Instructions

Consider both the instructions included within this study guide and also in the developed resources for this graded project, you’ll research the guidelines for selecting safe and developmentally appropriate toys for all children ages birth to eight years. Then, you’ll select three specific toys you believe to be safe and developmentally appropriate for children of a selected age group, and will explain the appropriateness of the toy as you answer a series of questions about each toy.

You’ll provide all of the requested information and answer all of the required questions in one continuous essay. Remember to use fully developed sentences and paragraphs, following APA format. 

Part 1

Research the appropriate guidelines for selecting toys for young children. This information is available on the Internet and in many early childhood publications. Then, write an essay of at least five (5) fully developed paragraphs, summarizing and explaining at least fifteen (15) guidelines regarding toy safety and developmental appropriateness. As you conduct your research you’ll likely find that there are more guidelines available on choosing safe toys than on choosing developmentally appropriate toys for young children. For this reason, it is recommended that students choose ten (10) guidelines on choosing safe toys and five (5) guidelines on choosing developmentally appropriate toys to discuss within their essay. Keep in mind that the essay should not simply be a re-statement of the researched information. Instead, it’s important to demonstrate your understanding of the information and how it should be applied in selecting toys for young children. This will be written in essay format and will not include any bulleted or numbered lists of guidelines. Each paragraph must consist of 4 to 6 fully developed sentences. Refer to the course resources available on the Early Childhood College Programs and Courses Learning Resource Center for additional guidance on completing this assignment: https://pflibrary.pennfoster.edu/earlychildchoodcenter/college

In your essay, you must include in-text citations in APA format to indicate where the information originated from.

Exams received without proper in-text citations and a References page in APA format will be considered plagiarized, and a grade of 1% may be awarded. Ensure you are correctly citing all of your research in your essay.

For assistance with proper APA in-text citations and references, please review all available APA resources on the Early Childhood Learning Resource Center: https://pflibrary.pennfoster.edu/earlychildhoodcenter/college

Part 2

Select one of the following age groups:

0 to 17 months

18 to 35 months

3 to 5 years

Select three toys you believe to be safe, developmentally appropriate and educational for a typical child within the age group you’ve selected. Write an opening paragraph that identifies the age group selected for Part 2 of the assignment. In addition, identify the three toys that were selected for this age group, ensuring that three specific toys have been selected rather than toy categories. The opening paragraph should be 4 to 6 sentences. For each of the toys, provide responses to the following questions using fully developed sentences and paragraphs of 4 to 6 sentences each:

• Provide the full name of the toy, and the name of the manufacturer. Then, provide a detailed description of the toy in your own words. Use 4 to 6 sentences to indicate, for example, the size of the toy, the materials it’s made from, its purpose, how it’s cleaned and sanitized, how it’s played with, how it’s stored, its typical purchase price and where it can be purchased, and other information you wish to share. 
• Then, answer each of these questions in its own fully-developed paragraph of 4 to 6 sentences:
• Why is this toy developmentally appropriate and educational for a child in this age group? What will be developed or learned by playing with this toy? Refer to the guidelines discussed in part one of the assignment on choosing developmentally appropriate toys, as well as the guidelines for DAP, as outlined by NAEYC at https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/dap/position-statement pages 16-23.

Why is this toy appealing to a child in this age group?

Would a parent select this toy? Why or why not? As a caregiver, would you select this toy to use with a child in this age group? Why or why not?

• Is the toy safe for young children? Why or why not? What hazards could you anticipate with this toy? How can you prevent the hazard from happening? Use the guidelines researched and discussed in part one of the assignment to support your explanation.

Part 2 of the assignment will consist of sixteen (16) fully developed paragraphs in total, an introduction and five (5) paragraphs per toy, including the toy’s description.