Theme of the week - Cooking for Toddlers!

As you have probably noticed, in most parts of the world it's raining (or is about to rain)! Well, summer is at the end and we're more likely going to spend much more time inside than last couple months.

For this reason, next several months on the Best Toys for Toddlers will be all about toys for inside play. And we are starting with this week's theme: Cooking for Toddlers!

Meaning, all the blog posts, activities on Facebook, Twitter or on our Club's main page will be about cooking! We are talking about pretend play: restaurants, cooking food for mom and dad, crafts that create food or are food or kitchen related, activities and games of all sorts!

If you have a toy you would like to review, one that your toddlers loves to play with, head over to our Club's headquaters and create a page, a review of that toy. I've created a review of my toddler's favorite food toy to show you how it can look: Melissa & Doug's Cutting Food Box and you're all welcome to use Squidoo to show off your own favorite toys and share your experiences with other parents.

Just a quick note at the end: It's just the right time of the year to make a review, you know? Christmas is at the doors and many people are looking for just the right toys to place under the Christmas tree! :)

How to? Reviewing single toy.

It is hard to make a review. At least a good review. I know that. :) 

First of all, it's hard to pick a toy! Currently there are thousends of toys available on market! How to choose? Which one to review?! 

Start slow. Start at your home. Start with your toddler. 

Check what your toddler does with a toy? How he/she plays with it? What it's used for? 

You know already how the toy should be used. You read all the descriptions from the box when you purchased it. But I know your toddler found another and another way to use it! 

Is it simple puzzle? I have seen my little girl playing mom, dad and baby with her bear puzzles! 

Is it set of building cubes? In a moment it can be turned into pretend play with plastic animals and turned into a zoo! 

Every toy, in hands of your toddler can be transformed to something creators of that toy never thought of. You know why? Toys are built by adults. But the creativity and inocence of little learners can change those toys to unlimited creations. 

And that's what good review should have. Something beyond ordinary. Something personal. Something creative. And, variable is: your toddler!

How to? Who can write a toy for toddler review?

This question has make me smile more than once. I have had some grandmas coming to me and saying: But we are not parents, we are grandmas! And my reaction was: Oh really, so your kids never were toddlers?

It really doesn't matter that much are you parent or grandparent or even relative to a toddler. What matters is: Anyone who plays and spends time with toddlers can create a toy review!

As we mentioned in our earlier post: For good toy review, it's important to have personal experience with the toy you're about to review. That you played with toddler in your life, and watched them play with it on their own.

Personal is the word that matters the most. And yes, grandparents play with their grandkids. And yes, that makes them adequate to create a toy review. And yes, they are the toy experts.

Image credits: Spoiling Grandma by pinkinkart

How to? Toy is not only purchased toy!

Our toddlers (and kids in general) are very imaginative little creatures. They can turn just about everything around them in toys! It hasn't happened once that I've seen my little girl using my mobile phone or wipes and broom, or some other item we use in our home. By using them, they mostly imitate actions they saw their parents do. And by imitation they learn.

Not all things have to be expensive, or even purchased in a store. Your toddler can have tons of fun time with empty cardboard box or plastic bowls from your kitchen. Just hand it to them with some short explanation what it can be used for, and in no time, they will find even more ways to play with those items.

These toys are usually plain, but they do their work: They keep toddler's imagination working and developing.

Tell us, which "not-toy" your toddler loves the most?

How to? Choosing the right toy for review!

You have come up with an idea to make a toy review. Wonderful! Only thing is... which toy to pick for review?

These days our kids really have variety of toys at their disposal. Wooden, plastic, handmade, bought, with batteries, without batteries, educational, purely fun, indoor, ourdoor, etc. How to choose among all of those toys which toy would be good for review?

There are several things that can be of real help when you try to make this decision:

1. It would be really great if you already own that toy. This would give you credibility in your own description of the toy. Although you can make a whole article about the toy you have put on your wish list, some features are hard to describe correctly and truthfully, unless you really tested toy in real life situations. And it went through all different type of play in the hands of your toddler. For instance, picture can't really tell you if the toy is durable or not. Will it break if your toddler sits on that toy? Will it leave color marks if spilt with water?

2. Make your very first review about the toy your toddler absolutely adores! Simpy because of the fact that he/she loves to play with that toy in all the different ways, you'll have lots of material for your review.

3. Think of all the ways you can help other parents who are looking for certain information about adequate toys. You know yourself when you buy a toy; you think about certain things like: is this toy age appropriate for toddlers, is it engaging enough, sturdy and durable, can it be used for some other type of play than described on the box, etc.

Simplified: use what you know from real life and make a toy review to help other parents make a decision about suitability of toy for their toddlers.

(And you can check more thorough guide for making a toy review in How to Make a Great Toy Review)

Play by prawny