Toys R Everyone!

By Joan Leotta

Logo from Toys R Us

Looking for the right toy to give a child is a year-round concern for parents and a significant factor in family purchases. The US Census Bureau reports (Dec 14, 2004) that in 2002 $30.6 billion hard earned American dollars went to purchase toys! While the Census Bureau reports that analysts presume that most of the money was spent during the December holidays it is clear that toy buying is a year-round activity. During that entire year parents face a huge array of choices as they seek to spend their portion of that $30 plus billion on toys that will entertain, educate and enliven the playtime of their treasured child. For the parent of a child with special needs, the choices can be even harder since the usual box listings to aid selection that read "good for age x through y" may not be enough information to make a wise choice for a child of the right stated age for the toy but whose physical or mental challenges might affect how the child uses the toy.

Toys R Us, one of the nation's largest toy retailers, for whom "toys are serious business", has a solution to fill this information gap. The Toys R Us "Toy Guide for Differently Abled Kids" is a comprehensive booklet that classifies popular and classic toys in nine categories--by the type of skill the toy promotes, making it easier to find the right match for each child's skill and stimulation needs. Interested toy lovers can find and use this guide online or pick up a hard copy version (while they last) in Toys R Us stores. (www.toysrus.com)

What the Guide Does

Susan Laughlin, Toys R Us Marketing Director says, "The purpose of our guide is to have (offer information on) everyday toys that all kids want to play with. That is what makes our guide so unique. Kids are kids, regardless of their different abilities, every child wants to play with a toy that other children are playing with, and this guide assists parents and gift givers in making the best decision when purchasing a toy." While there are toys developed especially to model disabilities for children, such as the Cabbage Patch Kids doll with leg braces and Barbie's friend Becky who uses a wheelchair, kids with disabilities want toys that they see others use.

Nine categories, each with a special symbol, designate the benefits of each toy. Placed next to the description of the toy, the purchaser can much more easily determine if the item is appropriate for the child he or she is considering. The nine symbols and a guide to them can be found on amazon.com by clicking on the option to "browse Differently Abled". The categories are: Auditory, Creativity, Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Language, Self Esteem, Social Skills, Tactile, Thinking, and Visual. Descriptions amplify the titles so that a purchaser learns, for instance, that toys in the Tactile category increase awareness of touch and texture.

Using the guide and its classifications is easy. Laughlin gives several examples of how the guide provides enhanced descriptions of toys. For instance, Aqua Doodle, (a water-writing toy mat and writing instrument toy) was a heavily advertised toy during the past Christmas season. The guide describes it as: "great for open play, good for expanding creativity and good for cognitive skills when used with copying letters and numbers."

Similarly, a parent who is looking to develop motor skills can go into the guide and look for toys that aid in building those skills--one of the suggestions under that category is a Magnetic Dart Board". This additional information allows parents to match the toy with their child's interest and special needs, making a wiser expenditure of toy money.

The guide is supported by the United Parents' Syndicate on Disabilities and the National Lekotek Center. The National Lekotek Center in Chicago works with groups of children of various types of abilities and performs the actual evaluations on each toy in the guide to determine its educational, developmental and entertainment value. The Center further advises using its questions in Top Ten Tips on Buying Toys (see below, also on www.toysrus.com) with the material in the guide to assist in making the ideal match between a toy and the differently-abled child for whom you are buying.

Developing the Guide

Susan Laughlin, Public Affairs representative for Toys R Us says, "The Toys R Us Differently Abled guide has been around for twelve years. It (development of the Guide) was a direct result of letters that we received from parents who noticed that we continually photographed children with disabilities in our advertising pieces. The outpouring of sentiment was that we were doing a great thing showing all different kinds of kids and could we (also) come up with a way to help parents select toys that would help kids with disabilities develop skills and still have fun."

While there are a new toys developed specifically for children with disabilities (children with disabilities want the toys they see on television, want the "toy character of the moment" and have multiple play needs--as do children without disabilities. "All kids want cool toys."

Laughlin notes that within the company, developing the guide was a real team effort including marketing and product development. Realizing that their expertise was in toy marketing and product development in general, Toys R us sought out a partner with expertise in testing toys to make evaluations for the guide. They found Lekotek.

She notes "We work with the National Lekotek Foundation who evaluates toys for inclusion in our guide. They take regular toys, put them in focus groups and make observations.

For more than twenty-five years, the National Lekotek Foundation (www.lekotek.org) has been operating as a play based service organization whose mission is to integrate children and their families into the mainstream--children with disabilities and economically disadvantaged children. Diana Nielander of Lekotek says, "We worked with Toys R Us to develop the guide and the ten tips for buying toys for a child with disabilities. We help companies like toys are us to better understand the market of children with carrying abilities. Toys R us had really lead the way in this arena--no one was looking into this aspect before they came to us and once they began to work on it then others became interested. "

When describing the work of evaluating a toy's play value, Nielander says, "We go beyond the box (where the ads are that sell the toys). Lekotek takes the toys to real children and watches them at play, looking for the features that meet a child's needs and interests. Lekotek has worked with toy manufacturers including toys R us' own private label to help develop special toys but the main work is to provide a guide to the myriad toys already on the market." Lekotek sees children in families as a part of its services to the community and uses the toys in time we spend with the children and families to provide the information that is eventually used in the guide.

The fact that Toys R Us offers this information gathered though Lekotek freely on its website and its stores makes its efforts even more exceptional A new copy of the guide is available beginning each October--in hard copy form in the stores until they run out. But the guide is available online all year for anyone who wants assistance in spending their portion of that $30 billion more wisely.

Ten Tips on Buying Toys

(from Toys R Us website www.toysrus.com)

Multi-sensory appeal.
Does the toy respond with lights, sounds or movement to engage the child Are there contrasting colors? Does it have a scent? Is there texture?
Method of activation
Will the toy provide a challenge without frustration? What is the force required to activate? What are the number and complexity of steps required to activate?
Places the toy will be used
Will the toy be easy to store? Is there space in the home? Can the toy be used in a variety of positions such as side-lying or on a wheelchair tray?
Opportunities for success
Can play be open-ended with no definite right or wrong way? Is it adaptable to the child’s individual style, ability, and pace?
Current popularity
Is it a toy that will help the child with disabilities feel like “any other kid?” Does it tie in with other activities like books and art sets that promote other forms of play?
Self Expression
Does the toy allow for creativity, uniqueness and making choices? Will it give the child experience with a variety of media?
Adjustability
Does it have adjustable height, sound volume, speed and level of difficulty?
Child’s individual abilities
Does the toy provide activities that reflect both developmental and chronological ages? Does it reflect the child’s interests and age?
Safety and Durability
Does the toy fit with the child’s size and strength? Does it have moisture resistance? Are the toy and its parts sized appropriately? Can it be washed and cleaned?
Potential for interaction
Will the child be an active participant during use? Will they toy encourage social engagement with others?

Edited by Mary-Louise Piner.