Buying childrens toys

[china-doll]

Has anyone noticed lately that it’s almost impossible to buy a toy for kids now that doesn’t have some kind of flashing lights and annoying electronic sound effects or even more annoying, hyper cheery electronic music? Every time I go to clean up my daughter’s room, guaranteed something will start flashing or singing at me when I pick it up.

What happened to kids using their imagination? Toys that you made your own fun with? When I was a kid I loved Legos. I had enough of them to make a good sized office building (a real one) and would play with them for days. I made roadways out of wooden blocks for my Hotwheels and Matchbox cars. They were another thing I played with all the time. When I was younger than that I played with trucks from Tonka and Fisherprice.

Last week I dug out some of my toys from when I was younger. Among the stuff was a Alphabet wall chart that a friend of my mother had made for me when I was born. It’s a chart, made of felt with a little pocket behind each letter and inside each pocket is a little plush figurine representing the letter. A little mitten for “M”, a little rockingchair for “R” and so on. All handmade, and to be honest, getting a little worn out after almost 30 years. But my daughter loves it. She’s been playing with it for a week. Which is longer than she has played with any toy I have bought that has any kind of flashing lights and electronic music.

So my question comes down to this. Are all of these lights and music for the kids, or are they to attract the parents attention at the store and get them to buy it? Be honest, when you’re shopping for a kids toy, (your kid, or for a gift) do you look at a toy and say to yourself, “Well, that truck doesn’t really DO anything… but this one has a siren and it says “Let’s go!” when you press the ladder.” Which one do you buy?

Sorry for the rambling, I must be just be getting old. [/rant]

 

[ABSTRUSE]

I want the head of the sadistic bastard who decided everything needs to be wired into the packages.
That bitch Barbie is well secured and her fricken hair is even sewn into the box, after it's been taped and then she is forced to endure somekind of Japanese Bondage before you can even think about setting her free.

Bastards.

 

[Guest]

 

[English Lady]

You know, my daughter much prefers to play with her bricks, or draw,or play with play doh or play dress up or anything like that than play with any of the many flashy flashy noisy toys she has.

I think it really is a damn shame all the new toys seem to be like that. they have next to 0 lasting power because they are so limited and they do next to nothing to stimulate a toddlers brain.

I tend not to buy them but the two sets of grandparents, the assorted aunts, uncles and gret grandparents do*L*

 

[she_is_my_addiction]

erector sets, legos, blocks, k'lix, k'nex, coloring books, play doh, clay, silly putty, tinker toys, etc.

I had no flashy toys growing up. I got the hand-me-downs off my brother and sister, and my brain is probably better because of it.

I hate all those goddamn lights and noises. There's nothing they can teach that teachers, parents, and traditional toys can't. Why the rush to say "oh MY kid's the smartest"?

Some parents are more interested in how they're going to look and how their kid is going to make them look.

 

[millennium_bard]

I bought some Tinker Toys and Lincoln logs sets on ebay for my friends kids last Christmas, they love them.

 

[BlackShanglan]

I want the head of the sadistic bastard who decided everything needs to be wired into the packages.
That bitch Barbie is well secured and her fricken hair is even sewn into the box, after it's been taped and then she is forced to endure somekind of Japanese Bondage before you can even think about setting her free.

Bastards.

Damn.

Where's the nearest store with Barbies in it?

 

[RenzaJones]

I hate people who give kids those toys with lights and noise and crap invariably the child will only play with said toy until the parental unit has forgotten what silence and peace sounds like. This toy is also easily broken despite the fact that it costs 44 bucks which means if Mommy wants the baby to stop screaming and carrying on she's at Toys R Us at 10:30 on a tuesday night getting another bump and go baby truck

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Damn.

Where's the nearest store with Barbies in it?

Here:

 

[china-doll]

Here:

 

[RenzaJones]

At christmas I hope people have the decency to give the baby non mobile, unbattery operated,silent no assembly required toys

 

[Guest]

Children always get books from me. P.

 

[RenzaJones]

Children always get books from me. P.

Please spread the word books are a great gift. Flashing lights and screaming tickle me Elmo is not

 

[SeaCat]

What? How dare you? How can all of you be so cruel as to even want you child to have to think? Or try to entertain themselves rather than be entertained? Don't you know that's cruel and unusual?

That being said I have to congradulate those of you who don't believe in this mindset. There are toys out there that require thought. Hell there are toys out there that don't need batteries.

Two of my favorite toys when I was growing up were Lincoln Logs and Leggo's. (Followed by an original Tonka Truck and a Jacob's Ladder.) When I was eight or so my father splurged and got me both the Electronics Lab as well as the Chemistry Lab. (No you can't find them anymore.) We, my father and I that is, had more fun with these. Not only did they teach me to think, they also taught me to be responsible. (The Chemistry set also taught me there are some things best done outside or in the barn if you don't want your mother more than a touch upset at you.)

Cat

 

[wildsweetone]

I work with 70, 3 and 4 year old children each week. This week I have been working with them helping them to write their letters to Santa.

I've noticed that no two children have asked for the same gifts. No two kids out of that whole 70 asked for the same thing. Incredible.

The reason?

There has not been any children's christmas toys tv advertising as yet.

It's got the kids thinking about other things they want. I'm definately doing this again next year.

Things needing batteries? Hmm, a couple of remote controlled things, a car and a digger from memory, but that's it.

