The all round guide to play or not (How to Write a Good Toys & Games Review)

Member Name: abbadabbado

Product:	How to Write a Good Toys & Games Review
Date:	05/12/08 (121 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: helps consumers

Disadvantages: wont help if you leave details out

As a mother of a young child, I always want to have a look for what I can get for my daughter without wasting my money in the process. I have bought many toys for both my children and realised that they weren't worth the money we paid for them, and we have also bought toys that have been worth the money ten times over.

So you have bought a toy or a game and want to tell the world about it! Where to start?

For me I would start with first impressions of the toy or game. This can be from the first moment you saw the toy, what did you think? Did the packaging attract or repel you? Which manufacturer is producing this toy? Is it packaged well?

I want to know the above answers because first impressions and reputation go a long way when it comes to spending my own money on something. If we're writing a positive review then you will probably have been reccomended to the toy in the first place.
I need to know if the toy is packaged well, as if it isn't then to me it shouts that the toy won't be great quality, and this also goes for the manufacturer too.

After this I need to know what age range the toy is aimed at, as there is no point me thinking a toy is great if it isn't suitable for under three's due to small parts etc.
Why the toy is aimed at the age range it states on the packaging? Is it because of the small parts I mentioned above or is it another reason such as using motor skills or being able to read instructions etc.

What does the toy or game do and how easy is it to work out. Some toys are simple to understand, but I have bought items that I have struggled to understand when I have opened the package and found myself wondering how a five year old for example could understand it.
I don't want to buy a game for my daughter if she can't operate it. A classic example here is the tigger fun time radio which is aimed at children 18 months or over, but yet the dial on the radio is so stiff a young toddler can't operate it without becoming frustrated.

Are you going to need to store this game or toy somewhere safe after use to stop the pieces going missing? Some toys and games need to be constructed before use and then they are left in lots of little pieces to be stored between uses, making it easy to lose little pieces when you don't want to.
If you are going to need to keep this out of the toy box area, is the toy worth buying because the children can't have it constantly?

What is the average life span of the toy? Is it well made? Will is stand up to young children if it's made for slightly older ones and siblings get hold of it? Can it be played by the child alone or does it need adult participation?

The above questions are important to me because if I buy a game to keep my daughter entertained there are times when I won't be able to play with her but might want something that will keep her occupied for a few minutes on her own. If I don't know this before buying it I may not buy it.
If a game or toy isn't well made then I will definitely not buy it.

The final piece to your review should be that you mustn't write the review until you have fully tested it out over a period of time. Don't get it out of the box and play for ten minutes then write the review the next day, it's not a fully balanced opinion.
Add your opinion as well as facts about the toy or game and state why you think it's worth buying or not worth buying as the case may be.

For me the price is important as a guide to see if I would buy it to start with, but I will always look around for the best price anyway.

Summary: a guide to writing a good toy or game review