TOYS

1. Do toys teach your child something?
Very few moments can match the joy of handing a child a wrapped gift and watching him tear the paper
up in anticipation of the prize inside. The enjoyment a child gets from a simple toy is contagious.

2. Toys inspire children, as well as teach them. They can stimulate a child’s imagination, transforming
him into a train conductor, a superhero, or an artist. Small, colorful building blocks are transformed
into towering skyscrapers. Dolls are cuddled and chided. But too much of anything isn’t necessarily
good.
Most parents today battle the toy invasion. Toys overflow from bedrooms and playrooms to the living
room, the kitchen, and even the bathroom. There are just too many. Does a child really need that many
toys? And where are they all coming from?
Birthdays are the main culprit. Parties are becoming large and extravagant. When around 30 children
are invited, each one will walk in with a gift. Then there’s the occasional trip to the toy store as a treat.
Of course, we indulge our children every once in a while by picking up that toy that we know they’ve
been yearning for. The intentions are good, but to what end?
Child psychologists and other experts are also concerned about the excess of toys in our children’s
playrooms – at best, they say, you’re throwing your money away; at worst, you may be stunting your
child’s development.
According to an article in the British newspaper The Guardian, Claire Lerner, a child-development
worker, carried out a US government-funded study on the effect of overwhelming children with toys.
Lerner reported that too many playthings can “restrict development and may harm children. They get
overwhelmed and over-stimulated and cannot concentrate on any one thing long enough to learn from
it, so they just shut down. Too many toys means they are not learning to play imaginatively either.” A
study by the University of Stirling in Scotland recently concluded that expensive, hi-tech toys are a
waste of money. “Children learn just as much from playing with an old mobile phone,” claims the
study.
It’s definitely not easy to avoid the deluge of toys, but here are a few tips that might help enhance
quality and avoid quantity:
1. Choose toys that allow children to express themselves. “At Bing, we use a lot of basic materials:
clay, blocks, water, sand, Legos and paint,” explains Tom Limbert, *head teacher of Stanford
University’s Bing Nursery School of Child Development Research and Training, during an interview
with Babyzone, an online magazine. Limbert adds that a child can make whatever he wants using these
materials. There is no designed outcome. The child is encouraged to create something different every
time. The role of the parents and teachers is to value these ideas and ask questions like, ”What were
you thinking about when you made that?” or “What does it remind you of?”
2. When buying a gift for another child, ask the parents what their child’s interests are before you head
to the toy store. Best case scenario, they’ll give you a few suggestions so you’re sure your present will
be a big hit with the child.
3. Select toys that are part of a collection the child can build on. A small box of Lego can help add to
the fortress he’s already constructing at home. There are also a variety of magnetic toys to choose from.
Girls might like an outfit for their doll collection or another accessory, rather than yet another doll.
4. Ask about gift certificates. Many toy stores and bookshops offer gift certificates now. This allows the
parents to choose something they feel their child needs or would really like. It also lets them pick out
the gift with the child later on as a treat, so it can stand out from the onslaught of birthday presents.
5. Donate old toys to charity. Too many toys can be over-stimulating for children. Every now and then
take stock of what they have, and consider giving some of it away. “I get my child involved. I ask her
to choose the toys she wants to give to children who don’t have that many. I’m always surprised when
she cooperates, and I’ve even had to stop her from giving away too many toys once,” recalls one
mother.
6. Consider not letting your child open all his gifts on the day of his birthday party. It’s overwhelming
and they aren’t able to truly appreciate and enjoy each present on its own. “I let my son open one or
two presents on his birthday – usually from a family member – and I put the rest away. Every time he
deserves a treat, or even if he simply needs something new to stimulate him, I take out one toy. It’s like

3. it’s his birthday all over again. He doesn’t get bored with them and toss them around after one day,
which happened once when I let him open all his presents at once,” suggests Omneya, a mother of four.
7. Don’t purchase a large, bulky gift for a child unless you run it by his parents first. Big isn’t always
better. Take the case of one woman who walked into a birthday party with a large car that a toddler can
actually sit in and drive. While the three year old was ecstatic about the gift, the mother was less so.
“Where am I going to put it? The corridor is already lined up with tricycles and scooters,” the mother
stated exasperatedly.
8. Don’t be embarrassed to re-gift, one mother suggests. A young girl is bound to get many stuffed
animals and dolls for her birthday, and boys receive enough cars to fill a garage. Place them somewhere
out of your children’s reach, and make sure they don’t tamper with the packaging so that you are able
to give the gift to someone else. Yes, it’s practical rather than sentimental, but remind your child that
it’s the thought that counts (it really is). Be careful, however, not to re-gift to the person who initially
gave you the gift.
9. And finally, spend more time playing with your children. Spending time with your child is the best
present you can give them.