Another Chapter 2 Entry: Toys Aren't Us

This is Amber, the author of our second chapter 2 entry. She said, "This is a picture of me playing outside in the leaves and dirt. My grandparents always had to check my pockets for frogs, snails, and/or lizards before I came inside. Most of the time, they hosed me off before I came inside. I loved to play outside." Elkind would be proud!





Amber also said that Elkind's points have given her some "food for thought," and I think reading her work will give you some, too. Enjoy.


I agree with Elkind, and his belief that children today have far too many toys. Receiving toys for special events such as birthdays and Christmas is a thing of the past, he said. The reasons for acquiring a new toy are as numerous as the toys themselves.

When Elkind recalled the occasion about wanting his mother to buy a certain cereal so he could collect the box tops for a ring, and she said to him, “Who cares what you want?,” it shocked me for a moment (p.17). I had to stop and think about that. Initially I thought how cruel that it was to tell a child that their wants were unimportant. As he continued, explaining the difference between a want versus a need, and how it stayed with him as he matured, it began to seem less cruel and more humane. How fortunate that his mother cared enough to make him understand the difference.

As a child, I was never overindulged with toys. I had to entertain myself much of the time. Fortunately, I had access to things that interested me. We had dogs, chickens and a large backyard. I like to believe the creativity I now possess is a result of the imagination I gained as a child. At the age of five, I remember wanting to cook, but for safety reasons I was not allowed in the kitchen. I remember sneaking into the chicken pen to get a couple of eggs and some chicken feed to use in my mud pie. I later tried to get the dog to eat the “pie,” but I was unsuccessful. It is extremely sad that many children today are never going to have an experience such as this.

Toys are everywhere; you can hardly turn around in a store these days and there not be a section or an aisle devoted to toys. The sheer amount of toys children have access to, gives them no incentive to try and use their imagination. I feel when children have multiple toys at their disposal they’re overwhelmed. My two nephews are a great example. They have a whole room designated just for their toys. They step all over them, many of the pieces are missing or broken, and rarely do they play with any single toy for very long. They’re so accustomed to being surrounded with toys there is no motivation to be creative.

I have been to several birthday parties over the years and it has always amazed me how parents could spend so much money on a toy. With younger children, they are usually more interested in playing with the wrapping paper or the box it came in than the toy itself. It’s as if their natural instincts are leading them to be creative, but the parents usually direct their attention back to the toy. With older children, advertisers have a way of grabbing a child’s interest with making toys look really cool and neat on television. The TV commercials have a way of enticing the children with sound effects, scenery, and over exaggerated details. It makes the children want the toy even more, but when the children get the toy, it’s not what they thought and they quickly lose interest.

In child development, we learn that a child’s imagination is something to be encouraged and nurtured, yet as parents it seems we unintentionally suppress it at times. One thing that does factor in is today’s society. Years ago you would not think twice about sending your child out in the neighborhood to play. Today, we tend to keep them close to home, and what better babysitter than toys? I feel many times toys are given to keep children busy. If a child is watching TV, playing on the Wii, or a computer game, they are out of the parents’ hair. The children are being entertained, but at the same time it is preventing them from using their imaginations. The Wii, for example, offers children an activity where a world has already been created for them. This leads to a one dimensional experience that does not stimulate their creativity or imagination.

I believe I’m guilty of this myself sometimes. Reading this chapter has given me food for thought. Whether with my own child or the ones I care for at work, I will make more of an effort to engage the child in imaginative play. As teachers and parents, it is our duty to be more conscientious of the toys we buy and give to children