We all want to see our kids playing with the best and safest toys. As parents, we want to provide them with the toys and tools they need to grow and develop into their best selves, ready to embrace all of life’s challenges. With toys like vehicle toys, we hope to keep them safe while providing opportunities for cognitive, physical, language-and-literacy, and social-emotional growth.
Toy cars are a great way for your child to learn and grow while also enjoying themselves. It’s important to choose an age-appropriate toy car since children of different ages have different developmental needs, and therefore should play with toys designed with those needs in mind.
Choose something that is safe to play
Most toy cars are designed to promote early learning and development, at least to some extent. However not all of them are the same. Some toy cars are specifically designed for older kids which means these toys are packed with features and oftentimes come battery-operated.
Choosing the right toy car is important for so many reasons. Buying a toy car that is too advanced for your child’s age could lead to frustration. Your child might have difficulty figuring out how to play or operate the toy car himself. When buying a toy car, or any toy for that matter, buy something that is appropriate and suitable for your child’s age.
There is also the matter of safety. Toy cars marketed for older children tend to have many movable and detachable parts. These features add another layer of fun and excitement to playing with these toy cars. But they are potential hazards to younger kids. They could come loose and end up in a child’s mouth. These toy cars are not suitable for younger children especially for those who developed a bad habit of putting anything into their mouths.
If it is your child’s first toy car, choose something simple as opposed to one that is overly complicated. Even simple toys are fun and exciting to play especially if they are toy cars.
Materials
Toy cars are made from a wide range of materials. The choice of materials really depends on your preference. If you want something that you can easily and quickly clean because you have a busy schedule, then choose something that is made from plastic and not battery operated (without any electrical parts). Most of the time toy cars that are made from plastic are dishwasher safe unless otherwise indicated by the manufacturer.
However, you should keep in mind that toy cars made from plastic have safety and environmental implications. Plastic toy cars contain toxic chemicals and substances that are considered dangerous. Phthalates, BPA or bisphenol-A and PVC or polyvinyl chloride are only a few of these chemicals. While there are plastic toy cars marketed as ‘BPA-free’, most of these toys still contain BPA.
Then there’s the environmental implication. Plastic production consumes an enormous amount of energy and resources. Not to mention, that plastics are non-biodegradable and it takes many years before they start to break down.
If you want something safe and good for the environment, you should consider getting a wooden toy car instead. Wooden toy cars are also ideal toys for early development and learning. These toys are great for sensory stimulation because of their wooden texture. Additionally, wood is a natural and renewable resource. Playing with wooden toy cars or any toy made from wood brings your child closer to nature.
