Father's Day Tuesday: In praise of quiet toys
Today, occasional Guest Dad Joe Burris tells us what he likes in a child's toy.
The chief requirement: It doesn't talk back.
(Click below to read and react to his post.)
"Once a friend of mine with a young child asked what I look for in a children's toy.
My response: 'Does it have an 'off' switch?'
Think I'm kidding? You'd be surprised at how many of today's toys and games are extremely difficult - if not improbable - to shut off. Many don't have control switches at all, and the batteries that operate them are imbedded well inside, behind latches that are secured by screws too tiny to fit most screwdrivers. For others, the control switches are placed where they're likely to be found by accident.
Many of the toys - which ironically are more state-of-the-art than anything I grew up with - are activated by touch. Any touch. While that makes sense for toddlers, it can lead to harrowing experiences for adults.
One such toy I bought years ago for my then-toddler daughter was a Winnie The Pooh doll that supposed to teach kids the names of their body parts. Each time you touched Pooh, he would blare out a question like, "Can you help me find my foot?"
A few months later, I came home late from an assignment, and I went to my sleeping daughter's bedside to kiss her on the cheek. I didn't see Pooh on the floor in the dim room, and I inadvertently stepped on him.
"Can you help me find my head?"
I jumped with fright, lost my balance and tumbled into a See-And-Say touch-activated farm animals toy.
"BAAAAAH!"
"MOOOOO!"
I couldn't wait to get out of there.
From then on, I've looked mostly for toys with "off" switches that were easy to find. Occasionally I've come home with a gadget that doesn't have an "off" switch, but it's been one that I could live with.
"Look sweetie," I said once, with a shiny red tablet in my hand. "Etch-A-Sketch." '
What are your favorite quiet toys?
Comments
Books. Also a lot easier to store than bulky plastic stuff.
I can totally relate. Someone gave my son a puppy that teaches body parts and it used to randomly start talking in the middle of the night. "It's learning time!" It would scare the pants off me. And it reminds me of that icky Chucky doll from that movie Child's Play.
My daughter received a ride on toy for her first birthday that played the most annoying (and loud) song about princesses. We just took the batteries out altogether.
Posted by: Kayris | May 13, 2008 11:03 AM
I hate talking toys!
And we have a million of them. My least favorite: a plastic elephant that makes a trumpeting sound worthy of a real, live elephant. I think it's ImagiNext. It is so loud that I can hear it from the second floor bedrooms when my 4-year old is playing with it in the basement.
I think most electronic toys, which are often sold as "educational" toys, are a waste of money. The more lights and sound they have, the less fun they seem to me. Nothing is left to the imagination.
We like sturdy, simple toys that are quiet and that don't have a million pieces to pick up.
Our favorite toys: I second the vote for books, of course. But as for real toys, we love...
Playmobil sets (yes, this is an exception to our avoidance of toys with a million pieces)
Schliech plastic animals (I'm not sure I spelled that right, but it's a German company that makes realistic looking animals, from sharks to cows to T-Rexes)
Play food and dishes
Puzzles made of wood or sturdy cardboard
Posted by: Jenny | May 13, 2008 12:36 PM
I bought a bag of those colored-glass stones that people (I think) put in vases. I think it was $1.89. My daughter, who is 2.5 years and loves collecting rocks outside, thinks this is the neatest thing. She arranges them in rows, or puts them in a small container then dumps them into another container. Not good for kids who still put things in their mouth, but for kids past that, this is surprising fun. For my son, his favorite toys are the foam swords we bought at A Child's Play and some at Super Fresh, and a glittery cape I made him from some fabric and velcro.
Posted by: Kris H. | May 13, 2008 2:00 PM
A friend told me about a segment on one of the morning shows earlier this week (I wish I could remember which one) about toys, and how one should look for things that were only 10% toy and the rest had to come from the child - so things that require much more creative play versus a child being passive, which many toys seem to encourage. It seemed like an interesting way to think about toys.
Posted by: Amy | May 14, 2008 6:59 PM