Hangar9 is collecting toys for children in U.P. Michigan (Courtesy, Pamela Keim)
By Deborah Reed
WKTV Managing Editor
deborah@wktv.org
WKTV Community Media is collecting toys for Hangar9’s first annual Pack-The-Plane event!
Make Christmas magical in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula by donating newunwrapped toys for children.
WKTV Community Media has partnered with Hangar9 and Grand Tap Media to be the West Michigan drop-off site for Pack-The-Plane. Toys can be dropped off at WKTV, 5261 Clyde Park SW, Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. – 9 p.m through Dec. 18.
The toys will be flown by Hangar9 charter plane to U.P. KIDS and then distributed to children throughout the Upper Peninsula.
About Hangar9
Focused on aviation service solutions, Hangar9 offers charter flights and a variety of services.
Family and veteran-owned, and consisting of an experienced team of pilots, Hangar9 always guarantees customer satisfaction. Charter flights are offered through Executive Air Transport, Inc., airplane ferry, flight instruction and pilot networking/recruiting services.
Primary service areas include Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri. However, Hangar9 pilots are able to travel throughout the continental United States.
Call 1-833-FLY-HGR9 or visit Hangar9 for more information – and get ready to fly!
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced today that a new display will open on Saturday, Feb. 29 highlighting its newly acquired collection of toys that move. This display, located just outside the popular TOYS! special exhibition, features the magic of motion in toys.
From the ancient Chinese and Greek automatons to the clockwork marvels of the Renaissance, inventors have always searched for ways to make their creations change and move. In modern times, many German and Japanese companies specialized in making a huge variety of affordable wind-up toys. In the twentieth century, the American firm Fisher-Price became well known for its high quality wooden, and eventually plastic, pull toys, many of which are seen in this new display.
The toys featured in this collection are new to the GRPM’s permanent Collection that contains over 250,000 artifacts and specimens.They come from collector Beth Schwartz, who began toy collecting in the early 1990s when she was traveling the country as an actress/singer working in touring Broadway shows. She loved searching out new pieces for her collection, especially Fisher-Price pull toys and antique wind-ups.
1960s Roly Poly Chime Ball (Supplied)
“We are so grateful to the family of Beth Schwartz for donating her amazing toy collection to the Museum. Although Beth passed away in 2011, her collection will continue to delight and inspire children of all ages who visit,” said Alex Forist, the GRPM’s Chief Curator.
‘Toys that Move’ is on display on the second floor of the Grand Rapids Public Museum, and will be part of the general admission experience. The exhibit is presented in both English and Spanish.
The LEGOs display was created by the West Michigan LEGO Train Club. It is a popular attraction during the Snowflake Break at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Photo supplied)
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) just announced Snowflake Break activities and additional displays at the Museum for the holiday season. Snowflake Break includes a variety of family-friendly programs and activities themed around special exhibits Design Zone and TOYS!
During Snowflake Break at the GRPM, visitors will be able to create themed paper snowflakes, decorate wooden ornaments, play a variety of giant-sized games, interact with artifacts from Discovery Carts, explore special exhibits Design Zone and TOYS! and more.
Snowflake Break runs from Dec. 21 — Jan. 5. General admission includes hands–on activities for Snowflake Break, special holiday displays and admission to Design Zone and TOYS! The Bodies Revealed exhibit will be an additional fee. More information can one be found at grpm.org.
Kent County residents receive reduced admission. Kent County adults are only $5 for general admission and Kent County children 17 and under are FREE general admission daily.
Holiday Displays
Historic LEGO® Display – See historic Grand Rapids like never before, built from LEGO®s. The 1925-era display, complete with operating trams, will be on display in the Streets of Old Grand Rapids exhibition now through January 11, 2020 and is included with general admission. The display was built by the Western Michigan LEGO® Train Club.
Flashback: The popular Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train will be on display and available for family pictures. (Photo supplied.)
Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train – Visitors to the Museum can enjoy a community favorite on display – the Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train. The Train is included with general admission to the Museum and will be on display through Jan. 13.
The monorail train debuted as “Santa’s Rocket Express” when the new Herpolsheimer’s Department Store opened in in 1949. Recognizable to any baby-boomer resident of Grand Rapids, the train chugged along the ceiling of the toy department at the Herpolsheimer’s Department Store, which sat at the corner of Fulton and Division streets in downtown Grand Rapids.