 

[logophile]

My kids are 9, 6, and 4. They play with almost nothing that's battery operated (except the spin art machine). We build with Legos and Lincoln Logs. We draw a lot and make a lot of homemade books. The kids love to play cards and board games. The two older kids knit. My oldest is a reader (wonder where she gets that from) and always has her nose in a book. When it's warm out they play a lot of two square and draw with side walk chalk. They also like to make up plays and act them out.

I hate loud toys. My sister hates toys with lots of parts. We've had a hard time adjusting to each other's tastes when shopping for the neicews. When I get a noise maker, I generally let the batteries run out and then dispose of the toy when no one's looking.

 

[Bridget69]

When I was a kid, I loved nothing more than my Play-Doh tins, my Lite Brite board, my coloring books, as well as my story books. Nowadays, it's nothing but technological gadgets. There was also an article in our newspaper about a lot of these toys which are on the market for this Christmas and the safety hazards they pose. I can't believe parents are actually buying some of these things for their kids.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I hate people who give kids those toys with lights and noise and crap invariably the child will only play with said toy until the parental unit has forgotten what silence and peace sounds like. This toy is also easily broken despite the fact that it costs 44 bucks which means if Mommy wants the baby to stop screaming and carrying on she's at Toys R Us at 10:30 on a tuesday night getting another bump and go baby truck

There you have the reason why these kinds of toys are heavily advertised. So the parents will buy replacements when they break down in a few days. Ane it is the heavy advertising that makes kids want this junk. Lincoln logs, Tinkertoys, books, coloring books, and the other stuff that has been mentioned is better in every way. They are more fun; they teach the kids something; they are safer, and everything else you can name.

 

[EmeraldKitten]

I hate noise.
I dislike children, LOL.

Okay, my dislike of kids is on a case to case basis. But for some reason, more are mongrels than not.
Needy little brats, LOL.



I remember being a kid. I watched "Sleeping Beauty" almost every day.
I had baby dolls and Barbie's.
God, I had more Barbie's than I knew what to do with.
I'd have to have two at a time. I'd want certain ones, just for their dresses.
Their dresses!!! LOL.

I wanted one of those little Jeep's. Guess what? I never got one.
So I played with my dolls and resorted to Disney movies.
I remember no toys that made noise, or blinked, or flashed, or irratated my mom, lol.

I lied. I remember one toy that made noise. It was a little book of Christmas songs, with the little keyboard at the bottom. The lyrics to the songs had the music staff, and the different notes ya pushed on the keyboard to play the song.

Gee, I wonder why I was a band dork? LOL.

Hell, even today, give me a coloring book and some crayons, and I'll be content.

Am I simple or what? hehe.

 

[alyxen]

While it's always fun picking up a nice shiny drum set for a niece/nephew, I always like finding a really great gift that will help them explore their creativity.

A huge colored pencil/marker collection and a ream of paper can be a simple gift that will outlast any flashy, battery-operated toy you can name.

 

[English Lady]

Actually books are a great Gift. Beth (Who just turned three) adores reading and so a good book is always well recieved.

Beth often says "I want that" when she watches the telly, but if you later ask her what she'd like Santa to bring the TV advert toys are never mentioned. In fact this year my daughter wants a zebra!

 

[cantdog]

Zebras are immensely rococo. But they don't domesticate well. (They bite and kick.)

We improvised a lot of our entertainment as children. Toys out of the box didn't repair very well. If a thing you make yourself breaks, you just fix it and continue. Teaches problem solving. Teaches jury rigging. Teaches self reliance and usually there's some co-operative element, too.

This doesn't solve an uncle's Christmas shopping problem. You can't very well give a box of scrap lumber and nails, string, cord, wire and wheels. But it would be nice if you could.

I keep blocks and whatnot in a closet full of stuff for kids, which has come to be called my "Grampie closet." The stone blocks date from the 1930's and the hardwood ones from the early '50s. There's also three large combined sets of Lincoln Logs (the old round ones) and small cars and figures. On a Persian-style rug, with an "island" of pattern in the middle, a kid can make a whole town.

Did you ever use the furniture and some blankets to make tents?

 

[cantdog]

Another thing is art supplies. A kid should never be stymied because there's no paper, or no glue.

We made puppets and put on puppet shows for each other.

 

[impressive]

My kids ALWAYS get art supplies at each gift-giving occasion. The younger two spend hours each day sketching. The oldest paints (acrylic on canvas) and is selling very well for an 11-year-old with severe disabilities. (Sure, the novelty/pity factor is there -- but he's okay with that. He has more "disposable income" than I do!)

Lego (while it's gotten rather complicated) is also another MUST.

Each year, my kids get a new backpack or tote or some sort of carrying bag. All gifts go inside. No wrapping paper. (It's a waste.)

Now, as quaint as that all sounds, they have the electronic shit as well. My middle child taught himself to read at age 3 with his Nintendo, so it ain't all bad -- and headphones cut down on the noise.

 

[Guest]

we are a creative family... and now that money is an issue, things get hand-made...atleast by me...so,
there will be knitted sweaters, hats and scarves...alot made from the wool ive spun...and some not so.
there will be stained glass and hand-made journals

yes i did save enough for an electric guitar for eldest
yes i did save enough for charcoals, sketching supplies for youngest

but my joy is the joy on other's faces when the see that home made gift...either they love it or hate it. .. but either way, they will know that the gifts they get are from my heart