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Dr. Toy's Best Children's Products - Selection Criteria
This list is offered to help you decide if your product fits the goals of the Dr. Toy program.
We seek products suitable for home and school use, and ones that are positive, beneficial and appropriate for learning and growth.
- Adaptation of product to home and school. These products fit both at home and in school. Dr. Toy looks for thoughtful, useful guidance materials to facilitate the product.
- Appropriate for age or gender. Products must be carefully tested, appropriately and clearly labeled.
- Auditory quality and clarity. If the product has electrical components or sounds they must be the right tone and frequency, with easy controls. Preference is for products that can be easily controlled by the listener such as with a headset.
- Children's special needs. Every child progresses at his or her own rate. Product should fit the child's developmental skills, and offer easy adaptation.
- Community awareness. Children benefit from products that help them to better understand their own community, or other communities.
- Creativity. Every child has different talents and abilities. Products should foster awareness, appreciation, and involvement in the creative process.
- Cultural sensitivity. As children take part and interact in a larger society, it is important for them to be more aware, respectful and understanding of other people who may differ. Children need to understand and respect similarities and differences of all people.
- Design. How the product is constructed and used by the child will be largely determined by its design and execution.
- Durability. Quality and staying power of a product is determined by its ability to withstand active use.
- Ease of use. Child should be able to use a designated product without any difficulty.
- Educational value. Product that teaches a child a concept or skill has extra value.
- Environmental education. Products that help child to understand wildlife, science, or other aspects of the environment are valued.
- Guarantee of company. Company's guarantee of a product's safety, protection, and ease of use by children for designated age-range establishes important consumer credibility.
- Good for physical activity. Children need balance in their activities. Products that support children's healthy physical development make an important contribution to health and well-being.
- Good use of materials. How product is actually produced and used will depend on the good use of materials.
- Innovation/Originality. Products that are different, special, unique, or do something familiar, but in a new way offer new play opportunity.
- Learning skills. How a product helps the child acquire new skills, practice, and information.
- Packaging. Clear wording, so product is easily understood. All-important labeling is easily found, and includes safety cautions and age-grading. Clear directions for use of product are valued.
- Play value. Product has broad appeal and is worth the investment as the child returns to it over again. The cost of the item should be equal to its play value.
- Quality. Entire package and product work together making it ultimately beneficial.
- Safety requirements. Product testing has been done. Product meets all criteria for safety standards.
- Socially responsible. Product helps the child understand self, others, community or world, or it provides something to help make the world better. Or it uses specially formulated products that reduce use of natural resources.
- Technically well-produced. Product, packaging, enclosures and advertising work together to provide valuable addition.
- Visually interesting. Product is pleasing to look at, and the choice of colors and materials are appropriate.
- Fit. Product matches a balance and array of playthings. Product serves to enhance child's play experiences
- and, of course, it must be
- "fun"—a certain tangible yet elusive quality essential to all children's products.