Santa and Elf Hunt – Find 15 historic Santas from around the World in the Streets of Old Grand Rapids, and 12 whimsical elves hidden throughout the three floors of the Museum. The Santa & Elf Hunt is included with general admission.
Let it Snow Planetarium Show – Let it Snow features a new variety of festive classics from Frank Sinatra and Chuck Berry to Burl Ives and Brenda Lee, and includes a stunning multimedia finale by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The soundtrack is visually enhanced with thematic animation, laser imagery and special effects. Tickets are $4 each with general admission to the Museum, free to Museum members and $5 each for planetarium only tickets. Let it Snow will run through Jan. 5.
Exhibitions
Design Zone In Design Zone, visitors of all ages can explore a variety of concepts to learn the processes and tools needed to create a successful design. Organized into three thematic zones, the activities featured in Design Zone highlight the importance of science and mathematical thinking in areas critical to building creativity and innovation in art, music and engineering. More specifically, visitors will discover the secrets behind how video game developers, music producers, roller coaster designers and other creative problem solvers do what they do in this new exhibition.
TOYS!
TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generation exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones. Baby Boomers loved Paper Dolls, Erector Sets, and Mr. Potato Head, Gen Xers preferred Holly Hobbie and Hot Wheels, and Millennials have never known a world without Super Mario or My Little Pony. Some toys, like Barbie and G.I. Joe, have adapted to appeal to different generations and remain popular today. Toys and games have changed over time, but the desire to imagine, compete, and create has not. The exhibit, designed and curated by the GRPM staff, features toys and games from the Museum’s Collections and on loan from community members. Visitors will imagine, compete and create, while going on a journey of toys through generations.
Bodies Revealed
Bodies Revealed features real, whole and partial body specimens that have been preserved through an innovative process, giving visitors the opportunity to view the complexity of their own organs and systems in a way that’s normally reserved for medical professionals. The exhibit will have 10 full body specimens on display as well as over 100 organs and partial specimens. Bodies Revealed allows visitors to learn about their own bodies and ultimately, teaches the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Advance ticket purchases are recommended as some time slots will sell out.
Grand Rapids Public Museum
The Grand Rapids Public Museum is an invaluable, publicly-owned institution that is home to more than 250,000 unique artifacts that tell the history of Kent County and beyond, houses the only planetarium in the region, and is responsible for protecting The Mounds, a national historic landmark. The Grand Rapids Public Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, with its main location in downtown Grand Rapids, MI at 272 Pearl Street, NW. For additional information including hours of operation, admission fees and exhibit/event listings, please visit www.grpm.org.
By Carrie Shrier, Michigan State University Extension
Store shelves are full of brightly colored and electronic toys, heavily marketed on television and sure to catch young children’s attention. But what toys stand the test of time? What are the things children will go back to again and again? What toys help children learn and grow?
Block play has been found to stimulate brain development in all developmental areas. In fact, in the study “Block Play Performance Among Preschoolers As a Predictor of Later School Achievement in Mathematics” published in the Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education, researchers proved that children who play with blocks regularly when they are 3, 4 and 5 years of age will do better in math, especially algebra in middle school.
There are many fun block and construction set options to consider, including basic large wooden unit blocks, flat plank style blocks, small wooden blocks, blocks that snap together, large cardboard blocks and construction sets. Many children enjoy being able to add items such as small dolls, animals, cars and other props to their block play.
Puzzles and problem-solving toys
Puzzles, similar to blocks, support children’s development in a variety of ways. As children solve puzzles, they are utilizing problem-solving skills, hand-eye coordination, fine-motor skills, shape recognition, memory, spatial-awareness skills and more.
Toddlers ages 2 to 3 will do best with puzzles with four to 12 pieces. Preschoolers ages 3, 4 and 5 will enjoy more complex puzzles with 12 to 20 or more pieces. Other toys in this category include toys with latches, locks, hooks, buttons, snaps, etc. for children to manipulate, blocks that snap together, collections of objects such as shells, keys, etc. and counting bears.
