Health, Safety, and Nutrition for the Young Child - Research Paper Example

Health, Safety, and Nutrition for the Young ChildSelecting developmental toysThe process of selecting developmental toys for young children should be associated with certain guidelines. Developmental toys are essential for young children because they support the child’s learning process and have the added advantage of being less likely to cause unintentional injuries. (Herr, 2001). The guidelines which need to considered when selecting toys for young children are as follows:1. It is important to consider the child’s age, interests, and developmental abilities when selecting an appropriate toy.

Developmental skills should be given foremost importance because the toy should be able to enhance his problem solving and reasoning skills. 2. High quality construction features are important to consider such as durability, stability, and good design.3. Select toys that young children can use on their own with minimal parental supervision.4. Avoid selecting toys which have small pieces in order to eliminate the chances of choking. (Marotz et al, 2005).On 20th july 2011, toys safety regulation was forced into the law by the European and the parliament of the UK.

According to the regulation, all the toys manufactured and sold in the EEA countries must meet the requirements specified in the Regulation in order to maintain the safety of the children. Also, the regulation made a somewhat vague definition of toys i.e. “Products designed or intended, whether or not exclusively, for use in play by children under 14 years of age” (toy safety directive, 2011). This directive also excluded some toys from this list which were earlier considered to be a part of toy family.

These include stings, toy vehicles with combustion engines, catapults and automatic games etc. The purpose of excluding these products from the list of safe toys was to ensure the safety of children less than 14 years of age and enhance the safety of toys. Developmental toys for 1-3 year oldsPop Up Farm HouseThe pop up farm house is a great toy for young children. The toy is safe and is not too heavy for the child to lift. Pop up farm house can be used with minimal adult supervision because the toy is not made of small pieces.

The toy is a good developmental item because it enhances the child’s imagination and dexterity. Moreover, it is great for eye coordination and is a good tool for familiarizing children with the sounds of farm animals. Therefore, I would advice parents to select this toy for their young children. The Inch WormThe Inch Worm is an excellent toy for enhancing a child’s dexterity and locomotory skills. The toy is very attractive to children because of its curvy design and shiny surface. The Inch Worm is safe for young children because it is not made up of small pieces, thus poses no danger of choking.

Roll & PlayThe toy is very attractive to parents because it provides a great opportunity for them to interact with children. Roll & Play is a great developmental toy because children can learn through entertainment. I would advice parents to buy this toy because it enhances social skills as well as provides a great opportunity for parents to familiarize their children with social skills. (ebeanstalk, 2005). References:Marotz, L. R., Cross, M. Z., & Rush, J. M. (2005). Health, safety, and nutrition for the young child.

Australia: Thomson Delmar Learning.http://www.ebeanstalk.com/Herr, J. (2001). Creative learning activities for young children. Australia: Delmar Thomson Learning.