Editorial Process

How do we choose the best toys? Our process of reviewing toys involves hands-on evaluations by our team of experts. Although we play with toys all year long, we take our jobs very seriously. We understand what makes a great toy and review toys using a set criteria. Here’s what we look for:

Developmental Skills

We all remember our favorite toy when we were growing up. Most of us don’t realize how important toys are for development. Children learn developmental skills and about the world around them through play. Through play, young children learn to build their creativity, motor skills, and social skills. When we look at toys, we want to know: what skills does it teach? Will it entice kids to use their small and large muscles? Will it encourage their imagination to invent fantastical new worlds? These skills are important for childhood development and an important review criteria.

Innovation

There are a ton of toys on the market, so it is important to have something that stands out from the pack. When we look at toys, we want to see something that pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a toy. Originality helps keep us surprised.

Play Value

There is nothing worse than spending money on a pricey toy that ends up at the bottom of the toy box. We want to know how long kids will spend playing with the toy. Toys that have a lot of longevity will tend to score higher than toys with little to no play value.

Fun

The single most important factor in a toy is whether it is fun. If it is not fun playing with a toy, then why play with it? It’s hard to compute fun factor but it’s something you immediately recognize when you have a toy in your hands.