Toys..toys..toys
Let us just start with; Yes, I have purchased toys from Kmart, Big W AND Target for my boys. Yes, we love Nerf guns and I will also admit that there is a strange happiness that lights my soul when I gift my boys something that they really love and get excited about.
In all honesty, I personally love to consume.
However, I simultaneously love ethically made items and reflecting about our impact on the environment.
I also love exploring the research behind what our naturally developing bodies and brains need and don't need.
So, with Christmas on it's way, I guess I am a little bit inspired to write this because amongst so many cool things out there for our young and growing children, there is also an unbelievable amount of rubbish and terribly successful marketing.
Parents want to give their children the best. But, what is the best?
In my opinion, "best" is measured by the quality and ethics of a product or 'toy'. "Best" is also not, "everything" or "a lot" and "best" should also be a reflection on whether or not it is a developmentally respectful product or 'toy'.
In this post, I would like to focus predominantly on the developmentally appropriateness of the 'toys' that are marketed to parents and children.
What kind of 'toys' are truely respectful of our developing children?
0-6 months:
Firstly, a new born baby does not need anything at all when it comes to toys. The most developmentally respectful stimuli is family.
Developmentally our new borns need love, compassion, feeding, sleep and care such as nappy changes and bathing. They need attachment.
As the months tick by, a baby's vision will develop and he or she will open up to more of his or her world. By three months, a baby may like to look at different things while laying out on the floor. Faces, conversations with loved ones and the shadows, cast upon the floor, are a few examples of things that will captivate a baby, learning about their new world, in a way that respects our human needs and development.
By five to six months of age, babies are really starting to develop their hand to eye coordination. Simple toys like rattles and shakers, crotched balls or simple crotched dolls are lovely. They offer a little stimulation, are soft and light and offer some texture for a baby to explore with their little hands and mouths.
As our babies continue to grow, the natural world can continue to offer so much. Toys that have buttons, bright lights and make noises are all novelty and offer no developmental respect or support. Our babies may be entertained by them for a short while, however they are over stimulating, not necessary and are quickly out grown. Large shells, sea pods (like pine cones and banksia seed pods), jar lids, mirrors and bottles can all provide great interest for our endlessly curious little ones. They are free and can be returned to the garden, ocean or displayed once baby has grown out of them.
The ever changing out door environment is an amazing resource for development and engagement. A bird flying past or a trail of ants will be captivating. If you step out of your adult mind, our children are observing life with fresh minds and open souls. A flying bird, this is awe inspiring. A creature that can fly?! How amazing!
There is so much marketing aimed at parents of young children, tricking them into buying toys for little babies. It really is terrible. Terrible because the marketing is very successful at tricking parents and terrible because, in contrast to this marketing pressure, our little babies, need very little in regards to toys.
The natural world is hugely under valued AND it is free!
A treasure basket with textured, non-toxic items would be the perfect Christmas gift for a little baby.
6 months-1 year
There are many a theorist that will support this so I feel confident in my opinion. As a baby is learning how to control the larger and finer muscle groups they should be respected and supported in this by the provision of opportunities to move. A simple play gym is lovely. Sitting with or laying with your baby is also lovely. A walker for a baby who is not yet walking independently is not developmentally respectful and can result in physical harm or, physical developmental delays. A baby who has not yet learnt to sit, should not be stuffed into one of those Bumbo Floor Seats. Again, this is not developmentally respectful and can impact negatively on muscle development and bone structure.
During this time of development, our children might love hand puppets (used by a loving family member), textured dolls and things that can be chewed on to support with teething. Relationships and time with loved ones is hugely important-always. Texture for hands and mouths is huge during this time of development so when considering "the best" think of non-toxic materials that cannot be chocked on. Wood does not always mean non-toxic either.
Our babies in this stage are movers and groovers. They are captivated by the mystery of our natural world. They love to be outside. They also love to figure out things and the innate curiosity of our growing babies drives them to tip and pull things out, especially as they near closer to one.
This is another reason to have a little less in quantity, which then allows us to think of quality. Less to tip out mean less tidying up for the family!
1 year onwards
As our babies develop and grow through their childhood, interests begin to emerge. At almost two, both Jarome and Otis love water, animal figurines and their tricycles. However, where Jarome loved Hot Wheels cars from early on in the piece, Otis at the same age loves dolls and soft toys.
When considering "the best" in regards to dolls, it is important to consider how sexualised they are and what subliminal messages our purchases send. Not all dolls and babies are high quality in the messages sent nor the materials they are made from.
Lego, train tracks and anything construction based, for that matter, keeps Jarome engaged for a very long time. At kindy he will spend hours creating small worlds with the array of wooden blocks available. He is able to create whole worlds for play with simple wooden blocks. A child's mind is amazing. So many 'toys' on the market do way too much for our children, not allowing them to activate their own imagination. If a toy talks, the child's imaginative play with that toy is now dictated or influenced by the pre-recorded material on that toy.
