ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the guidelines for constructing the toy sets for the DPA-P. To effectively assess play, children must be given sufficient opportunity to display their knowledge of objects, people, and events. In order to accomplish this purpose, the types of toys included in the DPA-P must be varied across and within the four toy sets. Furthermore, toys must be selected based on their ability to optimally engage children in play during the assessment. This chapter provides the rationale for toy selection, and it includes background information from the literature on the characteristics of toys and toy use. It details the criteria by which toys were selected for the DPA-P as well as the categories of toys to consider when selecting toys. It includes inclusion and exclusion criteria, categories of toys, and the role of culture in choosing toys. Finally, this chapter provides guidelines and considerations for selecting toys when assembling your own DPA-P sets.
