Since the holidays are approaching, let’s talk about toys.
In pre-COVID days I would take detours in big box stores to check out the toy section. This is not a new passion. As a kid I loved the store in East Orange, New Jersey devoted only to the desires of the young. And the concept of toys still appeals. After all, I have a model train! But most of the time I leave the toy area with feelings of sadness, disgust, and disappointment.
I am struck by how unimaginative so many of the toys are, their obvious susceptibility to breakage, and their cost. With regard to the latter, I wonder how parents these days can afford the current “in” toys. Do they give up other things for that, or do the kids go without?
I began to dwell on my childhood. What were the toys I had that still reside in my memory?
Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, Erector Sets. I recall spending hours with them. parts strewn about the floor, slowly creating the design I had in my head. Then, when I was done, breaking it all down and starting again.
These toys still exist, but usually I don’t find them on the Target shelves. And they’re not cheap. I discovered Lincoln Logs ranging in price from a starter set at $29.99 to a 437-piece unit for over $100, a 208-piece Tinker Toy box for $38.99, Erector Sets starting in the $25 range and a 954-piece gem (counting each screw) for $108.71. Often they proclaim with pride they are composed of parts made from real wood or real metal, rather than plastic versions that are available.
I like these toys for the reason I mentioned previously. Once an idea is created in a child’s mind, it can be constructed, then torn down and something new built. The imagination and creativity can soar.
Except the manufacturers of these great toys have developed a technique which I’m sure is designed to increase sales but, I believe, has a detrimental effect on a kid’s creativity. Take that 954-piece Erector Set, for example. What is its claim to fame? It contains all the parts needed to construct a Ferris wheel, instructions included. Well, that sounds like fun. In fact, I did just that for my train set, except I used miscellaneous scraps found around the house for a total cost of $0.00 instead of $108.71. Lincoln Logs has a 268-piece boxed set for the construction of a “classic farmhouse.” I don’t have major problems with these because the parts don’t have to be used for the intended purpose or according to any enclosed instructions. But the message is: build what’s pictured on the box and in the way we tell you to. I’d rather the message be: here are parts, do something with them. Fortunately, one still can get unspecified use sets.
Lego is another great idea that can encourage creativity. Sadly, that company has gone overboard on special sets for special projects. But the basic concept is a good one and, if not subtly restricted by specific use sales, can unleash the incredible creativity of youth.
I also recommend having available various colors of construction paper, a ruler preferably in metric scale, scissors, a bottle of Elmer’s Glue-All, and no directions. It’s relatively cheap too.
When my kids were small, I made a set of blocks from five eight-foot 2x4s. While I can’t recall the exact makeups, it would be something like this.
Those blocks turned into everything: a road, a fortress, a mountain, a falling chain when set up like dominoes and the first one pushed over. It provided fun for years. I made a set for my nephew and decades later for his son, my grandnephew.
I am so far out of the toy loop these days that my gripes may not be valid. But I would opt for toys that are both fun and tap into the natural creativity of the young—and this definitely eliminates violent video games.
In pre-COVID days I would take detours in big box stores to check out the toy section. This is not a new passion. As a kid I loved the store in East Orange, New Jersey devoted only to the desires of the young. And the concept of toys still appeals. After all, I have a model train! But most of the time I leave the toy area with feelings of sadness, disgust, and disappointment.
I am struck by how unimaginative so many of the toys are, their obvious susceptibility to breakage, and their cost. With regard to the latter, I wonder how parents these days can afford the current “in” toys. Do they give up other things for that, or do the kids go without?
I began to dwell on my childhood. What were the toys I had that still reside in my memory?
Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, Erector Sets. I recall spending hours with them. parts strewn about the floor, slowly creating the design I had in my head. Then, when I was done, breaking it all down and starting again.
These toys still exist, but usually I don’t find them on the Target shelves. And they’re not cheap. I discovered Lincoln Logs ranging in price from a starter set at $29.99 to a 437-piece unit for over $100, a 208-piece Tinker Toy box for $38.99, Erector Sets starting in the $25 range and a 954-piece gem (counting each screw) for $108.71. Often they proclaim with pride they are composed of parts made from real wood or real metal, rather than plastic versions that are available.
I like these toys for the reason I mentioned previously. Once an idea is created in a child’s mind, it can be constructed, then torn down and something new built. The imagination and creativity can soar.
Except the manufacturers of these great toys have developed a technique which I’m sure is designed to increase sales but, I believe, has a detrimental effect on a kid’s creativity. Take that 954-piece Erector Set, for example. What is its claim to fame? It contains all the parts needed to construct a Ferris wheel, instructions included. Well, that sounds like fun. In fact, I did just that for my train set, except I used miscellaneous scraps found around the house for a total cost of $0.00 instead of $108.71. Lincoln Logs has a 268-piece boxed set for the construction of a “classic farmhouse.” I don’t have major problems with these because the parts don’t have to be used for the intended purpose or according to any enclosed instructions. But the message is: build what’s pictured on the box and in the way we tell you to. I’d rather the message be: here are parts, do something with them. Fortunately, one still can get unspecified use sets.
Lego is another great idea that can encourage creativity. Sadly, that company has gone overboard on special sets for special projects. But the basic concept is a good one and, if not subtly restricted by specific use sales, can unleash the incredible creativity of youth.
I also recommend having available various colors of construction paper, a ruler preferably in metric scale, scissors, a bottle of Elmer’s Glue-All, and no directions. It’s relatively cheap too.
When my kids were small, I made a set of blocks from five eight-foot 2x4s. While I can’t recall the exact makeups, it would be something like this.
- 10 2-foot lengths
- 9 1-foot lengths
- 8 6-inch lengths
- 2 2-foot lengths where each is cut at a diagonal to create four triangles
- 2 1-foot lengths where each is cut at a diagonal to create four triangles
- 2 6-inch lengths where each is cut at a diagonal to create four triangles
Those blocks turned into everything: a road, a fortress, a mountain, a falling chain when set up like dominoes and the first one pushed over. It provided fun for years. I made a set for my nephew and decades later for his son, my grandnephew.
I am so far out of the toy loop these days that my gripes may not be valid. But I would opt for toys that are both fun and tap into the natural creativity of the young—and this definitely eliminates violent video games.
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