Educational toys don’t have to be teaching a specified amount of prescribed material. Creative toys can be educational also.
Amongst my favorites are toys kids can use in partnership with their imagination to build things. These are the oldies but goodies from the 1950s (those days back before MP3 players and electronically plugged in adolescents.)
Here are some of the classics. They are classics and of great value because if you can find them, they still stand up today to the scrutiny and judgment of 21st century children.
Erector sets – These are the best of architectural toys. who wouldn’t love to own such a set today? You can imagine yourself building a New York City sky-scraper, or a bridge over the widest river.
Tinker Toys – These are just the cat’s meow. Cylindrical sticks fit into spools of varying colors, and anything goes as far as what you might want to construct. It could be an airplane. It could be an oil tower.
Lincoln Logs – These can’t help but bring about thoughts of Abraham Lincoln growing up in a rural cabin and ready by the light of his fireplace. In an age where we think we have to buy our home instead of build it, this toy instills confidence. Perhaps the child who builds a scaled down log cabin today could build a real one in another decade.
Toys such as these foster a strong sense of creativity and imagination.
In addition they help a child structure his own time. There won’t be any more of the musical litany known as, “I’m bored.”
Construction toys have a further benefit of letting the child bemuse himself, rather than his expecting to be entertained every moment.
They help boys and girls see the beauty of architectural objects, and help them gain an appreciation for the professions of design and architecture.
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