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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

How much notice do you, and should we, take of age recommendations for toys?

26 replies

bramblina · 01/11/2006 12:02

Started looking at some new toys for ds's Christmas and everything bar rattles and stacking rings has an age suggestion of 3+.
Ds loves to play with smaller components now, loves to see things "do" things (ELC's click clack track and wooden pull along train where the wooden blocks thread on to the poles, for eg) and loves "posting" things in boxes and the like. He has shape sorters and stacking cups, likes these simple but effective toys.
I think he'd love a little tool set and things similar but wonder how blind I'm being by a valid reason (I'm also aware of the obvious danger, I'm talking about supervised play here)...experiences anyone?
I am aware of not trying to make him grow up too quick by getting him next stage toys but I relly feel there's not much for him at this stage.

OP posts:

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Set a reminder

Flamesparkler · 01/11/2006 12:04

I never look at the ages.. I look at small bits & easiable breakable offableness, and buy based on that.

LittleB · 01/11/2006 12:29

My dd is 18mths and I've also seen alot of things aged 3 plus that I'm sure dd would love to play with, some of them, like xylaphones I know she likes as she plays with them at mums and tots, like flamesparkler says, I just have a good look at them, and if there aren't any loose bits and small bits I'll get it for her.

KatherinewheelMCMLXXII · 01/11/2006 12:33

I am cynical and I don't believe safety/appropriateness is the only reason for the ages they give - I also think they are trying to sell you more toys so they carefully space out the ages to make you buy as many as possible.
Consequently while I would look very carefully at any toy with an older age limit, it would not stop me getting it.

SaintHunkerOfMunker · 01/11/2006 12:34

DS1 got a keyboard for Christmas last year. Twas a tenner and he loves it. He was 20mo then - he'd not even be able to have it now if I went by ages ever

madmarchflare · 01/11/2006 12:35

Toys for 2-3 year are crap.

ELC do Happyland stuff 18 mos+, which DShas got quite a bit of.

I think sometimes the age recommendation is aiming at the capability as well rather than just small pieces.

I wouldnt buy as a present for someone else but I have done for DS (who is 3 very soon - yay) all this year.

Psychobabble · 01/11/2006 12:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LunarSea · 01/11/2006 13:01

Apparently to get a toy certified as suitable for under 3's is quite expensive (and you are not allowed to claim suitability for that age group without the certification), whereas if you claim 3+ it's not. Hence a lot suitable for 2 will be labelled 3+. I've never taken too much notice of it really, just judged things but what I knew to be ok for ds at that stage (but then we've always had a lot which wasn't new, so there's no packaging to go by and you just have to judge it anyway). Ask yourself if you saw the same thing in a charity shop say, minus it's packaging, would you consider it suitable? If the answer is yes, I'd go for it.

scotlou · 01/11/2006 13:12

I don't know how old your ds is - but we got a tool set for our son when he was just 2 (recommended age 3+) it was the best £10 ever spend as he (now nearly 7) and his sister (4) STILL play with it. AS other people have said - trust your instincts.

KTeepee · 01/11/2006 13:29

The only down side to tool sets at that age is they may take lumps out of your walls with the hammer - ds1 got one when he was 2 and it got put away for a year or so as as result!

Lego Duplo is fine for under 3's ime (and I think it actually says so on the box too). Megablocks also do a lot of stuff that is suitable - ds2 got a pirate ship last year.

Pruni · 01/11/2006 13:44

Message withdrawn

KatherinewheelMCMLXXII · 01/11/2006 13:46

Thanks Lunarsea, that's useful info....

SSSandy · 01/11/2006 13:48

I ignore the recommendations. Thing is if your dc is very small, just to check if there's a bit they can bite off and swallow or that you don't get something too cheap which might have poisonous elements in the paint, if they're sucking and biting on things.

Bramshott · 01/11/2006 14:02

There a quite strict rules for toys for under-3s - for example in the kind of plastics they can use, so most toys are 3+ if that makes sense?

Groveregg · 01/11/2006 14:04

I used to work for a toy company before ds arrived; legally if there are any small parts (roughly speaking smaller than a bottle top - which can include a part that could have broken off during safety testing) a toy has to be 3+ and have a small parts warning on the packaging. The powers that be reckon that at 3 years old children generally have stopped putting things in their mouths and that's why this is the case. Other than that there are no specific criteria for age recommendations that I know of.

Original poster

bramblina · 01/11/2006 20:23

Thanks everyone, what fantastic help & advice. So it's really just down to common sense.

Ds is 15 months old, quite an in-between stage as far as toys go, I gather.

I'll be happy to buy with confidence now.

OP posts:

hulababy · 01/11/2006 20:34

I also ignore age ranges and decide myself base don what the toy is, size of bits, complexity of toy and my own child.

Original poster

bramblina · 01/11/2006 20:35

I'm quite surprised, and delighted, it's not just me!

OP posts:

wannaBe1974 · 01/11/2006 20:43

I pay no attention at all to age ranges, apart from if I think a toy is too complicated - my Mil does have this annoying habbit of buying toys for ds that are years above his age and hence are slightly more complicated for him and so he gets frustrated if he can't play with them on his own.

I remember reading a post on here once where a poster had gone to someone's house and got a toy out for her child to play with, and the friend had been horrified because the toy was only appropriate from 12 months and the child's birthday wasn't for another two weeks

Skribble · 01/11/2006 20:48

I think it is easier to go for the 3+ recommendation, I sell toys that have that on them but I personaly would let under 3's play with them but I can't say that to purchasers, they will have to make that desision.

For example I sell a bead frame that is 3+. If they could dislodge the wires to get the beads off to choak on them I would worry about any age child using it.

Comen sense approach I suppose, my two didn't put things in their mouth after about 2 but I wouldn't giver them tiny things.

NannyL · 01/11/2006 21:23

the only thing i car is about is that anything that is suitable for a 3 year old or over is a CHOKING HAZARD

If its suitable for a child under 3 then it is not a choking hazard and fine for ANY child!

foundintranslation · 01/11/2006 21:32

I do pay some attention to age recommendations but don't always go along with them, and just supervise more closely/use my common sense. For example, ds (17mo) has a musical instruments set with xylophone beaters - I just don't let him play with the beater when I'm not immediately next to him and never let him walk/run with it. Same with toy cooking spoons. Similarly, he has a (quite long) toy broom - when he plays with it I'm always next to him.

belgianmama · 01/11/2006 21:54

I'm not too worried about the age recommendations either. My ds LOVED Bob the Builder from about 18m, but the B the B toys all stated 3+. Couldn't really see why, so I got him a B the B figure. He also got a (plastic) tool set for his 2nd birthday.
Also what do you do when you've got different age groups in 1 family. You can't possible stop the youngest one from approaching the older one's toys.

galaxy · 01/11/2006 22:01

The only things I consider are whether they are a choking hazard or whether they are too advanced for her age. dd wants Operation and she's 4. It says age 6 plus but I've bought it anyway as she keeps going on about it so much. Worst case will be that she gets frustrated as she wont have the control to play it - in which case it'll go in the cupboard for a couple of years

Skribble · 01/11/2006 22:31

Agree belgianmama a fully mobile 2.5 yr old will be able to get their hands on a lot of things much more dangerous then a plastic toy marked 3+. Older sibling toys will be all over the place.

Pollux · 03/11/2006 16:04

I agree with the last few posters. My DS is 18 month and dd is nearly 7 months, and dd prefers her borthers toys to her own! As they get older there is no way I'll be able to stop her playing with his toys if they are lying around, and as long as I am there to supervise, I don't mind

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