Posted on May 21, 2010 under gardening |
Each Christmas that I visit toy shops, I come across new toys and inventions that no one of my generation would have ever imagined in the 80s.
Playing outdoors with my brothers and sisters is one memory that always makes me relax, and brings those nostalgic moments back in my mind.
While I was playing war games with my schoolmates, my grandparents’ generation did not have many toys to play as their childhood coincided with the second world war, thus that generation became adults much faster after all that took non-sense that took place in Europe.
Virtual games have replaced ‘real’ experiences where one had to physically run to hide, rather than get killed and restart the video game within a couple of seconds.
Although creativity is questionable, nowadays’ toys can still impress me because of their eccentric design and provocative appearance.
Another aspect of today’s toys is that they are affordable in general, being made in mass production in Asian countries before being imported.
The question to answer though is whether all those new toys have anything else to be remembered of, other than being affordable by the majority of the people.
A today’s blaster toy would cost a fortune 30 years ago while it would be unthinkable 50 years ago due to its high manufacturing cost.
Getting a hadmade kite today is just a question of visiting a high-street shop and paying a bit of money, while my granddad would spend hours or even days to make one for his kids.
Today’s toys are just about what the consumer thinks when looking at them: impressive, colourful, bulky, noisy, and sometimes incredibly ‘smart’, so they do not leave many opportunities for the kids to explore something new or use their imaginations.
Each generation have their unique outdoor toys to remember and the right question is not which one had better toys available but what their impact was.
There’s no point trying to compare generations’ toys but there is definitely some meaning looking into the toys each generation was brought up with.
Posted on Apr 24, 2010 under gardening |
Remember the good old bath times as a child, now the only time I take a bath is if I am in a really bad mood which is more often than not. What are the toys out there that are made just for the bath and the bath alone?
The Rubber Duck
This one is the classic and is a must have for the bath, even the Queen has one you know. The first time the rubber duck was actually seen was way back in the 1800s but they were not popular until Jim Henson came along and introduced us to Ernie’s rubber duck, remember Sesame Street anyone. Although the rubber duck does not really do much at all, it is a great first toy for your young child and if you are lucky you can certainly get a squirting one.
Foam Letters
These are something that are a bit of fun and also great for teaching children their first few words while they are at it. These work as the water will make them stick to the bathroom wall, it is a pretty cool idea. Since I was a kid these have changed a lot and you can now get roads and other things like that that kids can play around with by sticking them all over the place.
Crazy Bath Soap
This was also used when I was a child and it is basically shaving foam but more foamy and less irritating. The great thing about this product is that kids will actually just think they are messing around with it by pretending they have beards, putting it under their arms and acting like they have hair (some of the things I used to do) but in actual fact this is soap and it will clean them at the same time!
So there you have it, make sure you first have a decent bathrooms to put all of these cool bathroom accessories in. You can even get toilet seats for kids so they don’t fall in!
Posted on Nov 22, 2009 under gardening |
When it comes all the way down to it, what do children actually want? Do they desire clothes? Not likely. How about school supplies? Not specially. Do they want to have healthful healthy meals on the table? That’s not something that they really care about is it? What they really want is kids toys. Unfortunately, we need to make sure that the crucial things, the required things, come first. That doesn’t typically leave a lot for the things they actually need does it? But there are many choices available to getting the things your youngsters want while still giving them the things they actually need.
At one time people went to garage sales to find cheap kids toys. But hitting the garage sale circuit is time consuming and if you’re attempting to find something specific it can be awfully worsening to know that you might have to spend weeks to find it. The Net is your year long virtual garage sale. You can find multitudes of sites that offer gently loved youngsters toys that you are able to afford. Not only are you able to afford it, but you can purchase it from the comfort of your own home, without having to spend some time or gas money. Thanks to global shipping, it can also be despatched immediately to your step with tiny additional cost.
At the same time that you are finding the toys that your kids really need, you can also cut back the muddle of forgotten children toys that are filling up their toy rooms, storage bins, and closets in your place. Selling toys that were loved by your youngsters in the past and they have now outgrown doesn’t get any easier than selling them on the web. Why hold a garage sale or spend money to post an ad in the paper when you can put up a simple picture and an ad online? As you sell the toys they no longer play with you can bring in a little additional cash to spend on the toys they need. Now you can afford to buy the things they need and give them what they need at the same time!
Finding children toys that are unique, fun, and cheap saves you cash and time. It takes the strain of bargain hunting from store to store out of your life. Your home becomes less cluttered, your children get the toys they want, and you save money to buy them the necessary things in life.
You will find a good selection of toys on the Top Toys website including some excellent boys toys including the Lego City Crane
Posted on May 29, 2009 under Uncategorized |
The games that children play in the playground come and go all the time. They are carefully mapped out by children one day, played for a little and then forgotten about in place of something new. One game however has been around for longer than ever and is passed down from generation to generation. This game is popularly known as ‘tag’. This basically involves one or more people being ‘on’ and chasing others around the playground ‘tagging’ other people. When someone has been ‘tagged’ they become the chaser and the person who tagged them are free to be chased. It’s a very simple game that promotes agility and spatial awareness, as well as improves teamwork and of course fitness levels. You don’t need any expensive toys, and also it can be played anywhere.
Those in charge of Education in the UK however, belief that the game is potentially unsafe and is often discriminatory. Thus, they do not want to see it taking place in schools. Their argument is that children are getting injured during the game by falling on the hard ground where it is usually played. They also say that the game can often escalate into a more physical tussle when there become agreement over whether someone has been caught or not. Their second grievance with the game is that people tend to get left out and this promotes segregation.Harold James from the Education Committee says “the unpopular children are often not chosen to take part in the game or are ignored all together….games that are inclusive are preferable”. Mr James went on to comment on the fact the the game can easily exclude people with disabilities as they find it difficult to take part and compete.
Games that the government have already put a stop to include british bulldog, mercy, kiss chase and conkers. It does leave you wondering what children are allowed to do these days and whether we are wrapping our children in cotton wool just a little too much. We need to take the wheels from the trainer bikes someday don’t we?
Posted on Apr 12, 2009 under Uncategorized |
It was a quite an eye opener the other day when I was asked to attend a rather large family gathering. All ages were there from babies to the grandparents.
The organiser of the party had enough common sense to have the foresight to realise that to help to make things run smoothly there had to be some sort of entertainment for the little ones. Things can get quite chaotic when there are a room packed full of kids with nothing to occupy them!
In one corner she had a table with art supplies for the kids. There were crayons, stickers, drawing pads and pots of paint. They were asked to come up with the best picture which would then be judged and a prize would be won.
A number of small board games such as draughts and ludo were at another table for the slightly older children and the more serious children seemed happy to get stuck into these. I noticed one of the older girls was quite happily entertaining a small group of children by reading them their favourite story.
Another rather novel idea was that someone had provided all the more capable ones with small disposable cameras. This kept them happy for a long time and it was also a great way for the quieter children to break the ice and interact with the adults. Mind you this was not necessary with the majority of them who were clicking away and having a great time.
When it comes to big family get togethers it is sometimes the case that you come away feeling somewhat jaded especially if you are the parent of a child full of energy, so what a great idea, this takes the pressure off everyone. It took just a bit of extra planning but was well worth it and the adults and children all had a brilliant time