Otis loves gathering up his babies and laying doilies over them, pretending to put them to bed. We have a collection of sentimental soft toys and the doilies were from my Gran and opportunity shops. Having Otis has really taught me how little you really need to buy for your children in regards to toys. He missed out on all the bells and whistles and is totally fine. I have learnt that simple is best. As a child continues to develop, they will layer their toys in imagination and these imaginative layers will be drawn from the life experiences of the child. A baby doll does not need to have batteries to make it cry, poo and move. In the mind of a child, they will make this happen.
Regardless of age, open ended 'toys' are by far the best for longevity of interest and flexibility of purpose. Open-ended resources allow our children complete autonomy of play and also inspires a depth to the imaginative play. In our home, train tracks, cars, wooden blocks and dolls are most played with. They keep on giving because they offer new opportunities every time Jarome and Otis engage with them.
Toys and tidying up
Another fun fact about little children and development, is that children are really good at tidying up when the task doesn't feel over whelming. When we have a little less, our children can pack away with little to no support!
What is the best?
When trying to answer this, think;
-Could my children use this for more than one 'thing' or for multiple play opportunities?
-What is it made out of?
-What values does this purchase represent?
-Will this just be more clutter?
The following photos include 'toys' from our home.
These are called Playmobil. There is an amazing little shop called Gertrude and Henry. Heidi, the shop owner, stocks a wonderful range of long lasting toys which appeal to boys and girls a like. Playmobil figurines are kind of like larger Lego. Otis really enjoys putting the hats on and off where Jarome will engage in full scale small world play.
Do your 'toy' purchases reflect the words of Magda Gerber. "Let the child be the scriptwriter, the director, and the actor in his own play."?
What values do your purchases reflect?
Are you purchasing developmentally respectful 'toys'?
In all honesty, I personally love to consume.
However, I simultaneously love ethically made items and reflecting about our impact on the environment.
I also love exploring the research behind what our naturally developing bodies and brains need and don't need.
So, with Christmas on it's way, I guess I am a little bit inspired to write this because amongst so many cool things out there for our young and growing children, there is also an unbelievable amount of rubbish and terribly successful marketing.
Parents want to give their children the best. But, what is the best?
In my opinion, "best" is measured by the quality and ethics of a product or 'toy'. "Best" is also not, "everything" or "a lot" and "best" should also be a reflection on whether or not it is a developmentally respectful product or 'toy'.
In this post, I would like to focus predominantly on the developmentally appropriateness of the 'toys' that are marketed to parents and children.
What kind of 'toys' are truely respectful of our developing children?
0-6 months:
Firstly, a new born baby does not need anything at all when it comes to toys. The most developmentally respectful stimuli is family.
Developmentally our new borns need love, compassion, feeding, sleep and care such as nappy changes and bathing. They need attachment.
As the months tick by, a baby's vision will develop and he or she will open up to more of his or her world. By three months, a baby may like to look at different things while laying out on the floor. Faces, conversations with loved ones and the shadows, cast upon the floor, are a few examples of things that will captivate a baby, learning about their new world, in a way that respects our human needs and development.
By five to six months of age, babies are really starting to develop their hand to eye coordination. Simple toys like rattles and shakers, crotched balls or simple crotched dolls are lovely. They offer a little stimulation, are soft and light and offer some texture for a baby to explore with their little hands and mouths.
As our babies continue to grow, the natural world can continue to offer so much. Toys that have buttons, bright lights and make noises are all novelty and offer no developmental respect or support. Our babies may be entertained by them for a short while, however they are over stimulating, not necessary and are quickly out grown. Large shells, sea pods (like pine cones and banksia seed pods), jar lids, mirrors and bottles can all provide great interest for our endlessly curious little ones. They are free and can be returned to the garden, ocean or displayed once baby has grown out of them.
The ever changing out door environment is an amazing resource for development and engagement. A bird flying past or a trail of ants will be captivating. If you step out of your adult mind, our children are observing life with fresh minds and open souls. A flying bird, this is awe inspiring. A creature that can fly?! How amazing!
There is so much marketing aimed at parents of young children, tricking them into buying toys for little babies. It really is terrible. Terrible because the marketing is very successful at tricking parents and terrible because, in contrast to this marketing pressure, our little babies, need very little in regards to toys.
The natural world is hugely under valued AND it is free!
A treasure basket with textured, non-toxic items would be the perfect Christmas gift for a little baby.
These are a some of the items that have been in Otis' treasure baskets. You can use your own prerogative regarding what you let your little ones explore.
