Dr Amanda Gummer on Toys for Christmas 2023

Dr Amanda Gummer is a Play Expert and child psychologist. Dr Gummer has a PhD in Neuropsychology, a postgraduate certificate in Higher Education and over 20 years’ experience working with children and families. She founded the Good Play Guide in 2012 to provide an independent, expert accreditation service for children’s products, which has now expanded to incorporate 4 further Good Guides now under the Good Play Guide Umbrella – Toys, Apps, Baby and Learning.

Dr Gummer is widely considered as the UK’s go-to expert on play, toys and child development and can be seen regularly in the media, including BBC News, Sky News, The Daily Mail and many more, offering advice on news stories and issues surrounding children, families and child development.

In this session, Early Years expert Dr Amanda Gummer provides an insider’s look at the top toys and apps for Christmas 2023. She shares her expert tips on choosing developmentally appropriate, high-quality toys that spark imagination and learning.

Dr Gummer offers a sneak peek at hot new toys like Curlimals, Le Toy Van wooden playsets, and innovative connected toys like Rock Stepper educational mats. She reveals the toys that help with skills like construction, nurturing play, and trial-and-error learning. Dr Gummer emphasises choosing toys that fit your child’s unique interests and developmental stage, not simply following generic ‘top toy’ lists.

• Look for toys that are well-made, imaginative, and help kids develop interests and skills. Avoid flimsy plastic or toys linked to fleeting movie characters.
• For apps, choose ones with creative play and learning value like Let’s Go See. Make screen time educational and social. The upcoming Bluey video game incorporates play principles well.
• For families, subscriptions or collectables allow gift-giving that lasts all year. Build up sets over holidays and birthdays based on children’s passions. Share costs across relatives.

Dr Gummer also discusses toy trends across the US, Europe and the UK. She highlights the value of unbranded wooden toys for open-ended play, with some hilarious feedback from Children. Dr Gummer also reiterates that sustainability is increasingly important.

This session provides insightful tips for choosing toys that engage children’s bodies, minds and imaginations.

Links:

Dr Gummer has written a special guest article for us on the “must-have” toys this Christmas – you can read it here: https://www.kathybrodie.com/guest-post/must-have-toys/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/blog/balancing-the-play-diet/

https://www.facebook.com/GoodPlayGuide

https://twitter.com/GoodPlayGuide

https://www.instagram.com/goodplayguide/

Toys and Apps mentioned in this session:

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/curlimals/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/quickbuild-lamborghini-aventador-white/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/my-gears/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/wooden-5-in-1-elephant-music-toy/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/le-toy-van-lionheart-castle/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/lets-go-see/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/yoto-mini/

Contact the Good Play Guide here:

https://www.goodplayguide.com/contact-us/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/balanced-play/