As the holidays approach, we start thinking about what to give the kids. Target’s gift catalogue just arrived at the house, and the kids are pouring over it as if it’s an encyclopedia.
There seems to be a new trend, according to an article in the Wilmington News Star this weekend,”Back to Basics” by Kim Cook, reflecting a back to basics attitude among parents, wanting to “lower the volume on tech toys and on children’s environment as a whole.” They are tired of all the plastic in playroom and the noises coming from the toys. They yearn for just a few well-made toys that start the imagination going and will generate some powerful pretend play. A parent just voiced to me the other day that she won’t buy any toy that makes noise, unless there is an off button. That was after I asked her for a screw driver to remove the batteries in the Fisher Price Barn so her son would continue his nice play and not get distracted by the sound effects. I am sure that manufacturers have good intentions of adding all of these sounds for teaching cause-effect, but after several rounds with the toy, the sounds often become a distraction and interrupter of play.
Some of the manufacturers that I like for back to the basics simple, sometimes wooden toys are:
- Melissa and Doug
- Plan toys
- Blue Orange Games
- I Can Do That Games
- Playmobil
- Haba
- Taggies
