| Okay, so this opinion might not be the most | | | | with toy guns than sit inside with some |
| popular. But please, don't crucify me. I'm a | | | | pseudo-egghead puzzle or game that's supposed |
| good dad. I got my kids all the toys my wife | | | | to make me feel better about spending fifty |
| found to help the kids' "development." You | | | | bucks! You can't open a newspaper or turn on |
| know, educational toys. The kind you have to | | | | a TV news program without somebody saying |
| drive twenty miles out of your way to tiny | | | | that today's children are obese and inactive. |
| store in a strip mall in West Nowhere to | | | | And I see it all the time. My kids' friends |
| find, or order from some obscure catalog or | | | | come over to play and I can't help but notice |
| website based in Canada. And believe me, I'm | | | | that a lot of them are pretty chubby. And |
| glad my kids have things like mini computers | | | | they come from good families, not the kind |
| that teach spelling and math, crystal-growing | | | | where the parents are feeding them Twinkies |
| science project kits, memory games, puzzle | | | | and plopping them in front of the TV for |
| cubes and problem-solving computer CD-ROMs. | | | | hours at a time. But a lot of these kids are |
| But I sometimes wonder, when I see those toys | | | | coming over and playing with our |
| strewn all over the living room floor, | | | | "educational" computer math games, and just |
| abandoned and neglected while Katie and | | | | sitting on their butts! This is what I'd like |
| little Mitch are sticking balls of Silly | | | | to see. I'd like people to let go of this |
| Putty in their ears, maybe kids should have | | | | idea that a toy has to be clearly |
| some toys just for fun and nothing else? | | | | "educational" for it to be worthwhile. I'd |
| After all, when I was a kid we didn't have | | | | like people to consider other factors, like |
| all this stuff. We had little red wagons and | | | | if the toy will get our kids moving around |
| toy cowboy pistols. We had Lincoln Logs, | | | | and playing actively, or if it will turn them |
| Matchbox cars, building blocks and our | | | | into little couch potatoes. I'd like people |
| imaginations. I can remember a summer when I | | | | to think about whether their kids will |
| was 6 when my only new toy was a stick my dad | | | | actually enjoy the toy, or whether it will |
| helped me turn into a fishing pole. And that | | | | sit untouched. Let's put away all these silly |
| kept me busy seven days a week! I'll tell you | | | | ideas about what's right for our kids and |
| this much. I would rather see my kids play | | | | just them be kids and have fun the |
| with a toy that they enjoy, that inspires | | | | old-fashioned way. |
| them to run around and have fun and explore | | | | |
| the world than some "educational" toy that | | | | A Canadian online toy store featuring |
| they're going to sit around playing with for | | | | educational toys such as lego, lego |
| a few hours until they tire of it and never | | | | Mindstorms, aquadoodle, science toys, outdoor |
| touch it again. Heck, I'd even rather see | | | | toys, music toys that will help your child |
| them chase each other around the back yard | | | | learn while having fun. |