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Socio-dramatic play is when children use role playing to act out different scenarios and characters, normally something that they have experienced before. They use their imagination to assign roles and work together to act them out.

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How does socio-dramatic play help in children's development?

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How does socio-dramatic play help in children's development?

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Social development: Children act out real-world experiences with their peers working together and taking turns to follow a story they make up.

Emotional development: Through socio-dramatic play children learn to regulate their emotions, build communication skills to express how they feel or what they want, and it also builds on their empathy for others.

Physical development: Both fine and gross motor skills are helped developed through socio-dramatic play because children are acting out different scenarios. Children use both large and small movements for example when they are acting out cooking or being a doctor.

Cognitive development: When engaging in socio-dramatic play children learn skills like planning and decision making by working together to figure out what they will act out and how they will do it.

Language development: Children use expressive language when engaging in socio-dramatic play. This type of play also allows children to use more advanced language that corresponds to the scenario/role they are acting out.

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Socio-dramatic play- resource for families and caregivers! 

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Socio-dramatic play- resource for families and caregivers! 

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This article does a great job explaining the importance of socio-dramatic play to families and caregivers.

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It's great watching children play; they seem to have limitless imaginations when it comes to amusing themselves. Research has identified several types of play that children engage in, each of which gives them different benefits. In socio-dramatic play, a child recreates events or situations he has seen or experienced. This is distinct from dramatic play, wherein the child copies a scenario he saw in films or on TV. There may be a personal element to the situations your child dramatizes, and they can be as simple as doing the laundry or as complex as a detailed account of a family event.

Socio-dramatic play can help your son develop his fine motor skills. Whether he's dressing toys or fixing an engine, he'll be improving his ability to manipulate small objects.

You're likely to see the biggest benefit in his cognitive skills. Because he is using his imagination and creativity to construct his scenarios, his memory improves as he recalls the finer details of the events he's recreating, as well as the sequence of actions he must go through. Pretending to take a shopping trip will help his counting and sorting skills, and preparing dinner will make him more familiar with the names of food and cooking items. When he's playing with others, he uses his communication skills to explain what he wants others to do, discuss his actions, and play his role. He also has a chance to brush up on his negotiation and conflict-management skills.

Socio-dramatic play also is a good way for him to deal with situations he might find scary. For example, taking a pretend trip to the doctor or dentist can make the real thing less frightening.

It's easy to support your son's socio-dramatic play by giving him the time to play, space to create his world, and access to props such as toy kitchens, dolls and prams, or play shops. You can give him a strong foundation for his ideas by talking to him about what you're doing when you're carrying out tasks and letting him help whenever possible. Listening to him explain how he would deal with a situation allows you to gauge his understanding of issues such as stranger danger, why stealing and violence are wrong, or what he should do if he gets lost or needs to cross the road. This will help you determine where he needs more input or support. The answers he seeks will be more meaningful and memorable when you let him take the lead and work through the options himself.

Your son might look as though he is playing at being a grown-up. However, this play is what lets him learn and rehearse the skills he'll need in the adult world. So, what's for dinner?

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Encouraging Your Child's Socio-Dramatic Play

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It's great watching children play; they seem to have limitless imaginations when it comes to amusing themselves. Research has identified several types of play that children engage in, each of which gives them different benefits. In socio-dramatic play, a child recreates events or situations he has seen or experienced.

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Socio-dramatic play: Supporting children with special needs

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Socio-dramatic play: Supporting children with special needs

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When supporting students with special needs in socio-dramatic play it is important to make sure that everything is accessible to everyone in the class. This article is a great resource for learning how to make the play area inclusive for all students. It mentions things like having costumes that are easy to get on and off, having picture instructions for those with hearing problems, and many more accommodations and adaptations.

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Dramatic play activities touch on multiple areas of development, including social skills, emotional understanding, motor skills, language development and cognitive skills. A dramatic play area should accommodate all kids who use it, including those with special needs. Adaptations are often simple and inexpensive, depending on the specific needs of the kids. The changes allow for easier access and use of the props. The modifications allow all children to engage in and benefit from dramatic play activities.

