Classroom materials-commonly regarded as toys-are not just playthings that amuse children. Toys and other equipment support a child's social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth. Because toys are so important, teachers and caregivers have a responsibility to ensure that toys can be used safely in imaginative, satisfying, and pleasurable ways.

Action Toys
Infants: Floor gyms, rocking boat/stair climber, indoor swings, seats with attached play table, stationary climbing structures made of vinyl-covered foam	Preschoolers: Materials for toddlers plus trains with simple couplings and tracks; work machines (fire engines, trucks)
Toddlers: Push toys, sturdy carriages, wagons, and wheelbarrows; models of authentic tools (lawn mowers, vacuum cleaners); vehicles with moving parts; stable ride-on toys without pedals, tunnels	School-agers: Child-constructed models
Art Materials
Infants: Large crayons, paper	Preschoolers: Crayons, pencils, blunt-end scissors, water colors, collage materials, glue and paste, paintbrushes, tempera, variety of paper, clay and play dough with modeling tools, printing and stamping supplies, carpentry workbench with sandpaper, hammer, nails, saw, and goggles
Toddlers:Large crayons, markers, chalk and chalkboard, construction paper, play dough	School-agers: Materials for younger children plus additional woodworking tools (screwdriver, drill, wrench), papermaking supplies, jewelry-making equipment, leather and braiding equipment
Audio-visual materials
Infants: Soothing, simple, and repetitive songs and recordings; photographs of family members	Preschoolers: Materials for toddlers plus story and action recordings, longer and more complex music (vocal and instrumental), radio, tape recorder and headphones
Toddlers: sing-along songs, music for dance, finger plays; photographs and pictures of people and familiar objects	School-agers: Materials for younger children plus more complex music and songs including introduction to musical instruments and reading music, books on tape
Balls
Infants: 6-inch diameter textured balls; balls to roll, flutter balls, soft squeeze balls	Preschoolers: Balls of all shapes and sizes, beanbags, Frisbees
Toddlers: Balls of all textures and sizes larger than 3-inch diameter, chime and flutter balls	School-agers: Youth or regulation sized sports equipment for soccer, basketball, football, and baseball
Blocks and construction materials
Infants: Squeezable blocks	Preschoolers: Unit blocks, hollow blocks, block accessories; large and small construction bricks, nuts and bolts, interlocking toys
Toddlers: Light blocks made of cloth, cardboard, or plastic; large construction bricks, bristle-type blocks, small stacking blocks, basic unit blocks	School-agers: Materials for younger children plus authentic materials for outdoor group construction projects and models
Books
Infants: Heavy cardboard or plastic books with photographs or realistic pictures of real-life objects	Preschoolers:Variety of picture books-fiction and non-fiction-according to the interests and needs of the children; longer read-aloud stories
Toddlers:Simple picture books, nursery rhymes, concept books, stories with repetition, tactile books, hidden picture books, dressing books	School-agers:Books for preschoolers plus books with a variety of reading levels and topics; youth magazines, dictionaries
Discovery materials
Infants:Scarf for peek-a-boo, texture blankets, pots or boxes to open and close, roly-poly toys, activity boxes and cubes, pop-up boxes, containers with objects to empty and fill	Preschoolers:Materials for toddlers plus caged pets, simple machines (gears, pulleys), math concept materials (counters, mosaic shapes, number rods, measuring tools), natural science materials, plants
Toddlers:Nesting blocks, surprise boxes, pounding toys, feel bag, smell jars, aquarium pet	School-agers:math manipulatives, geography puzzles and maps, plants and cages animals, science models, microscope, prisms, weather prediction tools, reference books
Dolls and stuffed toys
Infants:Soft, stuffed dolls with large features and no detachable parts, music box stuffed animals, soft hand puppets	Preschoolers:Washable baby dolls with removable clothes, dolls representing children, small human figures to use as block accessories, peg dolls
Toddlers:Cloth dolls with simple clothes; washable baby dolls with clothes, peg dolls	School-agers:Baby dolls with accessories, small human figures, paper dolls, child-constructed dolls
Dramatic play
Infants:Non-breakable mounted mirrors, dolls, stuffed animals	Preschoolers:Materials for toddlers pllus prop boxes for role play (doctor, store clerk, space explorer, office worker, fire fighter); puppet stage
Toddlers:Full-length mounted mirrors, hats, vests, shoes; pretend housekeeping equipment with tools (broom, pots, doll stroller, sink, stove, cupboard, refrigerator), toy telephone	School-agers:Authentic role play equipment (cooking equipment and stove, camera, sewing machine); disguises, costumes, and props for theater productions
Manipulatives
Infants:Teething rings, large plastic or rubber beads on a string, objects with sounds, toys on suction cups, simple rattles, squeeze toys, cloth dolls	Preschoolers:Beads and cord, sewing cards, weaving materials, games that require fine-motor coordination (pick-up sticks, balancing) matching toys, sorting toys, number rods
Toddlers:Lacing cards; objects that open, shut, appear or disappear; grasping toys that require complex manipulations, stacking toys, large peg boards, color cubes, magnetic boards with shapes, animals, and people	School-agers:Sewing, weaving, knitting materials
Musical instruments
Infants:Wrist or ankle bells	Preschoolers:More rhythm instruments (rhythm sticks, xylophones), hand chimes, hand-cranked music box, instruments that require blowing (horns, harmonica, whistles)
Toddlers:Simple rhythm instruments (tambourine, triangle, bell, drum, sand blocks)	School-agers:Instruments (piano, violin, recorder) with music lessons
Outdoor equipment and riding toys
Infants:Molded plastic outdoor swings with seat belt, stroller designed to care six- to eight-babies	Preschoolers:Climbing structures, slides, swings with light plastic seats, tire swings, wagons, tricycles, scooters, rope ladders and ropes, slides with side rails, balance boards
Toddlers:Toddler swings, foam blocks, tunnels, stationary climbing structures, bouncing and rocking horses, low slide with handrails, small tricycles	School-agers:Complex climbing structures, bicycles and roller skates with helmets
Puzzles
Infants:Simple shape sorters	Preschoolers:Wooden, crepe rubber, plastic, or cardboard with five to 50 pieces, floor puzzles
Toddlers:Knobbed wooden or plastic with three to five pieces, shape sorters, sequence puzzles, crepe rubber one-piece puzzles	School-agers:Multi-piece jigsaw puzzles; three-dimensional puzzles
Story-telling materials
Infants:Soft hand puppets, stuffed animals	Preschoolers:Materials for toddlers plus masks
Toddlers:puppets, stuffed animals, flannel and magnetic boards	School-agers:Jointed puppets and marionettes with puppet theater; curtain fabric to construct theater stage
Table toys
Infants:Shallow basin and floating water toys (for child who can sit unassisted)	Preschoolers:Visual and sound lotto, dominoes, simple board games, construction and balancing games, sand and water table with utensils, sand tools, nesting materials, and people and animals for fantasy play
Toddlers:Matching games with three to four pairs, large picture domdinoes, shape sorter, pounding and hammering toys, nesting toys, activity boxes, water tables with floating water toys and familiar utensils (funnels, colanders, nesting cups)	School-agers:Bingo, checkers, trading card games, strategy games, word games, math games, marbles, more complex board games, sand and water table with tools for preschoolers plus sand molds, bubble soap, and wands

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