Pretend play items
A dramatic play or pretend play area is a staple in all early childhood classrooms. Children love to be police officers, doctors, construction workers or teachers, but they are also learning a lot while doing so. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC ), the major accrediting body of early childhood programs, stated in a recent position paper, “high-level dramatic play produces documented cognitive, social and emotional benefits.”
It is through pretend play that children first begin to explore their own likes, interests and the world around them. Pretend play gives children an opportunity to work through new, different, confusing or scary life experiences. Children are building their social and emotional skills, supporting complex problem solving skills, learning to read social cues, share, take turns and so much more when they engage in dramatic play.
Toys that support this play include child size furniture, dress-up clothes, dolls, doll clothes, pretend play food, cash registers, transportation toys and any creative items that allow children to pretend. Prop boxes with items to support a theme of play, such as the items needed for a veterinary clinic, can be a fun way to support children’s interest.
Fine motor skills. Grasping pencils, crayons, chalk and paintbrushes helps children develop their fine motor muscles. This development will help your child with writing, buttoning a coat and other tasks that require controlled movements.
Cognitive development. Art can help children learn and practice skills like patterning and cause and effect (i.e., “If I push very hard with a crayon the color is darker.”). They can also practice critical thinking skills by making a mental plan or picture of what they intend to create and following through on their plan.
Math skills.Children can learn, create and begin to understand concepts like size, shape, making comparisons, counting and spatial reasoning.
Language skills. As children describe and share their artwork, as well as their process, they develop language skills. You can encourage this development by actively listening and asking open-ended questions in return. It is also a great opportunity to learn new vocabulary words regarding their project (i.e., texture).
Materials to support open-ended creativity include a variety of writing/drawing tools such as crayons, colored pencils, markers, chalk, paint, watercolor paint, finger paint, paper of varying weights and sizes, safety scissors, modeling clay, playdough, playdough tools, glue and a variety of scrap materials for collages. Musical instruments such as tambourines, maracas, rhythm sticks and xylophones to allow creation of music are other creative arts options as well.
Large motor play items
While many people are aware of the importance of physical activity in supporting children’s health and development, preventing weight gain, etc., it is less commonly recognized that physical activity supports academics as well. Regular participation in large motor activities in early childhood has been found to improve attention and memory, increase academic performance, and improve actual brain function by helping nerve cells multiply, creating more connections for learning. It is important for children to have the opportunity to engage in large motor play.
Materials to consider purchasing to support large motor play include ride on toys such as tricycles, bicycles and balance bikes, large and small balls to throw, kick and catch, climbers with soft material underneath, plastic bats and balls, targets and things to throw at them, wagons and wheel barrows, tunnels to climb through and pounding or hammering toys.
Be sure to take into account children’s age and developmental ability when selecting toys, and continue to inspect toys for safety. A previously safe toy can become unsafe due to normal wear and tear. Items are occasionally recalled as well. You can sign up to receive recall alerts with Safe Kids USA and check previous recalls.
Also, remember that all children grow and mature at their own individual rate and may be interested in toys for a longer period of time or become interested in other items sooner than other children. For more ideas on developmentally appropriate toys, including lists by age, visit the NAEYC Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage guide.
Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile. Twenty years form now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
The Wyoming Summer Concert series is well underway with the Brena Band performing tonight at 7 p.m at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW. The West Michigan band is known for its large repertoire that includes, country, RnB, rock, pop, and more. Tonight’s theme is Disney with the audience encouraged to have fun with it. Also before the show, there will be a yoga session to get everyone warmed up.
It’s all fun and games
The Grand Rapids Public Museum recently expanded its TOYS! exhibit. More than 15 new interactives will fill the first floor galleria, into the Streets of Old Grand Rapids exhibit and on the Museum’s second floor, overflowing from the TOYS! exhibit. Visitors will enjoy playing giant versions of their favorite games including: Battleship, Lincoln Logs, Chess, Connect Four, UNO, Kerplunk, Tic Tac Toe, Lite Brite and more! Speaking of the Grand Rapids Public Museum, now is the time to scoop up tickets to the museum’s Front Row for the Fireworks event for the city’s July 6 fireworks. Tickets are $15.