6 months-1 year
There are many a theorist that will support this so I feel confident in my opinion. As a baby is learning how to control the larger and finer muscle groups they should be respected and supported in this by the provision of opportunities to move. A simple play gym is lovely. Sitting with or laying with your baby is also lovely. A walker for a baby who is not yet walking independently is not developmentally respectful and can result in physical harm or, physical developmental delays. A baby who has not yet learnt to sit, should not be stuffed into one of those Bumbo Floor Seats. Again, this is not developmentally respectful and can impact negatively on muscle development and bone structure.
During this time of development, our children might love hand puppets (used by a loving family member), textured dolls and things that can be chewed on to support with teething. Relationships and time with loved ones is hugely important-always. Texture for hands and mouths is huge during this time of development so when considering "the best" think of non-toxic materials that cannot be chocked on. Wood does not always mean non-toxic either.
Our babies in this stage are movers and groovers. They are captivated by the mystery of our natural world. They love to be outside. They also love to figure out things and the innate curiosity of our growing babies drives them to tip and pull things out, especially as they near closer to one.
This is another reason to have a little less in quantity, which then allows us to think of quality. Less to tip out mean less tidying up for the family!
1 year onwards
As our babies develop and grow through their childhood, interests begin to emerge. At almost two, both Jarome and Otis love water, animal figurines and their tricycles. However, where Jarome loved Hot Wheels cars from early on in the piece, Otis at the same age loves dolls and soft toys.
When considering "the best" in regards to dolls, it is important to consider how sexualised they are and what subliminal messages our purchases send. Not all dolls and babies are high quality in the messages sent nor the materials they are made from.
Lego, train tracks and anything construction based, for that matter, keeps Jarome engaged for a very long time. At kindy he will spend hours creating small worlds with the array of wooden blocks available. He is able to create whole worlds for play with simple wooden blocks. A child's mind is amazing. So many 'toys' on the market do way too much for our children, not allowing them to activate their own imagination. If a toy talks, the child's imaginative play with that toy is now dictated or influenced by the pre-recorded material on that toy.
Otis loves gathering up his babies and laying doilies over them, pretending to put them to bed. We have a collection of sentimental soft toys and the doilies were from my Gran and opportunity shops. Having Otis has really taught me how little you really need to buy for your children in regards to toys. He missed out on all the bells and whistles and is totally fine. I have learnt that simple is best. As a child continues to develop, they will layer their toys in imagination and these imaginative layers will be drawn from the life experiences of the child. A baby doll does not need to have batteries to make it cry, poo and move. In the mind of a child, they will make this happen.
Regardless of age, open ended 'toys' are by far the best for longevity of interest and flexibility of purpose. Open-ended resources allow our children complete autonomy of play and also inspires a depth to the imaginative play. In our home, train tracks, cars, wooden blocks and dolls are most played with. They keep on giving because they offer new opportunities every time Jarome and Otis engage with them.
Toys and tidying up
Another fun fact about little children and development, is that children are really good at tidying up when the task doesn't feel over whelming. When we have a little less, our children can pack away with little to no support!
What is the best?
When trying to answer this, think;
-Could my children use this for more than one 'thing' or for multiple play opportunities?
-What is it made out of?
-What values does this purchase represent?
-Will this just be more clutter?
The following photos include 'toys' from our home.
These little connecting construction pieces become creatures, super-heroes and buildings. They were purchased from Kid Stuff and although they are plastic, they are providing hours and hours of open-ended play. The material demands imagination and does not dictate a play outcome.
These are called Playmobil. There is an amazing little shop called Gertrude and Henry. Heidi, the shop owner, stocks a wonderful range of long lasting toys which appeal to boys and girls a like. Playmobil figurines are kind of like larger Lego. Otis really enjoys putting the hats on and off where Jarome will engage in full scale small world play.
These are just stock standard cars and animals. Both of the above would not be ethically made. You can get around it by buying second hand or swapping toys with friends. They do last for years and are so well used in our home. If we're making a novelty purchase, we will more often than not buy a car.
This little mouse is from the Maileg brand. They are a gorgeous brand and are relatively gender neutral. They are beautifully made and a little pricey however, this helps to keep you from over consuming. The little wooden furniture was picked up second hand.
The drum on the right came from Trade Aid and the drum on the left was a birthday gift from a little percussion shop in Burleigh. The hammer and peg toy on the left comes from Nature Baby in New Zealand and the on the right comes from Kid Stuff. Nature Baby is a relatively ethical company and although Kid Stuff is not necessarily ethical, they do stock a great range of toys made to last.
My inner Kindy Teacher loves baskets with random items. This one has pipe cleaners and beads for crafting and threading. Such resources give 100% ownership over creativity and outcome.
Some of our soft toys which Otis loves to put to bed. They offer texture, curiosity, become part of our imaginative home play and are great to cuddle.
Do your 'toy' purchases reflect the words of Magda Gerber. "Let the child be the scriptwriter, the director, and the actor in his own play."?
What values do your purchases reflect?
Are you purchasing developmentally respectful 'toys'?
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