How to buy the perfect toy

1. Kids don’t care about cost. Really.
Gottlieb once attended a birthday party where a young boy received a $400 Death Star Lego set, yet he played outside with a $1 wooden glider plane.

“Think in terms of what kind of joy is going to come from the toy and what educational opportunities it can provide,” Gottlieb says.

“I’m a big fan of construction sets for either gender because children love to build, and they love to destroy. Construction sets appeal to a wide variety of age groups, can last a long time, and in addition to being fun, teach a child the fundamental basics of physics, mechanics, and engineering.”

2. Choose something you like.
Gottlieb’s biggest piece of advice, especially for anyone other than the child’s parents, might be surprising.

“You will give a great gift if you like it,” Gottlieb says. “Buy what you are passionate about. Do you love chess? Stamp collecting? Flowers? If you give something related to your interests, the worst-case scenario is you leave a lasting impression of something you love, and the best case is you will develop a common and shared interest.”

3. Want a great toy? Go to a great store.
There’s room for purchasing toys in all sorts of places, both online and in store, but a great toy store will give you a sense of magic and show you something you weren’t expecting to see, he says. A local toy store can be a great place to find that.

4. Stuffed animals still do the trick.
When in doubt, don’t underestimate the value of a stuffed animal, he says. With so many toys on the market today, you might think a stuffed animal is too easy or cliché. Gottlieb disagrees.

“These products create memories. We all remember stuffed animals from childhood, right?” he says.