SPANISH FORT, Ala. — “It’s a small world after all” encompasses the warm memories for we adults of Christmas during our childhood. 

That special doll or truck we had longed for looked bigger than life on that special Christmas morning.  We would play with those three to four toys forever and ever. 

In many of our families now, children are just lavished with good intentions of love with so many toys.

After teaching young children for so many years I am very impressed with the mindset of many families I have talked to in the community that quantity is not quality for young children. 

“But grandpa, grandma, cousins, aunts and uncles give our children so much!”  one might exclaim. 

If that is the case, why not rotate these gifts for your young children and let them play with a few at a time.  Just put a few up and pull them out later after they have played thoroughly with the toys you didn’t put up.  In that way young children are provided with new toys and learning experiences all throughout the year. 

Toys bring joy, but they provide valuable learning experiences for different children at different ages. 

Below — just from experiences I have had in teaching, training and being a parent — I have come up with some simple suggestions that I hope will help you make out a Christmas list for your children. 

Keep in mind the child’s age and gender.  I hope these suggestions help.

• Infants and toddlers learn so much through seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling and tasting.  Choosing toys that an infant or toddler can hold, squeeze, touch, poke, toss or twist keeps a young child entertained for a long length of time. 

In taking care of toddlers they love to open, close items, purchase toys where they can push buttons and open doors.

Also, they love to push and pull toy trucks, cars or toy animals.  Because infants and toddlers like to taste, make sure you are alert to what your young child is putting in their mouths by buying toys that are safe if they go into the mouth.

Think in the framework of big when you buy for children this age. 

For safety, purchase big toys without a lot of small parts that will save a lot of stress for you and your little child.  Small parts are difficult for a young child to manipulate and play with. 

• Two-, three-, four- and five-year-olds learn by hands on learning experiences or by doing. They love to draw with crayons, markers and paint. 

Washable markers, crayons,and water colors are items to purchase for this age and they are not expensive. 

Building blocks, whether wooden, plastic or interlocking, are a favorite.  Young children love to roll out the Play-Doh. 

Because of their high energy level, they love to play with balls and hoops. This age level enjoys riding tricycles as well as bikes with training wheels.  Simple musical instruments can be bought at inexpensive prices. 

Dolls,tea sets, dress up clothes, even simple home living items such as play stoves, play refrigerators and plastic food sets are valuable learning tools to add to the Christmas list.  Simple puzzles with large pieces as well as simple board games are enjoyed by children this age. 

Children love to look at books as well.    

• Six-, seven- and eight- year-old children seem to focus more on hobby like toys. With the older children I have taught they feel more like “little adults” or more grown-up.

They like learning experiences that lead them to items they can enjoy. 

They enjoy CDs with their favorite songs, jewelry, T-shirts, car and airplane models, appropriate age video games as well as computer games. 

This age group likes to collect items like stamps, cards or coins. It fascinated me as a teacher on Show-N-Tell day, which fell on Fridays in my classroom, what kinds of items this age of children would share. 

The items that children this age seemed to enjoy reflect what I have listed above. They have a keen interest in sports, playing ball, skating and swimming.

• Eight through12-year-olds. These children generally get into hobbies, sports, music, arts and crafts, and building sets like electric train sets.

They like to choose the clothes they wear.  This age child begins to develop lifetime hobbies at this age as well. 

This age group too will usually tell the parents what they like and don’t like so this makes shopping easier. 

Again when you purchase a toy ask the question what will my child LEARN from me purchasing this toy, what is the educational value? 

We parents and adults have to realize our children may not like what we liked when we were a child so you need to realize that children from different generations will like different toys and items. 

When you present your child their new toy do it with joy! 

Play a game with your child with the toys you have purchased.

Remember safety when you purchase toys for children at different ages. Store toys in a safe way as well as checking them periodically for loose screws or jagged edges. 

I hope these simple guidelines in purchasing toys for your children will help you have a fun, educational Christmas!

Beth Pinyerd serve as Young Children’s Director at Faith Family Fellowship in Spanish Fort.