The Simple Joy Of The Traditional Toy

As the years go by more and more people seem to be buying computer type toys for children. Traditional toys are considered somewhat old fashioned these days. Unfortunately, the age that the child will start with this piece of techno gadgetry would appear to be getting younger and younger. But at what cost?

Can you remember when you were that young and use to get down and dirty in the mud? Well I can. Many a warm summer's day was spent making mud pies or making pretend flower furniture for the fairies that I was convinced lived in our garden. So what happened? Well, sadly for the children, the world has gone techno crazy and many manufacturers are now aiming for the new and emerging market, the toddler. Take a moment and think about this. What do you looks more attractive? A child sitting in front of a TV or computer screen frantically pressing buttons in seemingly frenzied concentration, or a child sitting with dolly dressing and undressing it whilst having a long length discussion with it about what to wear to the next party etc? The choice is obvious.

Some traditional toy manufacturers have come up with innovative ways to lure back parents and the older generation to the world of 'real' toys. Some are educational (not a dirty word kids!) and help the child to learn whilst having fun. Surprisingly, some manufacturers have improved on the old wooden jigsaw puzzle. Gone are the days of the flat, sometimes bland, puzzle that used to cause endless hours of frustration and in it's place come the chunky, wooden jigsaws that piece together to make up into all kinds of interesting articles. These come in a variety of designs and provide endless hours of interesting and informative play for children (usually three years old).

Some jigsaw puzzles are in the form of a world map. Remember those geography lessons at school? Huge maps with tiny writing pinned up on dusty classroom walls, how uninspiring! Nowadays you can join in with the children and find out for yourselves where Chile is or Peru. All the pieces are marked with the country and there is no possibility of misplacing it 'a la' geography lesson style. These jigsaw puzzles also come in the form of individual countries such as France, Ireland or Great Britain. This well finished traditional toy can spur many a conversation between adult and child about where the country is, what grows there, how do we get there etc. Imagine having a jigsaw map of France before you embark on that road trip. The child will be able to tell you where you are going before you even set out!

It may be time to think twice about techno toys and wonder if it is the right thing for your child. Traditional toys will encourage individual thought and imagination and also teach the child to co-operate with others in play. This can only bode well for the future when the child has to intermingle with others.