What makes a good toy for children? 7 criteria to consider when choosing

Choosing a toy might seem like a simple task at first – at least until you find yourself confronted with a vast selection. Educational, creative, musical, light-up, Montessori, role-play, wood or plastic… But what makes a children's toy a truly good choice?

A good toy isn't necessarily the one that does the most. It is far more important that it fits the child's age and current developmental level, is safe and of adequate quality, sparks their curiosity, and provides space for them to discover on their own what can be done with it.

Furthermore, "good toy" means something quite different for a baby of a few months, a curious two-year-old, or a preschooler preparing for school. We have collected seven aspects worth considering before making a choice.

1. It should fit the child's age – and don't just look at the number on the box

Age recommendations are an important starting point, as they show not only how interesting a toy is expected to be for that age group but also take safety aspects into account. Besides this, however, it is worth looking at where the child is in their development and what they are interested in.

For a baby, the exploration of the world itself is a game. They look at shapes, touch different surfaces, grab and shake objects, and later examine almost everything with their mouths. During this period, toys that are easy to grasp, have different textures, and can be safely put in the mouth can be good choices. It is worth browsing through Odu's baby toys and teethers with these criteria in mind.

A 1–2-year-old child plays quite differently. They pack, stack, take apart, put together, pull, push, open, and try again and again to see what happens if they do something differently. At this stage, simple building blocks, shape sorters, first puzzles, or easy-to-use role-playing games can become much more interesting.

In the preschool years, imagination plays an increasingly important role. A doll becomes a baby, a few wooden food items become a restaurant, and a box can even become a spaceship. Role-playing games are especially exciting at this time because the child can create their own stories, act out different situations, and try themselves out in new roles.

2. Don't just entertain – give opportunities for play

Toys full of lights, sounds, and automatic functions can look very spectacular at first glance. However, having more features doesn't automatically mean that a toy gives more to the child.

A good question to ask when choosing is: what is the child doing while playing?

Are they just pressing a button and watching what happens, or are they building, sorting, creating, experimenting, moving objects, and making decisions? Often, the simplest toys offer the most possibilities because they don't dictate how they should be played with.

A good toy is not necessarily the one that does the most – but the one with which the child can do many things.

3. Leave room for imagination

A well-chosen toy often requires no long user manual. A building block can be a house, a bridge, or a garage, and a different story can be built around a doll every time.

Such versatile toys can remain interesting for an especially long time because the play itself changes along with the child's age. With the same object, you can play completely different stories at age two and at age five.

Moreover, imaginative play is not just a pleasant pastime. While making up stories, taking on roles, having conversations, and acting out everyday situations, the child communicates, thinks, makes decisions, and practices social situations.

4. Develop – without the game turning into a school lesson

We can encounter the phrase "developmental toy" almost everywhere, even though for development it is not necessary for a toy to be explicitly labeled as such.

For example, during a building game, the child experiments, plans, and solves problems. While using drawing, modeling clay, bead stringing, and other creative games, fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination also play an important role. During a board game, you have to wait for your turn, follow rules, and make decisions, while a puzzle can encourage perseverance and problem-solving.

Before starting school, it is especially easy to fall into the trap of looking exclusively for games that practice letters, numbers, or worksheets. However, school life requires many more skills than that. Important aspects include attention, task persistence, following rules, waiting for one's turn, working memory, problem-solving, and self-regulation.

This is why a suitably chosen board game, puzzle, construction set, or other developmental toy can also contribute a lot to a child preparing for school – while still remaining fun.

5. Safety doesn't just mean no sharp corners

The younger a child is, the more important it is to carefully examine the toys that end up in their hands. Young children naturally put objects in their mouths, so it is especially essential that there are no small, detachable parts that could be swallowed.

It is worth paying attention to age and safety labels, the proper attachment of components, and whether the toy contains things like button batteries or strong magnets. Swallowing these can be especially dangerous.

Equally important is what the toy is made of. Paints, plastics, coatings, and other materials must also comply with the relevant safety regulations. Especially for babies and younger children, it is important to choose products from a reliable manufacturer and an verifiable source.

However, it is not worth judging solely based on the material. Just because a toy is made of wood doesn't automatically make it better, just as good-quality plastic doesn't in itself mean a bad choice. Along with the material, the paint, surface treatment, construction, and manufacturing quality count together.

6. Quality counts in the long run too

A good children's toy must be prepared for the fact that it will actually be played with. It falls, it gets taken along, one day it's part of a construction site, and the next day it gets incorporated into a completely different game.

That's why it's worth looking at how durable its design is, whether its parts are properly secured, the quality of the surface, and whether it is easy to clean. A well-crafted toy can often be used for a longer time by the same child, and later it can even be passed on to a sibling or another family.

Quality is therefore not just about something being pretty. It's much more about the toy withstanding the life it will lead alongside a child.

7. And finally: the child should be interested in it

A toy can be excellent from a professional point of view, but if it doesn't match the child's interests, it can easily end up just sitting on the shelf.

It is worth observing what is currently occupying them. Do they like building? Telling stories about animals? Playing house? Are they drawing all the time? Do they want to take everything apart and put it back together? Do they enjoy playing with others, or do they prefer to immerse themselves in something for a long time?

A child's current interest is often just as important a guide as the age indicated on the box.

And there is not necessarily a need for more and more toys either. A few well-chosen pieces that the child returns to again and again can be worth much more. We wrote about this earlier in our article titled Too many toys? How to create a well-functioning play corner.

A beloved plush toy is a good example of this. At first glance, you might not think of it as a classic "developmental toy," yet long stories, role-playing games, and emotional bonds can be built around it. If you are curious about what makes certain plush toys so special, read also why Jellycat is so popular.

So, what makes a good children's toy?

There is no single toy that would be perfect for every child at every age. However, a good choice is safe, of adequate quality, fits the child's age and interests, offers sufficient challenge, and provides an opportunity for independent discovery.

The loudest toy or the one with the most features won't necessarily be the favorite. And it's not guaranteed that it becomes developmental just because it says so on the packaging.

A good toy, above all, invites you to play. It invites the child to explore, experiment, imagine, create – and simply have a good time in the process.