Assess the specific special needs within the group to identify the type of modifications that are needed. Look at both physical and cognitive delays that could affect how a child uses the dramatic play area. For example, a child with a visual impairment may have difficulty locating the different props in the area.

Arrange a large enough space that allows all kids to play. This is particularly important if a child has a wheelchair or a walker that makes it difficult to navigate. A wide entrance and plenty of empty space allow the child to play without bumping into objects.

Collect a variety of props and dramatic play toys to accommodate different ability levels. For example, choose objects with large grips so a child with limited hand movement can hold them. Choose dress-up clothes that are easy to pull on if a child cannot fasten buttons.

Organize the pretend play area so that every item has a specific spot. This creates predictability for kids with special needs so they can find the props or costumes they want. Make large labels with both words and pictures that are easy to see.

Store dramatic play props in containers that are easy for everyone who uses the space to open. A container with a screw-on lid may keep small props secure, but a child with low muscle tone or poor coordination won't be able to open the container on her own.

Add pictures to offer ideas of how to use the dramatic play center 2. Kids who cannot hear or understand verbal instructions use the photos to figure out how to play.

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Dramatic play activities touch on multiple areas of development, including social skills, emotional understanding, motor skills, language development and cognitive skills. A dramatic play area should accommodate all kids who use it, including those with special needs. Adaptations are often simple and inexpensive, depending on the specific needs of the kids.

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This article talks about the importance of socio-dramatic play and ideas for different themes for the classroom! This article also talks about what ways the students can help in setting up these themes!

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Huge List of Dramatic Play Ideas for Preschoolers

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Spice up the home living area with one of these fun & creative dramatic play ideas. Children will pretend to be chefs, pilots, doctors and more!

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Symbolic play is when children use one object to symbolize a different object.  Symbolic play is also referred to as pretend play.

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How does symbolic/pretend play help in children's development?

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How does symbolic/pretend play help in children's development?

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Social development: Through watching how other children play, a child learns that not everyone thinks the same and they learn to cooperate and negotiate with their peers.

Emotional development: During symbolic play children express their feelings and what they need. Children also learn to express empathy as well through symbolic play.

Physical development: Symbolic play helps improve children's fine and gross motor skills. when engaging in symbolic play children use their bodies and movement to represent different things.

Cognitive development: When children use their imagination new neural pathways start to develop that help them think creatively. This allows them to better develop their problem solving skills.

Language development: Through symbolic play children understand that they can use an object to represent a different object, the same concept as how different letters represent different sounds. So by engaging in symbolic play children are building an understanding of this concept.

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Symbolic/pretend play- Resource for families and caregivers!

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Symbolic/pretend play- Resource for families and caregivers!

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This article gives insight into why symbolic/pretend play is important for children and how they developmentally benefit form it. This article also provides some ways to help encourage symbolic play and how it can be used at home!

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Children learn many new skills through imitation. While engaging in symbolic play, they act out behaviors and scenarios they've observed in their daily life. While acting out these activities or behaviors, children develop their interests, or likes and dislikes. Given the opportunity to act out adult behaviors, a child may realize that they love tending to a baby but have less interest in driving a racecar (or vice versa!).

They gain an understanding of relationships between people and build social skills. When children are young, they may hug, rock, and kiss a baby doll or stuffed animal, demonstrating their understanding of relationships and interactions between adults and babies. As children get older, their symbolic play becomes more in-depth and interactive. They assign roles to others, communicate, and take turns while role-playing. This type of play also encourages children to work out social issues and deal with different emotions while playing with children and adults around them.

They problem solve. Acting out different scenarios allows children to be presented with a variety of issues or problems along the way. In a single symbolic play scenario, such as making dinner, a child could face multiple problems or complications:

The child may imitate a problem they've observed their parent solve, such as burning dinner.

They may have an issue finding the right surface or materials to make a "stove".

