By Leena Labh, Momsownspace.com:
When it comes to choosing a toy for your child, regardless of his/her age, or choosing a gift for a relative or friend’s child, we are often challenged between the entertainment and educational value of the product. Add the durability and safety risk, and the task of finding a toy for pure simple fun for the child becomes a daunting task. It does no have to be that way.  If we look at the toy, or a game for that matter, a source of engaging a child’s time, effort, and quality fun time, you can always expect that it will offer some sort of learning – from developing motor skills to recognizing a particular sound to associating an action with a cause. Often it can also add to the concept of numbers and mathematics. The first and foremost requirement, however, is that it is safe for the child. Then, it is fun, and could even challenge a child with added fun. A note of caution: Too much challenge in playing with the toy may easily frustrate the child and may not serve its intended purposes. With these simple tips in mind, one can choose from a myriad of available toys that engages a child’s attention and stimulates his/her learning. There are good resources for choosing toys with learning values. An excellent resource for finding information and additional reading on toys and games for children up to 12 years of age is the ParentsChoice.org (http://www.parentschoice.org ). This non-profit site also lists its recommendations of the suitable toys and games with various ratings. The toy maker, Fisher-Price (http://www.fisher-price.com/us/learning ) also lists good tips and products for young children in its toys for learning section.