Six Things Everyone Should Know About the Toys They Buy

Jingle All The Way - With Tips From The Experts

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Oppenheim Toy Portfolio

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There's no time for dawdling during these final weeks before the holidays. So if you find yourself dazed and confused, meandering endlessly through toy stores, you may appreciate this advice.

Toy experts Joanne and Stephanie Oppenheim are encouraging parents to remember six important criteria when shopping for quality holiday toys:

1. Safety -- Is the product well-designed? Can it withstand the unexpected?

2. Age-appropriateness -- Does it fit the developmental needs, interests and typical skills of the children for whom it was designed?

3. Lasting play value -- What will a child learn from the toy? Is it a "smart" product that will engage the child's mind, or simply a novelty with limited play value?

4. Entertainment value -- No matter how "educational" a toy is, it should never be boring. Battery-operated toys with bells and whistles can engage, educate and entertain a child.

5. Messages conveyed -- What values and messages is a child going to learn from the toy?

6. Assembly and batteries -- Read labels carefully so there are no assembly surprises, and keep plenty of batteries on-hand so play keeps going and going.

"Remembering six basic tips won't add more than a few moments to your holiday shopping," said Joanne Oppenheim. "But it can add a lifetime to your children's play and the toys' play value."

The Oppenheims tested thousands of toys using these criteria and wrote about the results in their new book "The Best Toys, Books, Videos & Software for Kids 1997," which highlights 1,000 of the highest quality classic and new products for children through age 10.

The Oppenheims have high standards for top-quality products, so they tested dozens of battery-operated toys with Energizer(R) brand Batteries.

"We used the Energizer on-battery tester during our toy tests," said Stephanie Oppenheim. "It satisfied our most important criteria for batteries: they kept our toys going and were easy-to-use."

With the new Energizer on-battery tester, consumers can test battery power on the spot by pressing two green dots. At full power, the word "Good" appears in the tester window. When the tester stays completely black, less than 25 percent of the power remains and the battery may soon need replacing. The on-battery tester is available in AA, C and D cell sizes.

The Oppenheims' complete list of shopping criteria and other great toy suggestions are profiled in a free consumer brochure, "Toys with Play Power: A Grown-ups' Guide to Great Kids' Stuff." The brochure also includes a special coupon for a free copy of the Oppenheims' book (a $13.00 value), available with two proofs of purchase from any Energizer on-battery tester pack plus $1.50 shipping and handling. To order the brochure, call 1-800-KIDS-450.

CONTACT: Kate Peters of Golin-Harris, 312-836-7272, or Harriet Blickenstaff of Energizer, 314-995-3939, or Stephanie Oppenheim of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, 212-598-0502

NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 1996