They may have to solve a problem with a peer when both want to be the parent in this play scheme.

What can I provide to encourage symbolic play?

Different sized boxes - a single box can be an airplane one minute and a barn the next.

Adult clothing - what better way to feel like a grown up than wearing dad's old dress shirt and tie?

Stuffed animals or dolls - this allows children to imitate their own life and explore different feelings and thoughts.

What are some scenarios I can create in my home?

Grocery Store: Instead of disposing of your trash, clean out milk jugs, jelly jars, cracker boxes, etc. and provide a few grocery bags. You can even expand the play scheme to create a shopping list or use construction paper to make money to pay for groceries.

Post Office: Save your junk mail and your child can be a mailman! Those handy boxes mentioned above can be created into mailboxes. This also provides exposure to numbers and letters.

Restaurant: Collect the take-out menus from your favorite restaurants and have a restaurant in your own home. Provide your child with some paper and a crayon and they can take your order (or the other way around!).

Kimberly Shlaes, MAT, DT

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Why Symbolic and Pretend Play is Important in a Child's Cognitive Development

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Children learn many new skills through imitation. While engaging in symbolic play, they act out behaviors and scenarios they've observed in their daily life. While acting out these activities or behaviors, children develop their interests, or likes and dislikes.

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Symbolic/pretend play- Supporting students with special needs

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Symbolic/pretend play- Supporting students with special needs

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When it comes to symbolic play it is important for teachers and caregivers to support children with special needs. This article gives a great insight on how to support a child with special needs through symbolic/pretend play. This article also gives some tips and tricks for how to help a child with special needs use symbolic/pretend play.

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Having a child with developmental disabilities can be challenging.

I do not have children with developmental disabilities or developmental disabilities, however I have 15+ years of work experience in this area.

I have worked with many families whose children have developmental disabilities and I know that each child is an individual with unique personalities and learning styles, just like all of us.

Pretend play skills are as important for a child with developmental disabilities to learn as they are for typically developing children.

But, many children with developmental disabilities such as autism or Down Syndrome will require more guidance and support in order to learn these skills.

Researchers agree that young children with excellent play skills tend to have better language and academic skills as they get into the higher elementary grades (Grade 3 and up).

This is also true for children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Why Do Children With Developmental Disabilities Have More Difficulties With Playing?

Many children with developmental disabilities tend to struggle with social skills. Children with autism are a great example of this.

If your child has developmental disabilities and their social skills are affected, then learning to play will be a challenge as play is a social activity.

Children with autism and many other developmental disabilities tend to prefer solitary play. They also gravitate to activities that allow for repetitive movements.

This is why you might see a child with developmental disabilities flapping their arms or playing with a toy the same way over and over again.

As a result of preferring solitary play and repetitive movements, learning to play the way typical children play can be difficult.

This is also why you will always see play based therapy sessions if your child is in therapy.

Tips For Facilitating Pretend Play For Children With Developmental Delays

Stages of Play

First you will need to look at what your child is currently doing with regards to play.

As you will notice, I am not making any references to a child's age within this article.

This is because it does not matter how old your child is.

You will first need to determine what his current level of play is in order to figure out what to work on to advance to the next stage of play.

But before any kind of meaningful play can happen your child needs to demonstrate joint attention!
The 3 main levels of play are:

Functional Play

Constructive Play

Dramatic Play

If you are not familiar with the different stages of play, please read the article Importance of Pretend Play for more detailed information about each level.

Assuming that you have a child with developmental disabilities, you are probably quite aware that it takes them longer to learn new skills than it does a typically developing child.

So be patient when playing with your child. And don't give up.

Just because they may not be "getting it" now, doesn't mean they never will.

Repetition is the key to success for children with developmental disabilities.

In fact, repetition is needed by all young children in order to learn new skills, including words!

Stages of play can also be categorized by who the child plays and interacts with. Those stages are as follows: solitary, parallel, associative and cooperative.

For more information on speech and language development and play skills for children on the autism spectrum, check out the book "More Than Words" below!

