When you are deciding what beach toys for kids best suits your family, there are multiple factors than can influence your decision. From the durability of a toy, to how to keep it clean, the educational value, gender neutrality, child age, or product weight these factors, either individually or together, can help you determine what is suitable for a child. These key features can help you decide what will take an average beach day and change it into an unforgettable time with family and friends. Also be sure to read our review of the top 10 best beach toys.
Contents
Durability
While it can be all fun in the sun, one way to ensure that entertainment never stops is to factor in the importance of the durability of your beach toy. You don’t want to turn a beach day upside down with a new toy breaking on the first day or the first use. Nor do you want to only use a toy a couple times before it becomes useless. Durability is important when choosing your beach toy. The best beach toys for kids are made of plastic. Plastic is hard, durable, waterproof, sun, and sand resistant. Plastic is lightweight and can be easily store for future use, as well as cleaned with ease.
Salt water and sand can be abrasive to many materials, but plastic can withstand any beach condition making it the perfect choice for a kid’s beach toy. Along with the sand and water, the sun is extremely hard on materials. Colors can easily fade, or paint can chip under the sun’s intense rays. Plastic can withstand the brilliance of the sun and keep your child entertained through multiple uses.
As well, a durable beach toy can be used in a variety of settings. If you want to take the toys to another location, most beach toys made of plastic can withstand ocean water, pool water, fresh water, salt, sand, dirt, and rough play. To ensure that your toy stays at its prime, both in structure and color, it is best to store them inside or at least not in the direct rays of the sun. If left out in the sun, the toys can be worn faster, fade faster, or be prone to cracking and breaking.
A durable toy should also withstand a cleaning process. Much like its intended use of playing at the beach, an important step is being able to withstand a cleaning agent to keep your product in tip-top shape. Plastic is durable enough to be washed with water, bleach solutions, cleaning solutions, or sometimes even a dishwasher.
A durable beach toy is one that will last you through all your trips to the beach, bringing fun to the entire family. It should be able to withstand a variety of locations and activities, ensuring that you can have fun anywhere you choose, whenever you choose.
Cleanness
Beach toys for kids are best when shared with others. No one wants to play alone. However, it is also important to keep beach toys clean. Not only do you need to wash off excess sand but sanitize them from germs that can be passed from person to person. Shared beach toys are best shared when they’re maintained and clean. It is important that a beach toy’s design allows for an easy clean of the product. It is also important to clean the beach toys, not only from sharing amongst people, but from germs in the sand.
While most beaches are clean, you may still be unknowingly picking up a microscopic critter or germ. Most microscopic critters or germs will leave no lasting effects, but it can still bring ease of mind when a toy is cleaned and maintained at a high level. Toys should also be able to withstand being cleaned multiple times and frequently. It’s best to remember to clean your toys on a regular basis, not just once in a while.
Not only does cleaning bring a level of hygiene to beach toys, it can also improve the life and condition of your toys. Sand or salt water left on the toy, over time, can wear down the finish or plastic. Keeping a toy clean will keep it in its best vibrantly colored shape for longer and increase the life of the toy. Clean toys can become childhood long staples in your child’s life as they are used over and over again, consistently providing great memories and entertainment.
Gender Neutrality
One issue that often sparks debate with kids’ toys nowadays is whether or not the product is gender neutral. In today’s world, gender neutrality is becoming the standard and many products choose to use an array of colors in order to avoid targeting one gender. Gone are the days of just blue and pink toys. Now, most toy sets come in a rainbow of vibrant colors.
For the parents who wish to teach their children gender neutrality to the gift givers worried about color, most beach toys for kids come catered to both boys and girls. Gender neutrality can empower children by displaying inclusion for everyone. A toy doesn’t have to be only a boy’s toy or a girl’s toy, but rather be a toy that everyone can play with and enjoy. With gender neutral beach toys, you can be sure that any child, girl or boy, can take part in the activity.
Gender neutral toys can bring ease of mind that you are including everyone or are buying the right gift for a child. As well, it educates your child to be inclusive and include themselves as part of the community, no matter what their gender is.
Lightweight
The weight of the toy can greatly affect the portability of a product. With most beach toys being catered towards children, it is safely assumed that the child will be assisting in toting their toy around. For older kids and adults, the weight of a toy may not be bothersome or a factor in their decision.
