so
you can buy a useful toy.
Some
toys are over hyped and others that I quite like, are never advertised. When I
see new toys or the kid wants something she saw on TV, I usually ask myself
“What can this toy be used for” and “How long will it keep the kid
interested.” The last question I sometimes never ask, cause I never get that
far is “Does the toy teach anything or does it build imagination or some other
characteristic.”
These three questions, hopefully will give me an idea about the usefulness and
longevity of the new toy. If the toy passes the first two questions then it is
into the realm of learning. Some toys never make it this far, they are just
ornaments. I don’t look at the safety aspect as most toys are safe, but I am
careful with little bits and pieces.
For the first question I think about what you can do with the toy. Whether you
can play alone or with friends. Can it be used with other toys to do other
things, or is it a one hit wonder.
As an example we will use the Star
Wars Darth Vader Voice Changer Mask
This little toy is very popular because of the film, but I think its usefulness
is very limited. You could use it in pretend play but how long will that last. I
would say this type of toy is used for sharing, a sort of play and share toy to
see who can come up with the most outrageous line. It is not really the type of
toy you could play with by yourself.
For the second question I think this toy would be discarded quite early, as
there seems to be very little to keep the kid amused. Once you have said your
few lines what do you then. Then again there are all the accessories to buy to
go with the mask, like the clothes and boots. The money is in the accessories
these days. Unless your kid wants to be an actor I would not get around to
asking the third question.
###########################################################
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Readers?
If your children
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par. The problem with reading is that it can affect all subjects, not just
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I know one mother
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Let
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-
Peter Legrove
################################################################################
The toys I do like are the LEGOS,
the MEGA
BLOKS
and the PLAYMOBILS
that the kids use to build things. Gone are the days when I was young and LEGO
was a bucket of bricks that you could make anything with. The only limit was
your imagination.
Nowadays imagination has gone out the door to be replaced with an operator’s
manual so you get all the bricks and accessories in the right place. They are
still fun to do. The finished product is a beautiful crafted masterpiece that
usually ends up on top of the piano or coffee table until the cat destroys it.
So far for my kid the max is three times to redo one. So I would say the
novelty wears off after three attempts. These toys build finishing ability and
teach how to follow a plan. Also they are good for a rainy afternoon as they can
take some time to finish. But the downside is they can be very pricey.
For these toys the answer to the first questions would be: The kid can build
something. They can see the finished product and match it with the picture to
see if it is correct. The next answer would be they can remake it or make there
own design. And for the last question I would say the kid should definitely
learn something while putting the blocks together.
Using these three questions I somehow manage to buy what I consider to be
useful toys. Therefore I am not
swamped by the advertising hype or the “Keeping up with the Jones” sort of
thing.
Article by copyright
© Peter Legrove 2007, at www.animalsdinosaursandbugs.com
**You have permission to reprint this article. Use it
on your website, in your ezine or newsletter or in any printed form. The only
requirement is to include the footnote at the base of the article and not change
the wording**
Thank you Peter Legrove
