safe toys for baby

Give your children safe toys

2011-09-18T00:09:00.000-07:00

How I can know if I am buying a toy safe and complies with the rules? This is a question asked by most parents when they go to a store to buy a present for his son. The associations defending the interests of consumers warn all people to be very careful when shopping, especially during the Christmas . The Safety Commission Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has information related to the death of several children in recent years because of issues related to toys, as well as many healthcare. Most of these deaths occurred when small swallowed a small ball or some other parts of the toy.

Bad toys can kill

At the time of purchase and give a toy, it is advisable to follow some guidelines:
- Pay attention to labels that have the toys. Necessarily, they have to take: the "CE", which means that the product meets the safety standards of the European Community , the name and product brand, the name and address of the manufacturer or importer, the instructions and use warnings; and in case of electrical toys, you must specify its maximum power supply voltage they need and their energy consumption.
- Find your way by the information contained in the label regarding the age for which it is advised the use of the toy.
- If you buy a doll, a stuffed animal or toy-like, check the eyes, ears, etc.. are sewn or glued, with no danger of being detached.

- If you buy kites or other flying toys , carrying a warning that should not be used near power lines. Or if you buy water toys that have tips that you can use it in the water, and always under adult supervision. And games with chemical experiments , aimed at age 10, must contain a warning that contain hazardous substances.
- Pay attention to instructions and warnings on battery chargers. Some lack of mechanisms to prevent overheating, and batteries can also be the cause of serious accidents.
- Toys that use electric current must have a safety plug. - Avoid toys with sharp edges, sharp or pointed, especially for children under eight years.
- notes that the "whistle" of rubber toys that sound can not come loose and be swallowed. Must be made all in one piece.
- Beware of toys that look like real food . Children may try to eat them.
- For children under age six, avoid toys containing small parts. The toy should be large enough so that it can be swallowed.
- Toys for babies should be made of materials that will not break. Also avoid those that are painted or varnished.
- wheeled toys, scooters or skates , should always be used together with a helmet and appropriate safety equipment to small size.
- The projectile toys are not suitable for young children . Improper use of these toys could cause serious injury to the child's eyes.
- The task of charging the batteries of a toy must always be supervised by an adult. Do not allow your child to handle small batteries or adapters.
- Once the gifts are opened, discard all plastic wrapping to avoid that they become harmful items to play.

Toys and children's development

2011-08-18T00:11:00.000-07:00

The toys are essential tools for the proper development of children . Plays an important role in the formation of concepts, skills, expectations and socialization in children.
Historically, children have the need for an activity , to move, look around, manipulate objects and experiment, create, interact, and exchange shares experiences and feelings.

The right toy

The game, besides being an activity helps children develop their mental functions, physical and social. Children develop the many facets of his personality: learn to interact with the environment, develop their most creative and perfect their many skills to help them channel their energy so vital physical and mental and emotional.
All this is of great help in their development as whole persons, also facilitating their integration into the social environment in which they move. For all these reasons it is essential to find the right toy for every age and time , and be very aware of the role it will have on child development. The game changes as the child grows. Soon the child will be representing characters and can express themselves and communicate freely; also establish rules in games, exercising self-control capacity and autonomy.

Playing with children with disabilities

2011-07-18T00:15:00.000-07:00

The term disability refers to a lack of ability on a specific branch, but does not mean that the child is a disabled person. As proclaimed in 1959 the General Assembly of the United Nations and ratified in 1990 the Spanish Parliament, play is a right of children and adults we must ensure they are implemented in each and every one of the boys and girls, although in some situations are serious difficulties in the development of this activity . Sometimes children with disabilities can use the toy market, but on many other occasions the accessibility of play materials for these children is reduced or absent. When the toy can not be used by these children as it is marketed, it is sometimes possible to vary the objectives and rules of the game or make some modifications to allow a greater use of the toy. These adaptations can be simple or require the intervention of specialists in the field (for example, translate the sound effects of a toy visual effects). There are various types of disabilities (motor, intellectual, sensory ...) and with very different levels of involvement. This diversity creates a great difficulty to provide global assessments or advice relating to the selection and adaptation of toys for these children.