A day for remembering
Faith Hospice will be hosting its annual Service of Remembering and Butterfly Release Thursday, June 13. The event will take place at 7 p.m. at Trillium Woods, 8214 Pfeiffer Farms Drive, SW in Byron Center. The Service of Remembrance and Butterfly Release provides just that for those who participate. It is an opportunity for families to gather together to honor the lives of the person or people who have passed away. Because butterflies are often considered deep and powerful representations of life, and the transformation that some people of faith believe, they are a wonderful symbol of the life of the individual.
Mt. Avron is owned by a local paper company, but there is public access to it. Above is a picture of the summit and log book. (Wikipedia)
Fun Fact: Up a Hill, Down a Mountain
Tennessee has the Smokey Mountains, Colorado has the Rockies and Michigan has the Huron Mountains. The Huron Mountains are located in the Upper Peninsula in the Baraga State Forest Area. The highest point in Michigan is Hurons’ Mt. Arvon at 1,979 feet. Interestingly, Mt. Arvon has only had the designation since 1982, when it was determined through modern technology that Mr. Arvon was one foot higher than Mt. Curwood, which was at that time considered the highest point in the state.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) just announced that in partnership with Kent County Farm Bureau, they will be offering a Museum Free Day for the second year in a row! On March 10, the GRPM will open their doors free of charge for visitors to explore the Museum’s three floors of core exhibits.
“We’re thrilled to offer a free day at the Museum to the community again this year,” said Kate Kocienski, VP of Marketing and PR for the Grand Rapids Public Museum. “Thanks to Kent County Farm Bureau, everyone has the chance to explore the Museum free of charge and explore hands-on science, history and cultural artifacts.”
“Kent County Farm Bureau looks forward to once again partnering with the GRPM to welcome friends into the Museum free of charge,” said Jim May, Kent County Farm Bureau President. “On behalf of the more than 1,200 Kent County farmers, we invite you to the Museum to see agriculture in action!”
The GRPM offers fun, hands-on learning opportunities for all ages through a variety of core and traveling exhibits. Visitor favorites include the Streets of Old Grand Rapids, an immersive exhibit that transports visitors back to 19th century of downtown Grand Rapids, and West Michigan Habitats, that showcases the vast wildlife found in West Michigan.
The current GRPM original exhibit TOYS! will be included free of charge for visitors on the Museum’s Free Day! TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generational exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones.
On March 10 only, Kent County Farm Bureau will also have additional agriculture themed hands-on activities available a part of the Free Day. For additional information, please visit grpm.org.
Additional experiences for visitors include the special traveling exhibit Expedition: Dinosaur, planetarium shows, and the Museum’s 1928 Spillman Carousel – that are available for an additional charge.
The free day will be held during the Museum’s normal hours, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 10. For more information on the event, visit grpm.org.
Two happy children are having fun pretending to be in the dinosaur jaw. (Grand Rapids Public Museum)
Expedition: Dinosaur
A special traveling exhibition now open at the GRPM, Expedition: Dinosaur explores the fascinating world of dinosaurs and the hunt for their fossils! From life-sized and lifelike animatronic dinosaurs – some controlled by visitors – to mechanical and electronic learning stations, visitors become paleontologists. The exhibit taps into our fascination with these incredible creatures and includes a number of hands- on interactives that explain dinosaur movement, digestion, and evolution, and show the life and methods of dinosaur hunters from the 1800s to today. For more information and tickets, visit grpm.org/Dinos.
Expedition: Dinosaur was developed by Stage Nine Exhibitions.
Take a trip down memory lane in the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s “TOYS!” exhibit. (Grand Rapids Public Museum)
TOYS!
Baby Boomers loved Paper Dolls, Erector Sets, and Mr. Potato Head, Gen Xers preferred Holly Hobbie and Hot Wheels, and Millennials have never known a world without Super Mario or My Little Pony. Some toys, like Barbie and G.I. Joe, have adapted to appeal to different generations and remain popular today. Toys and games have changed over time, but the desire to imagine, compete, and create has not.
TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generation exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones. This GRPM original exhibit features toys and games from the Museum’s Collections and on loan from the community, allowing visitors to imagine, compete and create, while taking going on a journey of toys through generations.
