| After attending several recent birthday parties for | | | | imagination by giving toys that do everything for |
| young children, I was amazed at the amount of toys | | | | them. I think a big mistake people make when buying |
| one child could receive just for turning another year | | | | toys for young children, is they get toys that can do |
| older. It reminded me of a conversation I had at | | | | a lot when they could be selecting toys that children |
| Christmas with an 8 year old little girl. When I asked | | | | can do a lot with. |
| her what she was wanting for Christmas this year, | | | | Not Enough Play |
| she answered, I don't know, I have everything, just | | | | Studies also show that when a child is given a new |
| surprise me! I was utterly stunned. | | | | object they go through two stages, the first is |
| I never gave it much thought before, but this made | | | | exploration and the second is play. When in the first |
| me think does a child really need all these toys to be | | | | stage of exploration, a child is wondering what does |
| fulfilled? And can having too many toys be good? | | | | this object do? During the second stage of play the |
| Don't get me wrong I love birthday parties, and I | | | | child is figuring out what they can do with this? When |
| believe they should be celebrated no matter what | | | | they have too many new toys they take a lot more |
| age a person is. | | | | time exploring what the object does and taking very |
| I began to wonder are there side effects of having | | | | little time playing with it. |
| too many toys besides the obvious one of too much | | | | Makes Bored and Whiny Kids |
| clutter in the house? I began to look into it and found | | | | We don't usually think that by having too many toys |
| that it does have a few side effects. You will find | | | | our children would be bored and whiny. Most likely we |
| that too many toys: | | | | think the opposite to be true, that they need more |
| Shortens Attention Span, Creativity & Imagination | | | | toys to give them more to do so they won't be |
| If you watch small children in a room full of toys they | | | | bored. However studies have concluded that children |
| will naturally go from one toy to another exploring | | | | become easily bored and whiny by having too many |
| what each toy has to offer. If too many toys are | | | | toys because they become overloaded and over |
| available to explore it can diminish their enthusiasm | | | | stimulated. Some children will throw the toys, and |
| and decrease the chance that they will actually take | | | | sometimes break them on purpose or be aggressive |
| time to play with any one toy. When this happens it | | | | in their use. This goes back to no appreciation or |
| decreases their creativity, imagination or observational | | | | respect for the item or who gave it to them. There |
| skills. | | | | is no reason to take care of the toy; as they have |
| If you notice that your child is bouncing from one toy | | | | many more. |
| to another you may want to limit the number of | | | | Not as resourceful |
| toys available to play with. That way they can give | | | | A child with too many toys will not learn how to use |
| their full attention on a few different toys so they | | | | their imagination or creativity. A special study was |
| are not being easily distracted. | | | | done in which they removed all toys from a group of |
| Takes Away the Specialness | | | | children for three months to observe what would |
| When a child knows they have a lot more toys | | | | happen. Not surprisingly these children invented |
| available to play with or that mom and dad will buy | | | | games and used their imagination to play. They |
| them whatever they want, there is no need to take | | | | turned the chairs and tables into forts, houses, and |
| care of any particular toy. The child's expectations | | | | invented their own games. They were resourceful to |
| have become greater than their appreciation. | | | | use what they had to have a great time. This study |
| As a kid did you ever wish for or wanted a toy that | | | | shows a child does not have to be resourceful when |
| you knew your parents couldn't afford, or maybe | | | | they have an abundance of toys. |
| you had to save up your own money to get? | | | | Too Much Landfill |
| Remember how excited and proud you were when | | | | Last but not least, think about the amount of toys |
| you finally got what you wanted. It might not have | | | | that just one child has and multiply that by millions of |
| even been a big item, but you took care of it. Some | | | | other children who have just as many, and ask |
| of you may have even kept a few special childhood | | | | yourself, where are all those toys going to wind up? |
| toys to this day. How many special toys will your | | | | You got it, in the landfills of our nation. If you are |
| child keep? | | | | concerned about our environment you will want to |
| Overwhelms and Over Stimulates a Child | | | | teach your children by example, and limiting plastic |
| A US government-funded study regarding the effect | | | | toys is a great way to teach them. |
| of children with too many toys said children can get | | | | I have heard it said that children who can use their |
| overwhelmed and over-stimulated and then they | | | | imagination and creativity in play tend to be more |
| cannot concentrate on one thing long enough to learn | | | | emotionally secure. We as moms do the best we can |
| from it. Also too many toys means they are not | | | | and we want our children to be emotionally secure. |
| using their imagination when they play. What this | | | | Although it is sometimes hard to say no to a new |
| says to me is by having too many toys we are | | | | toy it may be one of the best things we do for our |
| limiting their ability to learn to concentrate or to finish | | | | kids. |
| what they started. And we are limiting their | | | | |