Imitate and Expand

No matter what stage your child is at, using the techniques of imitating and expanding will be beneficial.

Children with developmental disabilities typically engage in solitary play, often below the functional play level. If your child is using toys as intended, they are at the functional play level (e.g. building a tower with blocks).

However, if they are not using toys as intended they would not yet be at the level of functional play (e.g. banging blocks together or putting them in their mouth).

Let's say that your child is not using toys as intended.

Your goal will be to help your child learn how to use that toy.

Blocks are a great learning toy no matter the age of your child.

If your child is banging blocks together, you can imitate the action and then follow it up by demonstrating how to stack 2 blocks together.

Make sure that you are narrating what you are doing.

For example, "the blocks are loud -bang, bang, bang", "look, I can put 2 blocks together, now it's your turn". See if your child will imitate you. It may take a while, so be patient. Follow these steps with any toy that your child is interested in.

If your child is already using toys as expected, take it a step further.

Let's use feeding a doll as an example.

If your child always puts a spoon to the doll's mouth, imitate your child while saying something like "the baby is hungry, I am giving her something to eat". And then add to it and say "I think the baby is thirsty, let's give her a drink".

Show your child how to use a cup to give the doll a drink.

It can help to have your own doll so that your child can see what you are doing and then imitate it with their own doll.

Remember to stay at the level that your child is at and increase the demands only slightly.

If your child is not yet functionally playing with toys, they won't gain anything by you trying to engage in an elaborate pretend play scenario.

This is another reason why I am not including ages in this article.

If your child has developmental disabilities, you need to help your child based on what they can already do, not on what they should be doing based on their age.

Tips and Tricks To Help Your Child Pretend

♥ Be Patient

It will take a while for your child to start playing differently so be patient.

You will have to play with them and show them how to play many times before they may do it on their own.

If your child tolerates having you touch their hands, then take their hand with your hand over top and guide them to do the action.

For example, if you are trying to get your child to give a doll a drink, put the cup in your child's hand and then use your hand to guide their hand with the cup to the doll's mouth.

Make sure you narrate while doing this "the baby is thirsty, you gave him a drink!"

But, some children with developmental disabilities do not like being touched/guided and will pull back.

If this happens then don't force it. Keep modeling the play action for your child instead.

♥ Repeat Often

If your child doesn't pick up on what you have showed them, show them again.

It may take many instances of seeing the same action before your child will do it themselves.

Show and tell your child exactly what you would like them to do.

For example "get the cup and give the baby a drink". Make sure you are pointing to the cup and the doll.

You can also demonstrate the action to your child first. Then give them the instruction "get the cup and give the baby a drink".

Remember, keep the interactions as natural as possible. If you push to hard, your child will shut down and will no longer want to participate. If this does happen, move on to something else.

Do you have a child with developmental disabilities?

What are some of your struggles when it come to playtime?

If you have any questions or comments regarding pretend play with children with developmental disabilities please leave a comment below.

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How to encourage pretend play with a child with developmental disabilities | Seeme & Liz

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Having a child with developmental disabilities can be challenging. I do not have children with developmental disabilities or developmental disabilities, however I have 15+ years of work experience in this area. I have worked with many families whose children have developmental disabilities and I know that each child is an individual with unique personalities and learning styles, just like all of us.

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This article talks about different symbolic/pretend play scenarios for children. These spaces in the article can be used inside the classroom or at home!

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Long time friends of Childhood 101 will know that Immy loves imaginative, pretend play in all forms. With AJ showing many signs of following in her big sister's footsteps I have been thinking about ways to transform the dramatic play corner of our playroom to encourage a range of pretend play scenarios. I've had a great time compiling this list of fun pretend play spaces and as imaginative play certainly isn't limited to indoor spaces, I've added a few fabulous outdoor play spaces to inspire your outdoor play as well!

Indoor Pretend Play Spaces

1. Budding hairdressers will love this Hair Salon created from a cardboard box.

2. Playing Mail Centre is a firm favourite with preschoolers, we love this one from Buggy & Buddy.

3. Your children will be dreaming of faraway places with these Travel Agent play area suggestions via a guest post from The Seeds Network.

