Hi everyone, I’m Neha Makdey, Founder & CEO of NESTA TOYS. Over the last 6–7 years, I’ve spent a large part of my life designing, developing, evaluating and gifting toys - first as a toy designer and founder, and increasingly as a mother watching my own child grow.

Over the years, I’ve also had the opportunity to see what children actually pick up and play with, what keeps them engaged, what gets abandoned after five minutes and what they keep returning to months later.

That experience has changed the way I choose gifts for children.

When I'm gifting a toy, I don't simply ask, “Is this a nice toy?”

I ask:

• Is it appropriate for the child's age?
• Is it safe?
• Will the child actually enjoy playing with it?
• Does it match their interests?
• Does it give them something to explore or learn?
• Will it continue to be useful after the initial excitement wears off?

And because I run a toy company, I have an advantage that most parents and gift-givers don't have - I have toys across different ages and interests available to me.

So I can think beyond just one generic gift.

Based on my experience of designing, selecting and gifting toys, here is how I think about choosing a toy gift for a child.

1. For 0–2 Years: Keep It Simple, Safe and Developmentally Appropriate

For babies and toddlers, choosing a toy is actually a little easier.

At this age, children are still discovering the world around them. They are naturally curious about sounds, textures, movement, colours, shapes and objects they can hold and explore.

They don't necessarily need a toy based on a very specific interest.

So, when I am choosing a gift for a child between 0 and 2 years, I primarily look for:

• Safety: No small parts or obvious hazards for the child's age.
• Durability: Babies and toddlers touch, throw, drop and sometimes chew everything!
• Simple play: The child should be able to explore the toy without needing complicated instructions.
• Skill development: Does it encourage grasping, coordination, movement, observation or early problem-solving?
• Sensory exploration: Can the child touch, feel, move, stack, shake or manipulate something?
• Open-ended use: Can the toy be used in different ways as the child grows?

At this stage, I don't worry too much about whether the child is a “car person” or a “doll person.”

They are still discovering what they like.

So I tend to choose simple, age-appropriate toys that allow natural exploration.

A wooden car, a doll, a stacking toy, a shape-sorter or a simple building activity can all work beautifully, provided they are appropriate for the child's developmental stage.

The goal isn't to impress the child with a complicated toy.

It is to give them something safe and interesting enough to explore.

2. Once They Have Interests, Follow Them

As children get a little older, something important starts happening.

They develop preferences.

And this is where I think gifting becomes much more interesting.

If a child is obsessed with cars, don't give them a completely unrelated toy simply because it is considered “educational.”

Look at their interest and build around it.

For example, if a child loves cars, you can choose:

• Car-themed puzzles
• Building sets involving vehicles
• Race tracks
• Books about cars
• Vehicle matching or memory games
• Construction toys
• Toys that explain how wheels or vehicles work

The same principle applies to pretend play.

If a child loves playing kitchen, you could choose:

• Pretend kitchen accessories
• Cooking role-play sets
• Food sets
• Utensils
• Dolls they can “feed”
• Grocery-store pretend-play materials

If the child loves dolls, there are many ways to extend that interest through pretend play, storytelling, dressing, caring and role-playing.

The important thing is:

Don't think of the interest as limiting the gift. Think of it as your starting point.

A child's interest can open the door to many different kinds of learning.

3. If You Don't Know What the Child Likes, Ask the Parents

This sounds obvious, but it is something I wish more people did before buying gifts.

If I'm buying a gift for a child and I don't know them well, I simply ask the parents.

Something as simple as:

“What does he/she like these days?”

can completely change the gift you choose.

I might ask:

• What does the child enjoy playing with?
• Are they into cars, animals, dolls or building?
• Do they like colouring?
• Are they interested in puzzles?
• Do they enjoy pretend play?
• Is there something they are currently obsessed with?

Parents usually know immediately.

And that small conversation can help you avoid buying something that the child already has five of or simply won't use.

As someone who works in toys, I would much rather give a child one thoughtfully chosen ₹500–₹1,000 toy that matches their interest than a much more expensive generic gift that sits unused.

4. Look for the Child's “Obsession”

Some children don't have just an interest.

They have an obsession.

