TOY ALMANAC

Follow the evidence

The research
behind the play.

Read the original sources alongside the guides that use them. A source date belongs to the original work, not to this site's publication history.

Source date · 2019-01-01 · Checked 2026-09-16

Selecting Appropriate Toys for Young Children in the Digital Era ↗

AAP clinical report on play, caregiver interaction, toy selection, and limits of developmental toy claims.

Read with: Play at 12–18 Months: Follow the Action · Play at 18–24 Months: Make Room for Copying and Trying · Play at 24–36 Months: Build a World, Then Let It Change · Fewer Toys and Rotation: A Gentle Evidence Check · Shared Reading and Dialogue: Let the Book Become a Conversation · Wooden vs. Plastic Toys: Choose the Specific Toy, Not a Moral Category · Accessible Play and Sensory Preferences: Start With Access and Choice · Pretend Play at Home: Start With Familiar Routines · Electronic Toys and Conversation: Keep the Child’s Voice in the Room · Open-Ended Blocks and Spatial Play: Talk About What You See · Toy Libraries, Borrowing, and a Budget That Supports Play

Source date not established · Checked 2026-09-16

CPSC Toy Safety ↗

Current U.S. regulator guidance for age labels, hazards, and toy safety.

Read with: Play at 12–18 Months: Follow the Action · Play at 18–24 Months: Make Room for Copying and Trying · Play at 24–36 Months: Build a World, Then Let It Change · Fewer Toys and Rotation: A Gentle Evidence Check · Wooden vs. Plastic Toys: Choose the Specific Toy, Not a Moral Category · Buying Secondhand Toys: A Safety-First Checklist · Accessible Play and Sensory Preferences: Start With Access and Choice · Pretend Play at Home: Start With Familiar Routines · Open-Ended Blocks and Spatial Play: Talk About What You See · Toy Libraries, Borrowing, and a Budget That Supports Play

Source date not established · Checked 2026-09-16

CPSC Button Cell and Coin Batteries ↗

Current regulator guidance on secured compartments and ingestion risk.

Read with: Play at 12–18 Months: Follow the Action · Play at 18–24 Months: Make Room for Copying and Trying · Play at 24–36 Months: Build a World, Then Let It Change · Wooden vs. Plastic Toys: Choose the Specific Toy, Not a Moral Category · Buying Secondhand Toys: A Safety-First Checklist · Pretend Play at Home: Start With Familiar Routines · Toy Libraries, Borrowing, and a Budget That Supports Play

Source date not established · Checked 2026-09-19

Toy Safety ↗

Current CPSC consumer guidance on age labels, small parts, inspection, and common toy hazards.

Read with: Puzzles That Feel Hard: Helping a Toddler Stay With the First Fits · Ball Play in a Small Space: Roll, Stop, and Start Again · Music Play Without Electronics: A Voice, a Pause, and a Move · Posting and Container Play: The Everyday In-and-Out Game · Play on a Travel Day: Pack One Small, Familiar Routine · Ending Play and Cleanup: A Gentle Bridge to What Comes Next · Play When an Adult Has Limited Energy: Stay Nearby, Keep It Small · Reading Toy ‘Learning’ Claims: Ask What the Toy Actually Does

Source date not established · Checked 2026-09-19

Serve and Return: Back-and-forth exchanges ↗

Center on the Developing Child explanation of responsive exchanges around young children’s sounds, gestures, and expressions; not a developmental assessment.

Read with: Music Play Without Electronics: A Voice, a Pause, and a Move · Posting and Container Play: The Everyday In-and-Out Game · Play on a Travel Day: Pack One Small, Familiar Routine · Multilingual Play and Family Words: Use the Language That Brings You Close · Play When an Adult Has Limited Energy: Stay Nearby, Keep It Small