4. This airport play space is amazing. With thanks to Play to Learn Preschool.

5. The classic Fruit & Vegetable Shop will never get old for toddlers and preschoolers.

6. Older children will have fun playing detective with a little Fingerprint Forensics.

7. Have fun visiting your very own Library.

8. Or bookshop. Via My Little Bookcase.

9. A Florist or flower shop encourages creativity and imagination.

10. Who wouldn't love to play in this gorgeous Candy Shop via Still Playing School?

11. Or this fun Ice Cream Shop from Crafty Moms Share.

12. This Ice Cream Shop from a cardboard box is perfect for toddlers who love to play pretend.

13. Enjoy a burger, wrap or sandwich in your very own Sandwich Bar.

14. Creating an Office space for pretend play is simple and highly engaging, especially for preschoolers.

15. This Cardboard city space from Paint on the Ceiling is awesome on many levels.

Outdoor Pretend Play Spaces

16. Don't forget your toothbrush for this great Baby Bath pretend play space from Happy Hooligans.

17. Pint-sized pirates will adore this Outdoor Pirate Hideaway featured in a guest post from Adventures at Home with Mum.

18. It's time for a Tea party and dress ups in this play area from Squiggles and Bubbles.

19. We love how The Craft Train has transformed a pre-loved cot into a pretend play Princess Castle.

20. It's time to jump aboard the Backyard Bus from Mummy Musings and Mayhem!

21. Be sure to also check out Mummy Musings and Mayhem's outdoor Imagination Circle where all sorts of imaginative play scenarios can come to life.

Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.
What is your child's favourite place to play pretend? Related Posts

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21 Fun & Fabulous Pretend Play Spaces for Imaginative Kids

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Long time friends of Childhood 101 will know that Immy loves imaginative, pretend play in all forms. With AJ showing many signs of following in her big sister's footsteps I have been thinking about ways to transform the dramatic play corner of our playroom to encourage a range of pretend play scenarios.

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https://www.education.vic.gov.au/childhood/professionals/learning/ecliteracy/emergentliteracy/Pages/sociodramaticplay.aspx#link77

https://kidskonnect.com/articles/dramatic-play/

https://wp.geneseo.edu/prioritizingplay/types/socio-dramatic-play/

https://www.healthline.com/health/childrens-health/symbolic-play#importance

https://www.gryphonhouse.com/resources/what-is-symbolic-play

https://empoweredparents.co/symbolic-play/

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Sociodramatic play is where children act out imaginary situations and stories, become different characters, and pretend they are in different locations and times.

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Socio-dramatic & Symbolic/Pretend play in the early childhood curriculum

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Socio-dramatic & Symbolic/Pretend play in the early childhood curriculum

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In children ages 3-5 they love to play, so incorporating socio-dramatic and symbolic play into the curriculum is something that will make the students happy but also benefit them in so many ways. Ways to incorporate these types of play in the classroom would be through free play, plays, role playing, and many other activities!

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Maintaining a safe and accessible environment for children

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Maintaining a safe and accessible environment for children

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This article gives great tips for how to keep preschool aged children safe inside and outside of the classroom. Child safety is something that should never be over looked, it is important to always supervise children especially when they are playing.

Socio-dramatic play: It is important to be aware and cautious of choking hazards when it comes to the different props used in this area. A part of playing is that children explore different things, and a lot of the time that includes them putting things into their mouths. It's important to make sure you are supervising the children to make sure they do not choke on anything.

Symbolic/Pretend play: With this type of play you also have to keep an eye out for any choking hazards as well. It is also important to make sure that all toys are able to be used by all students. At the preschool age it is important to make sure that the toys are sturdy and not easily breakable, this could lead to injuries in the children.

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Many toys are made with safety in mind, but no toy is totally safe. Toys that break or are misused can become dangerous. These tips will help you choose and maintain safe toys. Share them with your child's caregivers and grandparents so that their homes, and the gifts they give, are safer for your child, too.

