An infant's environment should be made as hazard-free as plausible. No matter how old a child is, if he or she is still mouthing objects, be sure toys or pieces of toys are too large to swallow or become lodged in the mouth or throat.



Children, especially very small ones, often put toys into their mouths, so the materials used to make a toy are regulated to prevent poisoning. Not all toys are appropriate for all ages of children. "Toy-caused" accidents, which occur due to a fault in the toy's design, material content, construction or performance, are infrequent.

Remember that crib toys such as stuffed animals, rattle and beads should never be hung or attached to a crib, playpen or carriage with any sort of string or ribbon. Remember that safety is the most important consideration when selecting toys! Keep this checklist of safety suggestions handy when shopping and share it with your child's caregivers.

Playing with toys and behaviour:

Sometimes children's play can appear overly aggressive, causing parents to worry that the child will grow up to believe aggressive behavior and fighting are acceptable. To be fun the toys should match the child's maturity and challenge his or her skills. It is through imaginative play that the child begins to learn some of the roles and rules of society.

Children with access to a wide range of well-selected toys are more likely to be challenged and stimulated. Research shows that through play children learn how to plan and solve problems. Play is the one way children have of understanding the world of adults.

Toy factual information and History:

The oldest and, perhaps most common construction toy is a set of simple wooden blocks, which are often painted in bright colors and given to babies and toddlers. Throwing and catching balls and frisbees can improve hand-eye coordination. Thousands of years ago, Egyptian children played with dolls that had wigs and movable limbs which were made from stone, pottery, and wood.

The most popular toy football figure so far was Man-U's Peter Schmeichel! The things that are built are sometimes used as toys once completed, but generally speaking, the object is to build things of one's own design, and old models often are broken up and the pieces reused in new models.