Just as with the evaluation process for the "Good Housekeeping Seal", which was so popular and trusted for many years in the past, a product must include excellent production values, universal ethical values, appeal to children, be consistent with age appropriateness, and innovative value in order to be considered for acceptance for The Toy Man™ Product Guide.

The Toy Man™ Product Guide staff look for products that not only entertain, but also teach simultaneously with an added edge. The products must actively stimulate a child's imagination, and contribute to further creative skill development in the age group for which they are designed. A product must be easy for them to use, consistent with current safety standards, as well as interesting. Products should contribute to the child’s development, mentally, physically, socially, and emotionally, while also being something they can have fun playing with.

The product should have a strong durability level for extensive periods of play time and not break in the child's hands with reasonable use in their active play. A very vital part of the scenario is that the company which produces the toy should be dependable and stand behind its product. It should have tested it with children to validate age appropriateness and match descriptive information, age guidelines, and suggestions for use. It should also be independent lab tested if applicable.

Basis Of Our Product Evaluation Guidelines

All products are evaluated based upon strict guidelines established by INTERNATIONAL PARENTING institute™, ( hereafter referred to as IPi ), which are quite detailed and have been carefully developed. Top credentialed professionals in multiple fields have either donated their time or been paid to help establish these guidelines. These guidelines are periodically updated to remain consistent with current trends of the industry regulations and consumer market.

An important point to consider which makes The Toy Man™ Product Guide more unique is that the evaluation guidelines we use for a bicycle are far different than the guidelines for a plush toy. Professionals from each class of products have been used to carefully define evaluation guidelines specific to each product type. Each individual product evaluation/review is performed by a group of our staff members in addition to credentialed professional(s) who specializes in the same category as the product being tested who volunteer their time. In addition, every product is submitted to spontaneous hands-on consumer evaluation. No prior announement is made to our staff arriving at a public location with groups of products for hands-on consumer evaluation.  The product evaluation summaries which are derived from a combination of the scoring from the product evaluation reports and the hands-on consumer feedback forms for all inductees, are written in style to reach the specific target market for which the product is intended. This adds a unique style to each review and makes each one special with added value.

A basic breakdown of our guidelines which we use to evaluate and rate products submitted for product evaluation is listed below. Please note that this is only a "brief" outline of our entire product evaluation guidelines. Each section is evaluated on a 1 to 5 scale with the larger number being positive and the lower number being negative. We do not share our entire group of guidelines to maintain a unique proprietary evaluation procedure.

Sec. #0318 - PRIMARY BEHAVIOR

• #0318 I/PB(a) Emotion
  

• What is the level of "FunFactor™" - How appealing is the product for use by a child?
• What is the level of "WOW!Factor™" - To what degree does the product stimulate a strong positive impulsive response?
• What is the level of innovation and creative style that makes the product special or unique with stimulation of new play activity?
• What is the level of positive reaction from playing with a product - Does it cause a short or long term effect?
• What is the level of contribution to encouragement of positive social interaction with repeated use of the product in a home environment?
• What is the level of contribution to encouragement of positive social interaction with repeated use of the product in an educational environment?


• #0318 I/PB(b) Intellectual Thought


• What is the level of creative awareness development by a child's use of the product?
• What is the level of contribution to critical skill development?
• What is the level of contribution to acquisition of new learning skills, practice, and information by using the product?
• What is the level of contribution to long-term retainment of new learning skills, practice, and information by using the product?
• What is the level of fit for adaptation for "Special Needs" children? These children have different levels of development and adaptation with products.


• #0318 I/PB(c) Safety


• What is the level of contribution to children’s healthy physical development by using the product?
• What is the level of suitability with the product for use in home, educational environment, or both?
• What is the level of quality in packaging design, safety, and age/gender designation with the product?
• What is the level of unsafe materials percentage in the product - Has it been independent lab tested?
• What is the level of risk related to choking hazard?


• #0318 I/PB(d) Social Responsibility / Ethics


• What is the level of being appropriate for age level or gender specified on packaging for the product?
• What is the level of quality in design and use of the product? Determination needs to be made as to how well the product will hold up to a child's continued use.
• What is the level of educational value and accuracy of meeting specified productive ends with the product?
• What is the level of environmental contribution and social responsibility by the product?


• #0318 I/PB(e)The Five Senses


• What is the level of simplicity of use of product? ( A child should be able to use a product with minimal difficulty.
• What is the level of accuracy/quality in auditory level if applicable?
• What is the level of accuracy/quality in visual appeal for the product?
• What is the level of contribution to children’s healthy physical development with the product?
• What is the level of visual appeal for marketing value and sales for the product?

Eligible Products
The Toy Man™ accepts all juvenile products designed for infants through young adult. Prototypes are also eligible for submission, but they are only given article recognition, no awards; as are Beta versions of software.

Number Of Product Required For Sumission
The Toy Man™ requires only one sample product for evaluation.  It should be noted though that the more sampels provided for evaluation, the greater number of evaluators that can participate and the number of hands-on consumers in that portion of the evaluation will be impacted dramatically.

Resubmissions
Products that are NOT approved for The Toy Man™ Seal of Approval are eligible to be resubmitted.  Upon re-submission the product or toy, must have had made the changes specified in first submission denial for approval. Theere is no limit to the number of re-submissions.

Licensing Fees
All products submitted for evaluation are analyzed and tested under our strict evaluation guidelines. There is NO FEE of any kind for any portion of the product evaluation and/or publishing of reviews/articles on The Toy Man™ Product Guide web site.

If a product is inducted, the product evaluation summary and any awards, (if applicable) are published 24 hours before recipient is notified.  If the company submitting the product(s) desires to use The Toy Man™ Seal of Approval or awards in any manner other than The Toy Man™ Product Guide web site, an annual licensing fee of $95 per product which has been inducted will be incurred. Each seal and/or award is specific to the year it was given. The licensing fees and usage are an option, NOT mandatory.

( The OPTIONAL $95 USD licensing fee is in place in order to help create a greater "perceived value" of the Seal and/or Award when used for promotional purposes outside of The Toy Man™ Product Guide web site. The fee is used as part of funding base to produce Award Certificates and other materials delivered to the manufacturers of products which have been inducted or selected for The Toy Man™ Favorites Award. )