Tips for playing with your child with disabilities

1 - For the game development of children with disabilities is vital that the design of toys is "for all", so that children with and without disabilities can use the same games in similar conditions. In this way he could unify the one hand, the integration process of children with disabilities in the game who do not, and moreover, the development of standardized toy play cut differentiation from other children.

2 - It is important to choose toys that allow more versatile forms of interaction and that they can change the rules. Thus, it will be easier to adapt the proposed recreational toy to the circumstances of each case. 3 - The play materials used by older children should be age appropriate even if they are in an earlier stage of development. For example, if we provide an activity center handling a child with motor disabilities 10 years we will have to adapt their size and gaming proposals that child, certainly not serve us an activity center for babies who usually use. 4 - It is important to know that there are safety standards for the manufacture of toys and we must ensure that the adaptations we make in them will not pose any danger. It is therefore important to always consult with a specialist. 5 - It is imperative to consult with your pediatrician or medical specialist concerned, in case the child is carrying out a rehabilitation program, since this type of professional will certainly help us assess the suitability of each proposed game adaptation or the needs of each child in particular. 6 - Sometimes children with disabilities are learning rates than those of other children, so it is important to question and adapt the old instructions are provided on the toy.

Toys for every age of the child

2011-06-18T00:18:00.000-07:00

In the market, the supply of toys is so large and varied that it is very difficult to choose the most appropriate or the best. What should I consider when choosing a toy for a child? GuiaInfantil.com has prepared some tips and suggestions for parents to aim at when choosing and buying toys for children.

Guidelines when choosing toys

1 - The toy should be desired by the child / a.
2 - Make it safe . Must be constructed with materials that are not chipped or sharp if broken. The colors must be solid and non-toxic. The younger the child / a must be larger toys.
3 - We buy age-appropriate thinking, always in order and attitudes that develop in our children.
4-Consider your personality: a child / a retracted need socializing games (multiplayer), a child / a hyperactive / a game will seem appropriate care, art, etc ...
5 - Make it simple. This would increase the range of applications that can make it, developing their imagination and symbolic capacity.
6 - do not buy it to satisfy a momentary whim of the child / a.

7 - Generally should not be used to reward or punish a child / a.
8 - We should note that excess kills the fantasy toys and produces boredom. Children need to ask first.
9 - should instruct the family to not give away toys indiscriminately.
10 - The best toy is not necessarily the most expensive.

TOYS BY AGE

0-6 MONTHS: need toys that will help you discover your body and to distinguish different textures, shapes and colors. The rattles, crib mobiles, rubber toys, teething rings, carpet events, etc.. 7-12 MONTHS: The child begins to explore objects and recognize voices. balls , rag dolls, toys, audio, Humpty Dumpty, rockers and walkers. 13-18 months: Children / as know how to walk and recognize the properties of objects. The fit and stack bins, wheeled bicycles and strollers. 19-24 MONTHS: The child / to speak and understand, begins to discover their environment. Cars, bikes, boards, paintings, musical instruments, dolls and animals. 2-3 YEARS: They begin to feel curious about the names and imitate familiar scenes. Tricycles, shovels, buckets , puzzles, pictures, telephones, and dolls. 3-5 years: The child / a begins to ask, learn songs and play with his / her friends. Bikes, boards, tape, storytelling, puppets and action figures. 6-8 YEARS: The child / to know how to add and subtract, read and write. Skateboards, remote control cars, hand games, questions and experiments. 9-11 YEARS: They are interested in complicated activities. Sports supplements, strategy games and reflection, audiovisual, electronic and experiments. MORE THAN 12 YEARS: Disappearing the desire to play and are building their own identity. Books, music and video games.

