For Ages ___ And Up?

[scanne]

So you know how on most toy packaging it will say "For Ages ___ and Up?" How closely do you follow this when buying toys for your kids?

Example. My DS is 3, yet he plays PS2 with his dad and has a gameboy advance with games like Dora, Madagascar and Star Wars (which is his favorite). My DD is 15 months and plays with her Cinderella baby doll that was marked 18 mos. and up.

Since the holidays are approaching, I was just curious if the "age recommendation" influences what you buy for your kids.

Thanks!

 

[Patricia]

I believe that those age recommendations are for the safety factor of the toy, not the age appropriateness. I am not totally sure of this, but I was told that years ago. If your children are enjoying the toys and you feel they are safe, it sounds like a good deal to me! Happy kids, happy mom!

 

[froglady]

I agree with Patricia; most of the warnings are for physical safety, or physical maturity. Your 3 year old would have a hard time assembling electronics by himself, and you might not want him plugging them in. I'm also not sure about the danger involved if he were to chew on things, which is pretty common up until age 3 and over.

The other guidelines are geared toward the average child, not the exceptional one. Many board games geared toward older children because there is reading, following rules, etc which might be frustrating for a younger child. However, if your 2 year old has mastered Candyland and wants to move on to something more complex, go for it.

Video games are a different matter. The warnings are generally based on "adult" content, just as in movies, etc.

 

[RadioNate]

I don't follow too closley. For example my DS has thomas trains at 2-2.5 when they say 3 and up.

Right now we are looking at some cars and building sets that are 5+

 

[mom2boys]

I agree that a lot of the age recommendations are for safety/liability purposes. If a toy is rated for children under three, there cannot be any small parts which a child could choke on.
For lego, k'nex & other building kits I do find that their age recommendations are pretty accurate. My kids seemed to lose interest in a kit if it was too hard & I found that they were not yet at the recommended age - some of it had to due with fine motor coordination, some had to do with complex instructions.

 

[aprilgail2]

not at all..my daughter turned 6 yesterday and got things that are perfect for her that said 10 & up! Even as a baby she would always have things that were out of the age range..she never was a mouthy kid so nothing ever went in the mouth so small pieces were ok..

 

[Kermit]

My boys are very oral, so we follow those recommendations. We don't match the exact age, but only toys that are marked safe for children under 3 are safe as far as mouthing and choking are concerned, so we stick to those. If someone else buys them something marked for children over 3, we'll check very carefully to see if there are any small parts that might fall off. If there are, we save the toy or give it away. I'll be very glad when we have a house full of children all past this stage.