanisms to solve the difficulties and obstacles that we will have, yes or yes, throughout our adult life.

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