Playing with children

2011-05-18T00:21:00.000-07:00

How to teach your child to play. That will help you grow

As our children grow, they also increase their needs and requirements. A one-year , for example, a rattle will make something of grace, but will not enjoy it as much as a baby . Therefore, we have selected some guiding advice on ways to play with your children according to their age.

The beginning of the game

During the first eighteen months the child interacts with the world through their senses. Just act. There is only the here and now. His first game is to repeat movements of his body (put his hand in the mouth, for example). Their next game is trying to reproduce objects reactions out of it (move a rattle, etc). Gradually, these movements will vary in what amounts to a genuine experiment. Then relate the movements of the different senses , allowing you to solve "problems" new.

In this period there is an essential toy: a person who is with him, who cares, who speaks, who sings, she strokes and plays with it. That gives you 20 times the pacifier that the baby has dropped. The relationship with this person is an important requirement for the proper development of baby. The pacifier and rattle toys are the next best, and all things that can suck, move and sound. In short, babies want toys that respond to their actions.

From crawling to the tricycle

Around the year the child begins to move, crawl , stand on your feet, walks , runs, jumps ... Each of these stages is necessary. To run there needs to be walked, and walking is essential to crawl. Having security on your body will help you stay safe on the rest of things. Your body is a toy privileged to learn to think (what I have to put your legs to swing alone?). Anything that fosters their safe movement will be a good place to play: the field, the park in your neighborhood, a stairs safe. The first toy will certainly be a mat for crawling and then while walking push toys, ride-on, balls , tricycles , skates , bikes , etc..

Pretend play

During his second year of life the child acquires a new capacity of high importance to its development: the ability to represent, which allows you to leave the here and now. Now you can say what he has done or will do, imitate something you've seen that is not present, draw and, especially important for the amount of time you spend on it, "play to do what." In this game developed fundamental intellectual capacity of human beings: that of giving an object other than their own meaning based on similarities dwindling. In addition, this type of game is going to introduce into society through it will discover facts, some very distant (the hospital, the forest ...) and hence the importance of that is free of gender stereotypes or antisocial values . Finally, the play to do what you can "play" their concerns, expressing and finding solutions. Of course this is one of the best ways to develop the language . The best toys are your friends . With them and little else, invent their best adventures and be trained in the skills of cooperation and negotiation. Anything can become any other, but there are some toys that should not miss. A phone, things for cooking , fabrics for dress , dolls and stuffed animals, toys to crafts, among many others.

Toys recommended by baby's age

2011-04-18T00:29:00.000-07:00

Buy from the best toys for children

Do you have to buy a gift for a boy or a girl and do not know what to get? Depending on their age and need, we have sought a list of toys , classified better and worse, and age, to help you find the right toy for the child.

The best toys recommended

Toys for Babies 0 to 1 years
- Toys that stimulate the senses with colors, textures and sounds different.
- Toys that encourage movement, easy to grab, crawl ... stimulators
- Toys that stimulate the emotions, stuffed animals, dolls ... Toys for 1 to 2 years - Toys invited to visit the space walkers, run-halls, foam rubber blocks ... - Toys that connect events: cause and effect, hitting, throwing, insert and remove, stack and towers, experiment with water and earth. - Toys that encourage imitation of simple actions: animals and small dolls, puppets, telephone, cars ...

Toys for children 2 to 6 years
- the outdoor toys, tricycles, balls, rope, buckets, shovels, strainers ...
- To build, fit and improve their manual dexterity.
- To imitate scenes work and family: dolls and ins, kitchenette, gadgets, shopping, medical equipment, etc. Toys for 6 to 10 years - Toys for the outdoors: skate, bike, board games and simple strategy. - Construction of different types: bricks, rods, three-dimensional etc. - Toys of experimentation and research environment. - To imitate fantastic scenes, spies, heroes, comic, film or television, etc..

