GOOD PLAY VALUE

Unfortunately many aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents and godparents buy toys “on price”. In my opinion, it is time to re-think the prescription when it comes to toy buying. It is time to think value rather than price tag. The “true cost” formula might be thought about in terms of cost per unit time of busy play. When thought about in this way a durable, intriguing toy costing $100 may actually be a better value than a $5 trinket that barely lasts for the trip home.

As a concrete example, consider a rugged Amish-built wooden pull wagon in the $200 price range. This item can start as a toy tote for toddlers, advance to an active and imaginative play vehicle for pre-schoolers and even prove valuable and fun for teens and adults. Conservatively speaking, the number of useful lifetime hours of play will exceed 400 hours (just one hour a week for eight years) making the $.50 / hour “true cost” an absolute bargain.

What qualities can one look for in a plaything that will increase its chances of producing good value? Look for toys that are durable, creative and non-scripted, and also encourage back-and-forth interaction. An interactive toy is one that requires child intervention and give-and-take to create his or her own drama. A simple stuffed animal is one example. The cognitive process of inventing the pet’s personality, voice, likes and dislikes builds a bond between child and play toy, prolonging the useful life.

Non-scripted playthings are open-ended, encouraging a child’s own imagination to expose all of the possibilities for use. Wooden building blocks are the ultimate open-ended toy. Your toddler can build a castle with them on one day, then add them as buildings or barriers to a racetrack display, or simply just roll them around. Any toy that can be used as a venue for dramatic play (e.g. a playhouse) or can be added in with other toys (e.g. interlocking blocks) to create new environments will have prolonged useful lives. A plaything that allows a child’s creative juices to flow will not only help develop important critical thinking and social skills, it will provide the type of pride of accomplishment that will make the toy “a keeper”. Construction sets, art and craft accessories, and quality tools (e.g. shovels, kid wheelbarrow, cookware) usually enjoy long play lives and are often passed from child to child.

Think Quality. Steer clear of hugely cost-reduced knockoffs with short or no warranties. A toy may have some of the other great play-value characteristics, but if it breaks, the value shrinks. Traditional mainstays such as rugged tricycles, wood-stake wagons and air-tire scooters have passed the test of time for types of toys enjoyed by many generations. Active play options combined with role-playing opportunities, along with durable construction, make for the best characteristics in a toy when seeking optimum return on investment.

Encouraging Active Play

As children of the 20^th and 21^st century, we are fortunate to live among a plethora of creature comforts, not absorbed by the need to hunt down our next meal or work our fingers to the bone tending crops. But civilization, with all of its advances, has not supplanted mankind’s need for physical prowess, endurance and fitness. Although modern mechanization increasingly lessens the need for the brute force of the past, the benefits of fitness continue to be just as important now as when foraging for food was the work of the day. And developing an active lifestyle while young seems to yield natural benefits all through life.

In the days of crude living, no one needed to consciously think about fitness; it was evident that “survival of the fittest” was the ruling concept for the era. Occupational success (blacksmith, farmer, rancher, homemaker) and fitness went hand in hand. In our present culture, surrounded by so many mechanized advancements, one might wonder exactly what the assets of “the fittest” are. Increased vitality, more youthful appearance, and longevity are just a few of the obvious benefits. One of the hottest health elixirs of the 1990’s was human growth hormone (HGH). Its popularity and marketability came from its supposed ability to do everything from building muscle and shaving fat to lowering cholesterol. There seems to be a pill or cream for every ailment or bodily malfunction and yet it is becoming increasingly clear that “success in a bottle” may be a myth. Media releases announcing the unintended side effects of yesterday’s wonder drugs should cause pause. It is simply more advantageous to be naturally healthy and fit.

Gyms, weight loss clinics, health clubs and nutrition centers dot the strip malls and shopping plazas in our communities. We have evolved into a people who have created a need to artificially “work off” all of the excesses that civilization has brought us. We take our car to Jiffy Lube to have the oil changed and hire a lawn care service to keep our property well trimmed and then run to the gym to “get in shape”. Is it a wonder that our children need carted to special sports activities when their spare time is spent “exercising” their fingertips on a PSP (PlayStation) or Xbox? So often we hear, “you know, if you’ve got your health, you’ve got everything”. The trouble it seems is that today’s adult is trying to buy the good health and fitness that used to come from the rigors of daily life. The child whose life is filled with active play will grow into an adult that benefits naturally from an active mindset.

Hau Liu, a research fellow in endocrinology at Stanford, says “… if you want to increase your chances of living a long and productive life, you should do the things that your moms and doctors always told you: Eat right, exercise often, get enough sleep, and don't smoke." If we instill all of these habits in our children from the start, starting with a naturally active play environment, then this could be the best gift we ever give them.

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