Being Selective About Toys

“Toys now promote the vision of a violent, lawless society,” says The Daily Telegraph of London. Although this statement does not apply to all toys, it is ever more common to observe fewer classic toys and more “deformed, muscular figures . . . with an aggressive appearance,” according to an article in the Mexican newspaper La Jornada. This article quotes Patricia Ehrlich, a teacher and researcher at the Xochimilco Autonomous University, as stating that many of the toys on the market promote an ideology of domination in which force, aggression, power, submission, and fear are favored.

The National Association of School Psychologists in the United States affirms that being exposed to toys that promote violence “can have a negative impact on children’s learning and development and can lead to harmful consequences.” Studies suggest that violent video and computer games can give rise to aggressive behavior and lead to delinquency. Thus, every adult who is responsible for a child should give thoughtful consideration to choosing suitable toys.​—See the box on page 26.

With the help of modern technological developments, toys are now available in great variety and with sophisticated features. But these may be beyond the family budget, children may quickly get bored with them, or they may simply not be good for the children. Leanne, a single mother of five in Australia, comments: “My older boys are influenced by advertising and often ask for expensive computer games. However, they seem to have more hours of fun and exercise from playing in the backyard with an inexpensive bat and a rubber ball. I find the simple toys are the most durable and provide my children with the most scope to use their imaginations.”

[Box/Picture on page 26]

A good toy is . . .

● Suitable and safe for the child’s age, abilities, and physical capabilities

● Well constructed and durable (children tend to take things apart)

● Attractive and interesting enough to engage the child’s attention

● Stimulating to the child’s creativity and imagination

● Affordable

● Nontoxic