The worst toys

- Those toys that do not meet basic safety standards: checks bearing the seal of the EEC, which does not splinter, do not emit colors, etc.. and, where appropriate, stating "Unsuitable for children under 36 months."
- those who directly incite violence, the practice of unhealthy habits, discrimination based on ethnicity, culture, sex, etc.
- Those who are impractical, difficult to store, they need constant replacement, the loss of a piece of unusable, and so on.
- The unsuitable for children for whom they are intended: not responding to their interests or tastes, age, or the possibilities of game offers where you live.

Importance of play in childhood

2011-03-18T00:31:00.000-07:00

Contributions of games for children

The game is an activity, as well as enjoyable, necessary for cognitive (intellectual) and affective (emotional) of the child. The game encourages spontaneous and free creativity of children and promote their maturation. Children have few opportunities to play freely. Sometimes, we believe that " play by play "is a waste of time and would be more profitable to take advantage of every opportunity to learn something useful.
However, through play, children begin to understand how things work, which may or may not be with them, they discover that there are rules of causality, probability and behavior that must be accepted if you want others to play with them . Children's games should be regarded as their most serious actions, said Montaigne. Spontaneous play is full of meaning because it arises because of internal processes that we do not understand but we must respect. If you want to know the children, their world is conscious and unconscious need to understand the game, watching them discover their evolutionary acquisitions, their concerns, fears , needs and wants those who can not express with words and finding out through the game.

Game and reality: the value of symbolic play (pretend play)

The types of games children show their evolution :
- In the acquisition stage of sensory-motor skills are recommended functional games, action games, feelings and movements .
- In the early stages of child's thinking in the start thinking in concrete operations, are recommended fiction games, symbolic or representational .

- At the stage of formal thought and concentration are best regulated and structured games, sports, competition . In addition, symbolic play or fiction is the most appreciated, is forced to adapt to an adult social world and a physical reality that still does not understand the child needs to invent your own world from that which lives, but translating it into a symbolic language personnel, with the outside world to adapt to their needs. Through play the child fiction gradually assimilates the external world, it develops and adapts to it in a continuous process of maturation.

Game and intellectual development

Children begin to use symbols from the second year of life (eg, saying a dog saying "wow" or to act as if drinking from a cup), repeating actions that have been in adults, accounting for events that have lived or imitating the operation of certain objects. In that imitate the child comes the assimilation of observed situations and relationships in the world around him. Part of concrete models to later reach the concentration . The symbolic function is a common representation goal for the game and other human activities such as language . When it fails the acquisition and use of the symbolic function (aphasia, autism , mental retardation ...) reveals the importance of it in personal maturity and the need to enhance practice in childhood spontaneous game that can be achieved appropriate levels at each developmental stage.

Game and personality

Sometimes, certain difficulties, which may seem insurmountable to the child, can be met through the game , always addressing and raising their way one by one aspect of the problem.

The jealousy on the birth of a new sibling , for example, is a common type of conflict, which often appear masked in the games in response to internal processes that the same child unknown, but to help you accept that reality, to represent the problem of a new and pleasing to him, as when his dummy is the same way that he wants to be treated or reacted in their game as would have done in reality. In the game there is a match between the imaginable (everything is possible) and allowed (rules of conduct), in which the child has time to learn what is feasible and accurate while allowing a graceful exit to their impulses.

The game is an essential activity

- The game is necessary for the intellectual, emotional and social .
- Allows three basic functions of psychic maturation: assimilation, understanding and adapting to external reality.
- offer the child requires time and favorable media so you can make their own way.
- Promotes early social acquisitions, the skills of social communication . It is a preparation for adulthood.
- As exploratory behavior, promotes the creation of fields of action and creativity.
- has a sense for the child. When any game is interrupted, is deprived of the outcome of a story created by himself with a purpose that does not always comprehend.