Dr. Toy Tells Tips for Choosing Toys

Dr. Toy’s Best Play and Learn Vacation Program Winners
- Products Assist Children to Learn and Play at Home and on Vacation -

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – (July 15, 2008) – The report of winning toys for "Dr. Toy's Best Play and Learn Vacation Award Winning Products for Summer 2008” is now available to parents, teachers and others on Dr. Toy's Guide www.drtoy.com. The information is designed to assist children to learn and play at home and on vacation.

“Dr. Toy’s Best Play and Learn Products Awards were developed by noted child development authority, Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. (a.k.a. Dr. Toy) as a service to consumers who desire to purchase safe, affordable, educationally-oriented, and stimulating toys and products for children for vacation time at home or on travel.

"As a childhood specialist for 40 years," says Dr. Toy, "I have seen the continuous, essential need for more year-round resources for consumers to identify and choose the most appropriate, safe and engaging learning and developmental products for all children."

Dr. Toy reports that in the years the innovative on-line magazine, Dr. Toy’s Guide has been available “thousands of visitors daily from around the world have accessed its information.” The site was the first on-line to evaluate toys and children’s products. The report is being released according to Dr. Toy to “encourage parents and teachers to focus on the value of play during the summer as essential to the learning process.”

She adds, “The “Best Play” products selected from varied companies across the U.S.A., Canada and from other countries will provide children with exciting new learning tools that will help them not only to do better in school, but will also provide more constructive activities while on travel and during their vacation.”

The award winning products include innovative toys, books, CD’s, DVDs crafts, DVD’s, games, puzzles and many other children's products for all ages and interests.

Dr. Auerbach believes “parents need more help to get a head start locating new, diversified products that children will enjoy using while they increase learning skills, enhance instruction and expand creativity.” The products are balanced from among large and small companies and range from low to high tech for “hours of constructive, educational, and stimulating fun.”

“Children learn best through play,” says Dr. Auerbach, “and these ‘Best Products’ encourage children to maximize their potentials and to make the most of ‘Smart Play’.” “By making a renewed focus on selecting summer as an ideal one for choosing new products for children," adds Dr. Toy, parents improve their children’s development. “This is a perfect time,” She says, “to ‘take stock’ and do an inventory of what your child is playing with, what is not used and what they need next in their process.”

“Dr. Toy's Best Products for Summer 2008” are selected as award winning products and carefully chosen from among hundreds she has reviewed at toy fairs, catalogs, and through many other sources, and by using extensive criteria she has developed over many years. Among the criteria used are: safety, age-appropriateness, design, durability, lasting play value, cultural and ethnic diversity, good transition from home to school, educational value, learning skills, creativity, improvement in the understanding of the community and the world, good value for price, and, naturally, fun.

These are products suitable for babies to older children including products ranging from handicrafts to hi-tech, ranging in price on the average from $8 to $50. The winning products are affordable, well designed, and reflect the wide range of children’s interests. Complete information about these and other products are included in the full report. Winning products are manufactured by new, small and large companies from around the world.

Dr. Toy's report includes company customer service numbers, web site URL, age range, price, and a full description of each product. The award-winning, on-line magazine, Dr. Toy’s Guide (www.drtoy.com) features full color photos of each product, links to companies to learn more, interviews with and articles by Dr. Toy, plus hundreds of other Best Products including high to low tech and products for all reasons and seasons. At this time over 4000 products are included on the Dr. Toy’s Guide plus links direct to companies, toy stores on line, toy history, parent resources and much more.

Dr. Auerbach, a long-time resident of San Francisco, originally from New York City, lived in Washington, DC while working for the Department of Education where she approved the first proposal for “ Sesame Street” and established the first day care center for children of federal employees. In San Francisco she established the San Francisco International Toy Museum, the world’s first “hands-on” toy museum visited by over 50,000 children. She is the author of 15 books and hundreds of articles on toys and play, and is the only Ph.D. in Child Development evaluating toys and children’s products with extensive training, background, and over 37 years of experience evaluating, writing and speaking about toys and children’s products. Dr. Auerbach is trained in child development, education, child psychology and special education. She is a parent educator, consultant, parent and playful grandparent. The book Dr. Toy ’s Smart Play/Smart Toys: How To Raise a Child with a High P. Q. (Play Quotient) may be obtained through www.barnesandnoble.com or at toy or book stores.

Dr. Toy’s Guide links many related useful sites and resources for parents, teachers, children, children with special needs and toy enthusiasts.
Dr. Toy is the author of Dr. Toy's Smart Play/Smart Toys, a unique guide that provides tools to parents to help them enhance their child's “PQ” (Play Quotient) -- a concept Dr. Toy originated. The book published in China, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Korea, Spain, Thailand will be available in Croatia, Russia and Turkey and other countries.
Articles about Dr. Toy have appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country, in Canada, and around the world.

Alphabetical listing of Award Winning Companies and Best Products for Summer 2008 (www.drtoy.com)



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