Through the design process of the exhibition, the Museum worked with several experts from the community making sure the design was as inclusive as possible so everyone visiting can enjoy it. The exhibition will be presented in both English and Spanish, and will also include Braille.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) just announced Snowflake Break activities and additional displays at the Museum for the holiday season. Snowflake Break includes a variety of family friendly programs and activities themed around special exhibits Expedition: Dinosaur and TOYS!
Finny, the finback whale skeleton, greats visitors as the enter the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
During Snowflake Break at the GRPM, visitors can make a variety of crafts including their own themed snowflakes, sock monkey hats, dinosaur kirigami, punch tin, play a variety of over-sized games, and explore Expedition: Dinosaur and TOYS!
Expedition: Dinosaur is perhaps the closest experience to what it would have been like to be in the presence of a living, breathing Mesozoic-era dinosaur, and TOYS! lets visitors rekindle childhood memories as they create new ones. Additionally, the Museum has holiday displays for visitors of all ages to enjoy from additions to the Streets of Old Grand Rapids, the Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train from the Museum’s Collections, historic LEGO® display of Grand Rapid and more.
Snowflake Break runs from Dec. 22 through Jan. 6. General admission includes hands–on activities for Snowflake Break, special holiday displays and the TOYS! exhibit. Expedition: Dinosaur is an additional $4 per person and $2 for Museum members.
Kent County residents receive reduced admission. Kent County adults are only $5 for general admission and Kent County children 17 and under are FREE general admission.
Holiday Displays
Historic LEGO® Display – See historic Grand Rapids like never before; built from LEGO®s. The 1925-era display, complete with operating trams, will be on display in the Streets of Old Grand Rapids exhibition now through January 18, 2019 and is included with general admission. Built by the West Michigan LEGO® Train Club.
Santa’s Rocket Express is now on display at the museum through Jan. 18.
Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train – Visitors to the Museum can enjoy a community favorite on display – the Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train. The Train is included with general admission to the Museum and will be on display through Jan. 18.
The monorail train debuted as “Santa’s Rocket Express” when the new Herpolsheimer’s Department Store opened in in 1949. Recognizable to any baby-boomer resident of Grand Rapids, the train chugged along the ceiling of the toy department at the Herpolsheimer’s Department Store, which sat at the corner of Fulton and Division streets in downtown Grand Rapids.
Santa and Elf Hunt – Find 15 historic Santas from around the World in the Streets of Old Grand Rapids, and 12 elves hidden throughout the 3 floors of the Museum. The Santa & Elf Hunt is included with general admission.
Let it Snow Planetarium Show – Let it Snow features a new variety of festive classics from Frank Sinatra and Chuck Berry to Burl Ives and Brenda Lee, and includes a stunning multi-media finale by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The soundtrack is visually enhanced with thematic animation, laser imagery and special effects. Tickets are $4 each with general admission to the Museum, free to Museum members and $5 each for planetarium only tickets. Let it Snow will run through Jan. 6.
Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium
The GRPM announced that the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium recently underwent upgrades introducing the latest Digistar technology! The new Digistar system provides the latest in resolution quality, content features and immersive surround sound for an out of this world experience.
The Planetarium re-opened this November with its newest upgrade since March of 2014 after a major renovation that included new technology, sound system, full dome and seating.
The Planetarium is named for Grand Rapids native, Roger B. Chaffee, who died with fellow Apollo 1 astronauts Gus Grissom and Ed White during a pre-launch test in 1967. The Planetarium was originally opened in 1994 and has gone through renovations to provide the best experience for Planetarium visitors.
Two happy children are having fun pretending to be in the dinosaur jaw
Expedition: Dinosaur
Expedition: Dinosaur explores the fascinating world of dinosaurs and the hunt for their fossils! From life-sized and lifelike animatronic dinosaurs – some controlled by visitors – to mechanical and electronic learning stations. The exhibit includes a number of hands-on interactives that explain dinosaur movement, digestion, and evolution, and show the life and methods of dinosaur hunters from the 1800s to today.
Expedition: Dinosaur taps into our fascination with these incredible creatures. It is perhaps the closest experience to what it would have been like to be in the presence of a living, breathing Mesozoic-era dinosaur.
Take a trip down memory lane in the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s “TOYS!” exhibit.
