https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 01 Aug 2026 06:14:52 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/age-recommendations-for-toys#post-2359493 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 10:19:34 +0000 nana87 2359493@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: @lamariniere: very good point about knowing your child! I wonder too with some of the age recs--they seem to be both about safety and general developmental milestones. so like, something with very small parts is definitely a no-go for safety reasons, but your lego example is a perfect one for a toy that's perfectly safe as long as the pieces are big, but too frustrating for some kiddos who have trouble pulling them apart. My daughter's child care center has a mixed age infant/toddler class, from 6 months-3 years, so she's definitely been exposed to some toys that are perfectly safe but beyond her developmentally (like, plastic nuts, bolts, and screws--she can't quite figure out how to twist them yet). that's why I knew she'd love the doll even though it says 3+: she loves taking care of the dolls at school :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/age-recommendations-for-toys#post-2359396 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 09:44:46 +0000 lamariniere 2359396@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: Agree about just knowing your child and their limits and abilities, along with a hefty dose of common sense. My son was playing with regular Legos at 3, but we didn't have any safety concerns and he loved/still loves building things. My younger LO is about to turn 2 and we just let her play with anything the older LO has, Legos and all. If it were something truly dangerous for her, I would not allow for her to use it or not use it unless supervised. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/age-recommendations-for-toys#post-2359307 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 09:07:10 +0000 mediagirl 2359307@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it's all about knowing your child. While I know some kids play with regular legos at age 3, I know my daughter isn't ready for them yet because they frustrate her when her fingers can't pry them apart. On the other hand, we have been playing with magnatiles since age 1. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/age-recommendations-for-toys#post-2359278 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 08:53:28 +0000 nana87 2359278@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With the holidays coming up, I've been thinking about this recently! Do you always follow age recommendations for toys?</p> <p>Some of them make sense, but my 19-month old daughter definitely plays with some toys that are marked as 3+. Like, I'm specifically thinking of magnets that are too large to swallow, and my mil just freaked out on us a little bit because we bought lo a doll that said it was for 3+ (one of the American Girl doll bitty twins...there was a post about it last week that made me think of getting it for lo, and she's now obsessed!!).</p> <p>If you don't always follow the age guidelines, how do you decide whether it's age-appropriate? </p>