|
|
Test Results
Spiel Gut
Since 1954, educationalists, psychologists, doctors, technicians, experts in design, chemistry, electronics ... and parents - scientific
and practical people - have been examining and assessing toys - from babies' rattles to material for experimenting.
They work on a honorary basis and are independent of the toy industry and retailers.
Their spiel gut recommendation signifies that this toy has been tested with children and examined by experts with a positive result.
Their criteria: play value, material, workmanship, construction, durability, safety, design, size, quantity, quality of the instructions for playing
or making, suitability for the appropriate age group.
Playing always entails learning, not by means of teaching, but on the basis of personal experience - the most effective form of learning in childhood.
Physical and mental agility, social behaviour, imagination, logical thinking, planned action, powers of concentration, stamina, joy at
being active and a great deal more besides, can be developed by playing, and the benefits can be seen for the rest of the child's life -
at work and during leisure activities, as well as in a wide variety of other situations.
But playing too has to be learned. The readiness to play, which every healthy child has by its very nature, can only develop into the ability
to play with careful assistance, stimulation and encouragement.
Good toys can also help in this, but only if the abilities and interests of the child are taken into consideration when choosing a toy.
Criteria for the assessment of toys
Brief summary of some principles taken from the “spiel gut” advisor “Gutes Spielzeug von A - Z”:
Fantasy - Needs to be stimulated; speaking dolls don’t do this
Play possibilities - The more possibilities a toy has the more interesting and stimulating it is
Personal experiences and experiences of daily life - Car accidents, holiday on a farm, etc
Size - Small children play better with big blocks; a gigantic bear is not a good travel companion
Number - Depending on the toy, eg better fewer dolls but with more accessories
Material and durability - Disappointment is a spoilsport and lowers trust in grown-ups
Construction and mechanics - Need to be clear and understandable
Shape and colour - Droll soft toys create the wrong attitude towards the animal kingdom
Safety - Avoid serious danger; children need to learn to live with everyday risks
Environment protection - Good toys last a life-time, are exchanged or sold but not dumped
Price - Good relationship between play-ability and life expectancy; quality before quantity
The increasing number of Kösen plush toys that have been awarded the "excellent play characteristics" distinction have been marked
on our website; source: SpielGut website. Watch out for the "spiel gut" logo.
|
click on logo to visit spiel gut |
ÖKO-TEST “very good”
Every year just before Christmas, ÖKO-TEST carries out tests on toys. Amongst others,
plush toys from 20 different manufacturers were tested in 2007. Only 4 manufacturers passed the test without objection –
amongst others the Kösen toy which received the highest mark “very good”.
Steiff, Sigikid and Käthe Kruse only achieved a "good" result. According to ÖKO-TEST,
many products received alarmingly low marks.
The test results underline the success of our ongoing efforts to reach and maintain highest quality standards.
The test is an important result for us during a time when toys from China are subject to continuous criticism.
“Made in Germany” is and remains a reassuring quality seal.
|
click on logo to visit Öko Test |
German TÜV
Following the frenzied public debate about lead-based paint and other illegal substances
in toys from China during 2008, we have reviewed our own safety standards.
Basically, we assume that certified materials purchased in Europe do conform to their certificates.
European producers and their employees have been consciously aware of this matter for many years.
And our products have so far always passed all controls carried out by TÜV, Öko Test and other organisations.
However, we did not want to be lulled into a false sense of security.
Therefore, we approached the German TÜV to find out how we could enhance the safety and quality of our products even further.
As a result, the TÜV will from now on not only control the safety of our products but also include in its checks the quality of our manufacturing process.
Our products will in future carry a claim to this effect. By implementing this additional step we want to prevent mistakes due to operating
blindness. Furthermore, we have asked our suppliers to scrutinise their own safety and quality controls.
We would like to emphasise that out customers can continue to buy Kösen without any hesitation.
All of Kösen plush toys meet the European safety norm EN 71 and are surface washable at 30 °C. |
click on logo to visit TÜV Thuringia | |
|
|
