16 years experience of toy buying..... and discarding. (How to Write a Good Toys & Games Review)

Member Name: HonestBob

Product:	How to Write a Good Toys & Games Review
Date:	12/01/09 (76 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It may help someone who's stuck on what to put in a review.

Disadvantages: You may wish you kept the packaging now!

Having bought hundreds (way too many actually) of toys over the years, for both boys and girls from tots to teens, I now think I know what I want from a toy and, subsequently, what I find useful in a toy or game review.

For baby/toddler toys:
************

I want to know what the product guide age range is, and if this differs from the user guide age range is (i.e. would you give it to a younger child than it is marketed for, or would you keep it for an older child).

Is the toy easy to keep clean? (I've had nightmares with walkers and banana)

Is the toy versatile? Can it be altered in anyway as the child grows, by adding parts or removing parts or by buying extension packs or add-ons (and how much would extra bits cost)

Is the toy unisex, or very girlie?

Is the toy easy to store away?



For pre-school children:
******************

Does the toy/game fit with a particular learning scheme (e.g. phonetics)

Is the toy difficult to use? (small parts, heavy to carry/push, lots of fiddly bits that get lost and make the toy/game unplayable)

Does the toy/game take alot of time to set up compared with the time it takes to play (think 'Mousetrap' here!)

Does the toy come in different colours/styles/materials etc..?



For all age ranges:
***************
Does the toy have longevity? Will it be played with for hours, days, weeks, months, even years?

Do I need any tools/equipment (screwdriver/glue) to put the toy/game together (think Warhammer figures for boys, where different glues are needed, different sized paintbrushes and coloured paints, plus modelling knife - none of which come with the figures)

Are batteries included and what size? Do they last long?

How much room does the toy take up? Does the child need to access all sides to get full play value? How high is it?

Can the toy be dismantled for storage? Will this make it less stable if it is put up and down again regularly?

Is the toy made from good quality material?

How long does the game take to play? Is there a shortened version for younger players? Are the instructions easy to follow? Do you have any tips to improve game play?

Inevitably I'll have missed some vital piece of information.... oh, the price and where to get it cheapest would be nice......

Summary: A little direction on what I find useful in a toy/game review