Buying guide for Best Spider-Man toys
Imaginative play is one of the best ways for children to grow and develop in a number of areas, and all it takes to engage children is a topic that interests them. Spider-Man is one of the most popular superheroes in the world, so a Spider-Man toy is an obvious choice. However, a quick search reveals that there are hundreds of different Spider-Man-themed toys and activities available. How do you know which one your child will love?
When looking for a Spider-Man toy for your child, it should first be age-appropriate. Next, consider your child’s other interests. For example, if they like to play outside, a Spider-Man ball might be a good choice. If your child likes to build, maybe a Spider-Man LEGO set is the way to go.
Key considerations
Age range
First and foremost, consider Spider-Man toys that are appropriate for the age of your child. If you find something appealing, no matter how excited your child is about it, only purchase that toy if it’s safe for children of their age.
Skills
One strategy that can help you quickly narrow down the many Spider-Man toys is to focus on the educational value of the toy: how it can help your child develop necessary life skills. While there are many ways that playing can encourage growth, for the purpose of this guide (and to help you expedite your decision-making process) we've categorized Spider-Man toys into three general skill groups: physical skills, cognitive skills, and social skills.
Physical skills: A toy that can help your child develop physically might focus on gross motor skills, such as those needed to catch a ball, ride a bike, skate, or even swim. The right toy can also help your child with fine motor skills. This would include any Spider-Man toy that requires manual dexterity to manipulate, such as playing with action figures, shuffling cards, building a model, or controlling RC cars.
Cognitive skills: A Spider-Man toy that focuses on developing cognitive skills might help a young child identify colors and shapes or an older child with more advanced skills like math or language. Also, any toy that involves imaginative play fits into this category.
Social skills: Just like those fun team-building exercises that your company organizes, whenever kids play together they have a chance to improve their social and emotional skills. This can be achieved via a board game where children must learn to wait their turn. These skills can also be developed in role-playing games in which children dress up as superheroes.
Spider-Man is important because he was the first teenage superhero who wasn't a sidekick.
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Interests
Your child loves Spider-Man, that much is clear, but what does your child like to do? Instead of deciding how a toy can help your child grow, you can also shop based on the types of activities that interest your child.
Games: If your child likes competition, look for a Spider-Man game. This can be a video game, board game, card game, or anything that encourages a little friendly rivalry.
Challenges: Did you know that there are Spider-Man Rubik's Cubes? For a child who loves the challenge of figuring out puzzles, any type of Spider-Man toy that allows them to solve problems would be a good option. Maze books, connect-the-dot books, and crossword puzzles are all possibilities.
Activities: Spider-Man toys offer a lot of options for the active child. You can find Spider-Man-themed bikes, paddle ball sets, web shooters, bowling sets, skateboards, RC cars, and even basketball sets. Whatever activity your child enjoys, chances are there's a Spider-Man- themed version of it.
Building: Some kids can't get enough of building things. If this sounds like your child, consider a Spider-Man model or LEGO set. Even a puzzle or vehicle that requires some assembly might fit into this category.
Creating: Residing where taking on challenges and building overlap is creating. If your child likes to draw, paint, color, or engage with crafts, a Spider-Man toy that encourages creativity is the way to go.
Reading: Comic books are where it all started for Spider-Man. If your child likes to read, there are thousands of options in this category, including, books for beginning readers, chapter books, comic books, graphic novels, and novels.
Pretending: The largest category of all is pretending. If your child likes to pretend, an action figure or play set is an obvious choice. However, plush toys, figurines, and Spider-Man masks are all viable options for a child with an active imagination.
Did You Know?
Spider-Man has been around since 1962. He was created by comic book legends writer Stan Lee and illustrator Steve Ditko.
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Spider-Man toy prices
Inexpensive
In the lowest price range, $15 or less, you can find activity books, plush toys, balloons, stickers, yo-yos, mini figurines, puzzles, and more. Typically, these are more traditional types of toys with a Spider-Man theme.
Mid-range
You can find nearly any type of Spider-Man toy you desire in the $15 to $40 price bracket, including action figures, play sets, art sets, board games, costumes, and some video games. If you're considering purchasing a Spider-Man toy, this is the first place to look.
Expensive
As you move beyond the $50 price point, the Spider-Man toys become more elaborate. You can find larger play sets, RC vehicles, and more expensive video games. You also start getting into the realm of collectibles, and for these the price can easily jump to hundreds of dollars and more. Because unopened and mint condition collectibles retain their value, this is not the place to look for a toy for a young child.
Did You Know?
In the first appearance of Spider-Man (Amazing Fantasy #15), Peter Parker learns his most important lesson: “With great power there must also come great responsibility.”
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What can Spider-Man do?
In the original story, Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider during a high school field trip. This gives him a number of superpowers. The following is a list of Spider-Man’s powers that your child can integrate into imaginative play.
- Super strength: For such a wiry guy, Spider-Man is deceptively strong. He can easily lift 10 tons, but he’s been known to lift much more. This ability also allows Spider-Man to make some impressive leaps.
- Super speed: Spider-Man is fast. While he's not The Flash, he can keep up with fast-moving cars just by running.
- Agility and flexibility: One of Spider-Man's quirkier abilities is his remarkable agility, which gives him an unorthodox fighting style that confuses villains and gives him the advantage. Also, it means he can dodge nearly any object and strike some bizarre (and intimidating) poses.
- Amazing balance: Spider-Man has superior balance. Have you ever tried to balance on a flagpole? It's not as easy as he makes it look.
- Healing powers: While Spider-Man can get hurt by ordinary objects (he can even catch the flu), he heals very quickly.
- Sticky fingers: Just like a spider, Spider-Man can stick to nearly any surface. He can climb walls and crawl across ceilings.
- Spider-Sense: Spider-Man has the uncanny ability to not only sense when he's in danger but know precisely where that danger is coming from. It’s impossible to sneak up on the web-slinger.
- Intelligence: Because Spider-Man loves to tell jokes, people often forget how smart he is, but he has near genius-level intelligence. Peter invented webs that shoot from a device that he wears around his wrists. These webs instantly become strong enough to swing on, yet they’re biodegradable and disappear in a couple of hours.
FAQ
Q. Are Spider-Man toys safe for younger children?
A. Because of his popularity, there is a wide variety of Spider-Man toys available for children of all ages, but it’s important to realize that not all these toys are manufactured with younger children in mind. Some Spider-Man toys are more complex than others, which could frustrate a younger child. Even more important, many have small parts that could pose a choking hazard. When buying any toy, always follow the manufacturer’s age recommendations.
Q. Is assembly required for Spider-Man toys?
A. It depends on the toy. If you purchase a Spider-Man plush toy or action figure, then no. However, if you buy a Spider-Man-themed LEGO set, there is a lot of assembling to do! If you don’t want to have to put the toy together, it's best to stick with something like action figures, arts and crafts, or costumes.
Q. Can playing with action figures help my child develop in any way?
A. Yes! The benefits and rewards of playing with action figures are many. Children learn to engage their imagination and develop stronger emotional intelligence. Also, since children like to speak for their action figures, they can develop better language skills more quickly. Also, playing with action figures can help teach values and create memories that last a lifetime.
Q. I try to play with action figures with my child, but it never seems to work out well. Do you have any tips?
A. While it’s important for parents to be involved in their child's playtime whenever possible, the parents should play supporting roles and let the child lead the game and narrate the story. Children see the world differently, so parents' "rules" during playtime can be frustrating. The role of parents during playtime is to guide, encourage, and help foster a vibrant imagination in their child.
