Here’s a quick guide to our product reviews. For each product, we conduct in-depth research from a variety of sources (including our first hand experience, online reviews, & manufacturer information) to rate our products. Here are just some of the factors we take into account to create our ToyRank rating.
STEM Learning: We rate each toy for their strength in teaching critical STEM skills as defined in our article on “What STEM Skills Should We Be Teaching Our Kids?“.
Fun: As all parents know, if it isn’t fun, kids will get bored of it easily or not want to play with the toy at all. This can include an easy to use User Interface or Experience (UI/UX) that makes it compelling for kids to want to play. We also incorporate whether the toy has easy instructions and set up. For example, if a toy takes 30 minutes just to set up to play, that isn’t fun for kids or parents!
Longevity: This rating is blended from two criteria. First, we look at what the ideal age range for the toy is. If the toy can serve multiple age ranges, then will probably get more use over the year, in particular as younger siblings and also play with the toy as well. Second, we look at whether the toy can continually be challenging for children over months or years. For example, Legos are an open ended engineering problem that kids of all ages can play and still be challenged as they get older. In contrast, a game that has a fixed set of outcomes may be shelved as “too easy” or “I already figured it out” once it is played a few times.