And honestly, I love gifting to these children because the answer is often sitting right in front of you.

For example, some children around four or five become fascinated by science experiments.

They may watch science videos.

They may constantly ask “Why?”

They want to know what happens if you mix two things together, build something, drop something, change something or test something.

For a child like this, I would look for:

• Simple science experiment kits
• STEM activities
• Building and experimentation sets
• Age-appropriate science books
• Activities that allow them to test a hypothesis
• Toys where they can follow instructions and observe what happens

The important thing is not simply that the kit is labelled “STEM.”

The real question is:

Does it allow the child to experiment?

If a child already loves watching science experiments, give them something that allows them to become the person conducting the experiment.

That's a much more meaningful gift.

5. For Creative Kids, Give Them Better Tools to Create

Then there are children who are constantly drawing, colouring, painting and making things.

For them, I don't necessarily want to buy the most basic art kit.

If a child already loves art, upgrade their tools.

Instead of another generic box of crayons that they may already have at home, consider:

• Better-quality colouring materials
• Different types of paints
• Special drawing tools
• Craft kits
• Personalisation activities
• Art sets that allow them to create something they can keep
• Activities where they can decorate or customise an object

One thing I particularly like is giving children something that they can personalise and then actually use.

For example, rather than creating something that gets put away immediately, give them an object they can decorate, customise and make their own.

That adds another layer to the activity.

They're not just colouring.

They're creating something that belongs to them.

6. Don't Buy a Generic Gift Just Because It's Easy

This is especially relevant when it comes to return gifts.

As a mother, I have received my fair share of return gifts.

And if I'm being completely honest, I've often wondered:

“What am I supposed to do with another stationery set?”

Children can accumulate enormous amounts of stationery, small notebooks, pencil boxes, keychains and similar items.

Eventually, many of these things end up:

• Lost
• Duplicated
• Forgotten in a drawer
• Passed on to someone else
• Or simply sitting unused

That is why I've changed the way I think about return gifts.

If I'm organising a birthday party and I know that children of different ages are going to attend, I don't necessarily want to give every child exactly the same thing.

Instead, I would rather think about the age groups.

For example:

• 1–2 years: A simple, safe, age-appropriate developmental toy
• 2–3 years: A simple building, sorting or pretend-play activity
• 3–4 years: A more challenging puzzle, role-play or creative activity
• 4–5 years: An art, building, STEM or problem-solving activity
• 5–6 years: A more advanced creative, construction or experiment-based toy

You don't necessarily need to spend more money.

You can simply spend the same budget more thoughtfully.

If your budget is ₹500 per child, the goal doesn't have to be finding the same ₹500 product for everyone.

The goal can be finding the right ₹500 product for each age group.

That increases the chances that the child will actually use it.

7. When in Doubt, Choose the Child - Not the Toy

This is probably my biggest takeaway after years of working with toys.

When choosing a gift, we often start with the product.

We see a beautiful box.

A popular brand.

A toy that looks impressive.

A product that says “educational.”

And then we think:

“This would make a great gift.”

But I think the better approach is to start with the child.

Ask:

Who am I buying this for?

Then think about:

• Their age
• Their current abilities
• Their interests
• Their personality
• What they already have
• What they enjoy doing
• What they are curious about
• What challenge they might be ready for next

Then find the toy.

That small change in thinking can completely transform how you choose gifts.

My Simple Formula for Choosing a Toy Gift

If I had to simplify my entire approach into one checklist, this is what I would use:

0–2 years

Safety + simplicity + sensory exploration + basic skill development

2–4 years

Interest + pretend play + fine motor skills + exploration

4–6 years

Interest + challenge + creativity + problem-solving

And for every age:

Age → Interest → Ability → Challenge → Quality

That's the sequence I try to follow.

Because after years of designing toys and watching children play, I've realised something:

The best gift isn't necessarily the most exciting toy on the shelf.

It is the toy that makes the child say:

“I want to play with this.”

And then, hopefully, keeps them playing, exploring, creating and learning long after the wrapping paper has been thrown away.

That's what I look for when I choose a toy for a child - whether I'm choosing one for my own son, designing one for NESTA TOYS, or helping another parent decide what to gift.