Making Your Child's Toys Last Longer: Practical and Easy Tips

With toys being made much more cheaply than ever before, parents are always looking for ways to make them last longer. Here, I'll share with you the ways I have discovered to make your child's toys well worth the money spent on them. As a mother to many, as well as having been a nanny and a babysitter, I have had plenty of experience researching toys. The five tips below can apply to small toys as well as larger ones like desks, easels, outdoor ride-ons, and more.

Tip #1: Opt for toys that are built durably
This may be the most obvious tip of the list, but when you shop for your child's toys, try to choose the most durable choice of the type of toy you buy. For example, if you buy blocks, choose thicker, naturally colored blocks over thinner, painted versions. The thin blocks tend to split, leaving a safety hazard. The painted ones tend to peel. If you must choose a colored variety, choose ones that are dyed, rather than painted.

Tip #2: Replace plastic screws and fasteners with metal ones
Plastic screws and fasteners can snap and break easily. By taking apart the toy and replacing each plastic screw with a metal one, you will avoid this. Although, if the toy is made of plastic, it will be okay to keep the plastic screws and use tip number three. However, if you have a wooden toy, you don't want plastic screws. Use metal ones. Don't forget about the

Tip #3: Bring on the E-6000
While you are in the process of tip number two, you will want to incorporate this one in. Put a couple dabs of E-6000 household glue onto each screw, fastener, and any other area that pulls apart. Put the toy back together as normal. Let it dry for at least 24 hours. If you have glued a larger area, such as the connecting surface of a child's desk that has an attachment in the back that comes above the top of the desk, you may want to wait 48 hours before letting the child use it. This tip in and of itself does wonders for solving the breaking toy syndrome.

Tip #4: Buy your child toys that are appropriate for his or her age
Age-appropriateness seems so easy to follow, but many parents are inspired to give younger children toys they can't yet handle or older children toys that aren't made for their strong hands. Toddlers will pull heads off of Barbies and older children will easily break toys that are too small for them. The next time you decide on a toy, read the age recommendations first.

Tip #5: Moving On
If your child only plays destructively with a particular toy, that is a sign that he or she has grown out of that toy. If you have younger children that could benefit, fix up the toy and pass it on. Destructive playing will lead the toy breaking and a punishment that could have been avoided had the toy been taken away sooner. In this situation, a good talk about appreciating things would help, along with asking the child to do something fun and help you fix up the toy for someone who will enjoy it more. The bonus to this one is that it will make the child think twice before destroying another toy. That's not to say it will always solve it altogether, but it certainly helps.