Toys, Play and Young Action Guide

This is a great resource for parents:

2008–2009 Toys, Play & Young Children Action Guide

TRUCE

Toys, Play & Young Children—English PDF

Toys, Play & Young Children—Spanish HTML

Toys, Play & Young Children—Spanish PDF

(To view a PDF file, you may need the free download Adobe Acrobat® Reader®.)

See TRUCE Toys, Play, & Young Children Action Guides from previous years

 

2008–2009 Toys, Play & Young Children Action Guide

1. Introduction
2. What Parents & Other Adults Can Do
3. Choosing Toys of Value
4. Toys and Toy Trends to Avoid
5. Shoe Box Gifts for Hours of Creative Play
6. Resources
7. About TRUCE
8. Archive

Play is essential to children’s healthy development and learning. Children use play to actively construct knowledge, meet social/emotional needs, and acquire life skills. The content of their play comes from their own experiences. Because of the pervasive influence of the electronic media — TV, movies, videos, DVDs, computers, video games — children spend more time sitting in front of a screen and less time playing creatively with each other. These changes in today’s childhood are undermining play.

Parents are constantly faced with decisions about what toys to buy and what toys to avoid. The influence of high-powered marketing and popular culture interfere with thoughtful decision-making at the toy store.

This guide is intended to help adults promote children’s creative and constructive play by making informed choices about toys, and by working with others at home, school, and in the community to promote positive play and toys.