TOYS!
TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generation exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones.
Baby Boomers loved Paper Dolls, Erector Sets, and Mr. Potato Head, Gen Xers preferred Holly Hobbie and Hot Wheels, and Millennials have never known a world without Super Mario or My Little Pony. Some toys, like Barbie and G.I. Joe, have adapted to appeal to different generations and remain popular today. Toys and games have changed over time, but the desire to imagine, compete, and create has not.
The exhibit, designed and curated by the GRPM staff, features toys and games from the Museum’s Collections and on loan from community members. Visitors will imagine, compete and create, while going on a journey of toys through generations.
Through the design process of the exhibition, the Museum worked with several experts from the community making sure the design was as inclusive as possible so everyone visiting can enjoy it. The exhibition is being presented in both English and Spanish, and also includes Braille.
I’m a frustrated actor. My…goal is to beat Alfred Hitchcock in the number of cameos. I’m going to try to break his record.
- Stan Lee
Books and the Bus
Now available on The Rapids: Books.
If you are taking The Rapid anywhere, you will now be able to grab something to read. The Rapid and the Kent District Library have partnered up for the program Books on the Bus. The program provides a collection of books for all ages that are conveniently placed on buses for riders to enjoy.
Our Favorite Toys
Lincoln Logs were created by John Lloyd Wright, the son of fame architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
As an experiment, imagine six to seven people gathered at a holiday social event people who don’t know each other and from the forced, polite conversation you could probably tell each of them would rather be someplace else. Now, in this polite conversation, introduce the subject of toys and in particular, favorite toys and within 60 seconds you would sense the atmosphere around this group changing.
Shoot, Score
East Kentwood High School’s girls basketball team in action game at Wyoming last season. (WKTV)
WKTV has also started early to bring local audiences a full slate of games began with the final varsity game to be played at South Christian High School’s current location when the Lady Sailors entertained Hamilton on Dec. 4. But we will also showcase the new location on Kalamazoo Avenue just north of 84th Street, as WKTV will bring the opening night games as both the boys and girls initiate the new gymnasium when they host Unity Christian on Friday, Dec. 21.
Mention those three words in any (and I mean any) group of people and you’ll get an immediate response. As an experiment, imagine six to seven people gathered at a holiday social event people who don’t know each other and from the forced, polite conversation you could probably tell each of them would rather be someplace else. Now, in this polite conversation, introduce the subject of toys and in particular, favorite toys and within 60 seconds you would sense the atmosphere around this group changing. It would be like a light switch was thrown. Suddenly there would be interest and growing engagement, the conversation would become animated and within a few minutes, it is likely everyone would be involved and sharing something deeply personal about their lives growing up.
And chances are they wouldn’t be sad stories. Even kids growing up on the lowest rung of the economic ladder have a memory of the “go to” place that a toy, any toy, transported them to.
Hot Wheels were introduced in 1968 by Mattel.
If during the holiday season, we talk of peace on earth and good will to all, then our shared sentiment about our own experience with our favorite toy is probably the best place to get people talking, sharing and communicating. I won’t go so far as to suggest that world leaders open negotiating sessions by talking first about their favorite toys, but after so many centuries of war and strife, who wouldn’t be willing to try? Can you imagine that the first item on the agenda at the next global summit is talking about Tinkertoys or Hot Wheels?
Yes, toys have a power and psychologists have researched, written, theorized and even argued over the extent and meaning of that power. While as we leave adolescence and become teenagers, toys diminish dramatically in importance, at the same time, few objects have such far reaching implications with the development of our psyche. Researcher Etienne Benson with the Association for Psychological Science notes in her article “Toy Stories” that virtually no culture is entirely without toys and that children will turn any and everyday objects into toys and games. All of it proof of that perfectly human need for play, social interaction, and exploration.
Inspired by watching children play with pencils, sticks and empty spools of thread, Charles Pajeau and Robert Petit created Tinker Toys in 1914.
But toys, since the industrial revolution of the mid 1800s have gradually become more than that. Some argue that it’s the commoditization of a child’s imagination. Toy manufacturers spend billions on development that employs color, lights, sounds, and tactile feel to draw a child into making this or that object a plaything. Yet why is it that we all know from personal experience of at least one occasion that the cardboard box became the biggest source of pleasure?
