Know what you are putting together. Take some time to look at pictures of the finished product. Visualize how the toy works. Better yet, play with an assembled toy in the store before you bring home the toy in the box (this is a great excuse to fool around in the toy department). The better you understand the final product, the easier it will be to figure out how the toy is assembled. This little bit of knowledge can get you "unstuck" when the directions don't make sense.
Read the directions from start to finish before you start. You don't have to read every word, but get an understanding of how the toy goes together before you start.
Watch out for little details that can trip you up. Often manufacturers use different-size screws for different pieces. This can be confusing because both sizes may work on one piece but not another. The toy may seem to be going together great, until you get to that last piece and find out the screws you have left are too long or too short.
Lay out all the toy pieces and make sure you have everything you need. Now is the time to identify all similar-looking pieces, like screws, nuts and bolts. Separate them in piles.
Put connectors, like screws, in a pile with the toy piece they will be used on. Watch out for small pieces; they are easily lost in carpet. This may sound tedious, but it only takes a few minutes. It takes a lot more time to undo part of the assembly than it does to put it together right the first time.
Make sure you have all the right tools. Screwdrivers come in different sizes, typically three sizes for Phillips heads and three sizes for standards.
More assembly tips
Buy backup batteries. Even if toys come with batteries, make sure you have spares in the right size. "You don't want it to run out of batteries after an hour of playing on Christmas morning," said Toys R Us spokeswoman Kelly Cullen.
Contact the manufacturer. Don't call the toy store. Many manufacturers offer instructions and replacement parts through Web sites or 1-800 numbers. The Toy Industry Association offers a database of company-contact information (www.toy-tia.org, click on member directory).
Let professionals do it. David Wiktorski, bike-shop manager for Seattle nonprofit Bike Works, says trained staff should assemble bicycles. "A large number of bikes come in that were put together in a way that is not safe."
Do a quick audit. This afternoon, guesstimate how long each toy will take to assemble. Better to know now so you can budget time than realize it will take four hours at 10 tonight.
Use a container. Store small pieces so they don't get lost during assembly.
Enlist older kids. More elves make the job go faster, Cullen notes.
Wait until morning. Mechanical engineer Teodora Rutar Shuman takes extra time to involve her children. "I'll say, 'Give me the blue piece or hand me the triangle,' " she said. "The kids really enjoy being part of the process. It gives a larger meaning to the toy." (Toys with small screws or pieces don't mix with children under 3.)
Stephanie Dunnewind, Seattle Times staff reporter
Don't assume that a small screw requires the smallest of your screwdrivers. Try several different sizes until you find the one that fits the tightest. It's the shape of the screw head and not the screw size that determines which one to use. If the screwdriver head is too big or too small, you run the risk of damaging the screw and ruining the toy. (This is why men always need good tools for Christmas.)
Start the assembly by holding together the first few pieces without actually connecting them. This will help you see where you are going without committing anything.
Many toys are made to snap together but not snap apart. Don't commit to any step until you're comfortable with how the current piece and the next few pieces go together.
You don't want to get to a place where you realize that you really needed to put part B in before part A, but part A is already snapped in place and can't be removed. Take your time and continue this process for each new piece you add.
Be careful when you commit a piece to the assembly. Toys are most fragile when unassembled.
Many toys use metal screws on plastic parts. If you over-tighten the screw, you can strip the plastic threads and the part won't hold together.
Carefully start the screw by turning it backward a half turn at first. This will help make sure the screw is in the hole and the piece properly seated. Then tighten it down.
The first turn is the most critical. Make sure the screw is starting straight; if it's crooked, back it out and try again.
Also be careful with snapping pieces. Press as close to the area that snaps in as possible. If you're snapping an arm on a toy, for example, press at the shoulder. Holding at the elbow and forcing it will put extra stress on the piece.
Many snapping parts have little nubs that hold the piece in. Press close to the nub. You don't want to break the piece before it's assembled — you can leave the breaking to your kids.
Keep referring to instructions. By the time you start assembling, you may feel that you don't need the instructions, but check them occasionally. Many toys have a "trick" in the assembly process. Following the little tricks like "tighten the screw only two turns before proceeding to step 3" can make the difference between a simple process and a disaster.
If you get stuck, don't panic. Re-read the instructions carefully up to the point where you are stuck and then continue reading the next few steps. Sometimes reading ahead will help you see the big picture and clarify the directions. If they still don't make any sense, it may not be your fault. They really might not make any sense.
It's then up to you. Rely on your experience. Look at the pictures on the box. Remember how the assembled toy looked and worked in the store. Put some pieces together without permanently attaching them.
If you're really stuck, take a coffee break. This really does work. When you come back, either you'll have a fresh perspective on the problem — or your child will have finished the job for you.
Greg Mason lives in Bremerton and is the father of a 9-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son.