Choose the Right Toys

Toys are age-graded for safety. Age-grades are guidelines that reflect the toy's safety based on:

Any choking or safety risks

The physical skills a child needs to play with the toy

How well a child can understand how to use the toy

The interests, needs and abilities at different stages of a child's development

With this in mind:

Choose toys that match your child's age and skills.

Pick toys made of natural materials, like cotton, wool and uncoated wood.

Avoid old wooden toys with chipped paint. The paint may contain lead.

Check that toys made of fabric can be washed.

Choose toys labeled phthalate-free, PVC-free and BPA-free, avoiding plastic toys with recycling codes #3, #6 and #7.

Choose paints, crayons, markers and other art materials that say "non-toxic."

Buy the safety gear that goes with the item, such as a helmet with a bike.

Watch for Toy Dangers

Sharp edges and sharp points. Toys for older children may have sharp points or edges that can hurt a small child. Avoid toys made from thin plastic that can break easily. Also avoid giving toys with metal parts to toddlers and babies.

Small toys and toys with small parts. To prevent choking in kids 3 or younger, make sure that toys and parts cannot fit inside an empty toilet paper tube or a choke tube. Soft baby toys should be large enough that they can't be swallowed even when they are squished down. Check stuffed animals for eyes, noses and parts that can come off. Put small toys and toys with small parts out of reach when young ones are around.

Loud noises. Toys that make shrill or loud noise, such as toy cap guns, can damage your child's hearing. Read warning labels for how to use them safely. Try toys in the store to check how loud they are.

Cords and strings. Toys with cords or strings longer than 7 inches can be harmful for babies and very young children. They can get wrapped around a child's neck. Never hang toys with strings, cords or ribbons in cribs or playpens. Remove crib gyms when your child can pull up on their hands and knees.

Toys that fly or shoot objects. These can badly injure the eyes. Avoid toys that can fire things not made for use in the toy, such as pencils or nails. Arrows used by children should have soft tips made out of cork or rubber. Have your child wear safety glasses if you allow them to use toys that shoot objects.

Electric toys. Buy only toys that say "UL Approved" (Underwriters Laboratories). Toys that heat up are all right for children older than 8 years when used with an adult. Avoid fixing or making electric toys yourself. Make sure battery-operated toys have a cover that closes with screws to keep the batteries secure inside the toy.

Toys with magnets. If magnets come off and your child swallows two or more of them, they can stick together inside your child's body. This can cause injury or death. Young children should not play with toys with magnets. If older children play with toys with magnets, warn them not to put any magnets in their mouth.

Remember that the best way to protect your children is to watch them while they play.

Keeping Toys Safe

Store toys in a safe place. Put all toys away and off the floor when they're not being used. If you have a toy chest, it should have air holes and be easy to open from the inside. Check that the lid has a support that will hold the lid open in any position. You may want a lid that comes off completely. Better yet, use baskets or boxes without lids to store toys.

Check toys often for damage. Watch for splinters or sharp edges on wooden toys. Sand them when needed. If you repaint toys, use new paint; old paint may contain lead. Check outdoor toys for rust. If a toy cannot be fixed, throw it away. Check toys with magnets to make sure no magnets are loose or missing.

Throw away plastic wrap and other packaging right away.

Read toy instructions and explain them to your child. Keep the instructions.

Visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for information on recalled toys, to sign up for e-mail notices about recalled toys, or to report an unsafe toy.

There are a lot of toy choices out there, and it can be hard to know what a child might like and what will be safe. The age-specific toys and play information below can help you know which activities and toys most children in each age group usually enjoy.

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Safety Resources: Toy Safety - Seattle Children's

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Many toys are made with safety in mind, but no toy is totally safe. Toys that break or are misused can become dangerous. These tips will help you choose and maintain safe toys. Share them with your child's caregivers and grandparents so that their homes, and the gifts they give, are safer for your child, too.