More than two billion cans of Play-Doh has been sold between 1955 and 2005.
Andrew Meltzoff, a developmental psychologist at the University of Washington, sheds some light on the cardboard box phenomena. He writes, “This interest in playing with everyday objects may reflect a desire to imitate adults and, by imitating, to explore the social values and roles of their societies. Through imitating adults,” he says, “children learn who they are. Toy manufacturers strive mightily to make toys that attract infants and young children with lights and sounds, buzzes and whistles. They can make things that grab the child’s attention, but the children’s hearts lie with the pots and pans, the tea cups and telephones that they see their parents use.”
Play-Doh become so popular that play sets such as the salon above were created.
But toys as it turns out, any toy made of anything; can have far reaching effects on any child’s development. And like anything, it starts with mom or dad and ideally, with both. Tamis-LeMonda and colleagues recently did a study of two- and three-year-old children in low income families. Her research found that supportive joint play of parents for just 10 minutes predicted a child’s performance on standardized tests of cognition and language a year later.
And toys and playtime may be even more than that. Jerome Singer and Dorothy Singer, co-directors at Yale University Family Television and Consultation Center, have argued that imaginative play is not only fun, but also crucial for development of decision making, keeping things in context and or course, creativity.
Mr. Potato Head was the creation of Brooklyn toy inventor George Lerner in 1940. It took 12 years for him to get it on the market.
The way we toss away the idea of our favorite toys by our teenage years implies they just aren’t that important. But they have to be. I have to admit that in writing this, I realized that I have my own favorite. It’s a classic car that I own and that I interact with psychologically the same way I did with my favorite toys when I was ten. Driving the classic car, maintaining it, dreaming of doing more with it; is really adult play, giving me those same feelings that inspired me to play with those favorite toys when I was 8-years-old. I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or proud that I can still be a kid.
Our toys are the transports of our imagination to places we want to be, things we want to become or the way we want to feel about ourselves. It seems like an awful lot to expect from something as simple as a toy. But toys, however, work. They were created by humans in order to unlock and build imagination, healing, and comfort and have been perpetuated through millennia because of that. Not convinced? Just ask any teddy bear whose presence helped a small child through what psychologists call separation anxiety. However, just make sure they don’t catch you talking to teddy bears because if you did, well, you might just be getting in touch with your inner child all over again.
And that like the earlier suggestion for world leaders to start talking about their favorite toys, may not be such a bad idea.
Remember the playthings you had as a kid? That favorite toy you took with you everywhere, even to bed–like a teddy bear missing an eye and loved to tatters? I never had a teddy bear, but I did have a cute little red corduroy horse. I don’t recall his name.
Such simple things we appreciate much too late.
Until Feb. 27, you can find a glimmer of childhood past and wax nostalgic at Holland Museum’s “Toy Stories” exhibit, a fun-filled display with hundreds of toys dating back to the late 1800s. It’s the collection of Merrill Taylor and her late husband, Tom, who spent much of their adult lives collecting antique toys, games, decorations and advertisements.
You know what? The Taylors sound an awful lot like my Aunt Marina and Uncle Bob, who are now in their very late 80s. Maybe you have a family member like this, too. Aunt Marina and Uncle Bob collected everything—and I mean everything. Kewpie Dolls. Beanie Babies. Mickey Mouse figures and dolls. Vintage teddy bears. Glassware, magazines, lamps. My uncle had a penchant for Quaker Oat cereal boxes–his collection was stacked to the ceiling. He also had a collection of gem stones, cat whiskers… the list goes on. Wait. It was my aunt who collected the the cat whiskers.
One really cool feature of the Taylors’ toy collection is this: They will let you play with them. The exhibit also has an interactive “Toy Lab” that helps people learn about the mechanics and science of invention by building their own toys.
The collection has been featured in Country Living and other notable magazines. There is no apparent theme, just a chaotic and delightful mix of toys. The Taylors have never sold any of the toys from their collection.
“Toy Stories” will be on display through Feb. 27 at the Holland Museum, 13 W. Tenth St. in, of all places, Holland, Michigan. For more info, go here.