However, for a toddler a heavy toy can be dangerous, hard, and difficult for them to use. The best beach toys are normally lightweight, ensuring that users of any age can use and carry them around with ease. On top of being lightweight, most toys come with their own carrying case, which brings ease to their transportation. If you don’t have room, don’t want to lug around a heavy object, or a young child will be using the beach toy, one that is lightweight would be the best option for you.
Educational
Playing games can be fun, but they can also be educational. Whether you are making molds in the sand or playing a game of catch the best beach toys for kids help them learn and perfect basic life skills. Kids can learn to engage their creativity, expand their imagination, and improve their hand-eye coordination.
Beach toys can be a great addition to stimulate your child’s senses. Kids can learn new skills when they’re playing in the sand or playing a game with others. Not only does your child get to make great memories and have fun at the beach, they can learn and practice those new skills, which they will most likely use throughout their lives.
Child Age
Whether you are buying for your own kids or giving a toy as a gift, the child’s age will often play as an important factor on what product you will purchase. Some toys are not suitable for a younger audience whether it be the type of game, size of the product, or how the product is used. On the opposite side, some of the toys for younger children may easily bore older children as they may not be active enough. It is important to factor in a child’s age in their ability to use a toy or play a game.
For toddlers, a sandcastle toy set may be perfect. They can spend the afternoon digging, filling, and popping out molds. For older children, more movement and activity may be better. Older kids may love to run and play a game of catch or go closer to the water and explore the wildlife. Most toys will state the recommended age on the buying page or packaging. This is the age that the manufacturer made and intends the toy to be used with.
It is best to use those recommended ages as a guideline. An age may be given for various reasons and any toy with small parts should be labeled as a choking hazard. It is best to cater to the child’s age for their safety and entertainment at the beach.
FAQs
Q: Can I use the beach toys for other activities besides the beach?
Plastic is durable, can withstand much more than just sand, and be used in almost any location you choose. Perhaps, your child would have fun at the pool or in a bath with the plastic sand molds. Or if you add a product, such as a moldable clay like PlayDoh, your child can use the molds to create sturdy shapes. For activities that are games, many games simply require a large enough space to play. The beach can offer a spacious area, but so can a park. You can easily bring along a game of catch to the beach or park. The importance being that you are in a larger open area where a ball can easily be tossed or thrown without fear of breaking fragile items.
The best beach toys offer a variety of settings in which they can be used. Many can be used inside or outside, with sand or without sand. What makes them great is that they can be brought to the beach if you so choose, but you can also take them elsewhere. In any outdoor setting a game can easily be started, shared, and enjoyed.
Q: How should I clean the toys?
If you are looking to simply rinse off excess sand, a quick spray with the hose or run under the faucet should do the trick. The water will easily wash away any extra grains to sand, leaving the toy like new. If you a looking to do more than simply rinse away the grit, you can disinfect the toys with warm soapy water. If you are looking for a quick clean, you can grab an environmentally friendly and kid safe cleaner to easily spray down the toy.
For a more aggressive and germ killing clean, you can plastic toys in a solution of bleach and water. It is best to remember if you are using bleach that you dilute the product. Too much bleach can be harsh and dangerous. A decent solution would be to mix ½ cup of bleach with 1 gallon of water.
If you use any cleaning agents, it is best to always rinse the toy afterwards. This ensures that there are not any leftover chemicals that could draw a reaction. Cleaning your toys should be a quick and easy step to maintain both the product and protect your health. You should remember to clean toys on a regular basis.
Q: Are all toys suitable for all children?
Along with the age recommendations, some toys may include parts that are too small for some children or the toy itself may be too small. Toys that are too small will pose as a choking hazard for children who are prone to putting things in their mouths. Most children who shove objects in their mouths fall in the toddler age range. Toys that do have a choking hazard will be properly labeled and state an age, of which they should not be used.
However, most toys are versatile and can be played with by children of all ages. It is also best to ensure that when children play, they are supervised.
Globo Surf Overview
When it comes to your child’s entertainment, finding the best beach toys for kids is important. Selecting a toy that fits both the age and ability of the child, can ensure that fun at the beach is a success. Whether you choose plastic molding pieces to play in the sand or specially designed rackets for a game of catch, your child is sure to make lasting memories. If you know exactly what activity you want to engage in or what your child likes, you can save time and money in your search for the best beach toy.
