Kids toys: How to be a savvy shopper

When Liverpool, N.S, parent Jane Stevenson picked out Webkinz toys for her daughters, 8 and 10, last year, little did she realize how smitten they'd be with their new playthings.

Says an exasperated Stevenson, "Webkinz are little stuffed toys that come with a code you enter at the Webkinz website. For a year, you have a virtual pet. You play games and buy things on the website. My daughters want on the computer all the time. It's a really addictive thing. I hate toys like that."

It's that time of year once again, when parents try to figure out the best toys for their kids. Somewhere between the anxious pleas of children and the incessant advertising on television are a few places to find the real scoop on toys that are safe and have great play value.
Tried and tested

The Canadian Toy Testing Council offers one of the most comprehensive lists of good toys for kids. Between 400 and 600 toys are tested each year by 1,000 children on an ongoing basis. The testers range in age from infants to teens.

Says the council's executive director Leigh Poirier, "We have six families test a toy for eight weeks. An evaluator then fills out a report [and] takes it to a meeting, where a final evaluation is then made. Each testing family looks at design, function and safety, of course. As well, we look at the amount of battery power a toy uses up, how easy it is to assemble, as well as the play value and durability of a toy."
Safety

If the CTTC has concerns about safety, it sends the toy to the Safety Product Bureau at Health Canada. Safety is a huge concern to parents, and for good reason. Within the past few days, for example, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled 4.4 million Polly Pocket magnetic play sets because three children swallowed small magnets that fell off the toys.

In Canada, places to check out product safety recalls include the Health Canada site and CBC.ca's Consumer Life recalls section .
Toy libraries

Another way to research toys for children is to take advantage of toy lending libraries. While most do not have the latest toys because of funding issues, they do offer items with good play value.

Kim Dixon, child youth and parent co-ordinator at the Greenwood Military Family Resource Centre in Greenwood, N.S., says, "You don't find toys like Bob The Builder and Fairytopia at our toy lending library. We're getting away from buying the brand name toys, because they go out of style too quickly. Instead, we have educational bins with a toy, video, craft idea and story all applicable to the theme of the bin, which could be anything from pirate to transportation. Parents come in and borrow the bin."

Nicky Logins, program manager with the toy lending library at Sooke Family Resource Centre outside Victoria, B.C., explains the toy library gives parents a chance to borrow certain toys before buying them.

"We have music and movement toys, games that challenge children," she says. "We also have Brio train sets that are very expensive, but are fun forever — those kinds of basic toys. Simple is valuable."
Try something new

Even if a child seems taken with certain toys, Poirier recommends taking chances with new ones. "It's good to introduce your children to new play patterns and different types of toys. Sometimes people say their children don't like arts and crafts, but when they try out a different toy on their child, they're surprised how much their children enjoy the activity."

As well, parents need to figure out their expectations for a toy. They may want a child to get exercise or learn a new skill like reading or math as they play, but they need to remember that toys are toys first and foremost. Says Logins, "Play is child's work, but the learning part comes with the fun. If it isn't fun there is no learning taking place."

In Stevenson's case, Webkinz offers just a bit too much play value — but at least some of it has practical value as well.

"The good thing about the website is that it's safe," she says. "As well, because they're buying and selling things, they're dealing with numbers and math. They're also reading. There is some good, it's just they do it all day."