Learning What a Good Toy Is and Is Not

What makes a good toy? That’s a question many parents--and doting aunts, uncles and family friends--are asking this holiday season. The Toy Manufacturers Assn., and others, have some buying tips.

Parents Choice, a nonprofit consumer guide to children’s toys and media, offers the following guidelines for what good toys are not:

* Good toys are not instant gratification.

* They do not excite interminable materialism.

* Good toys do not glamorize or reflect the destructive aspects of society.

* A good toy does not offer answers; it stimulates questions and presents problems for solving--all in good humor, sometimes with wit.

Julie E. Lynn is executive vice president, co-founder and toy buyer for Building Blocks, a chain of toy stores in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

Lynn steers clear of “media-driven blockbuster toys.” Among her picks:

* Hardwood maple blocks in a variety of shapes with beveled edges for safety. Building Block maple blocks come in three size assortments: 36, 68, 110 (from $49.99 to $189.99)

* Roller coaster. A wire bead maze that allows children to follow the beads with their fingers, learning cause and effect, patterning and hand-eye coordination. Available in three sizes ($29.99 to $99.99).

* Jewelry-making, paint sets, fabric painting, bird feeder kits and dinosaur model making kits ($11.99 to $29.99).

“There are a few basic guidelines that every adult can follow in an effort to make more informed decisions when purchasing toys for their children,” says Pauline O’Keeffe, national spokesperson for Kay-Bee Toy Stores. “Think about the skill level, interests and talents of each individual child. Also, read the manufacturer-recommended age level of each toy carefully and use it as a guide.”

The Toy Manufacturers of America has these suggestions:

* Always read product instructions.

* Consider the ages of all children who have access to the toy. A toy intended for an older child may be unsuitable and potentially dangerous for a younger child.

* Make sure teething toys cannot fit completely into a child’s mouth.

* Check for well-sewn seams on stuffed animals and cloth dolls.

* Be certain that toys intended to be thrown have blunt tips.

* Remember, supervision is essential. Adults should always be present when children interact with playthings. Toys must be used, maintained and stored correctly to insure that the built-in safeguards provided by manufacturers continue at home.

Lists of recommended toys can also be found in the following books: “Parents’ Choice: A Sourcebook of the Very Best Products to Educate, Inform, and Entertain Children of All Ages,” selected by Diana Huss Green, founder and editor of Parents’ Choice magazine (Andrews and McMeel, $9.95); “The Best Toys, Books & Videos for Kids: The 1994 Guide to 1,000-Plus Kid-Tested, Classic and New Products for Ages 0-10” (HarperPerennial, $12), written by Joanne Oppenheim and Stephanie Oppenheim of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, an independent consumer review of children’s media; and “The Kidstuff Survey: Parents rate toys, books, videotapes, music and software for kids under six,” edited by Ellen Rosen Zuckert (Cove Point Press, $9.95).