Dr. Toy Talks About Why Classic Toys Are Important©

Dr. Toy really appreciates classic toys. I feel certain you, too, share in the good feeling of nostalgia and enjoyment that is connected to these special products.

Have you noticed how many of the toys that you played with as a child are still available now to share with your children?

These classics have lasted over time. They continue to prove their value and will delight your child. The joy of sharing a toy with your child that you once played with is a special treat.

What Is a Classic Toy?

A classic toy is many things, but there are some aspects to these toys that remain so perfect over time:

Durability - Simplicity in style and 'star qualities' make them all-time favorites. Some examples are: checkers, chess, hula hoops, kites, marbles and yo-yos.

Consistency - The consistent toy that is simple in shape and responds based on what the child does with it. These toys give children a feeling of accomplishment because the more they practice with them, the better they become.

For example, the more a child practices with a yo-yo, the better he or she can become at doing the tricks. Playing with a yo-yo provides practice with fine motor coordination, eye/hand coordination and finger dexterity. Plus, the joy of skill building is a reward onto itself, providing a child with personally satisfying and observable results.

Creativity - By expanding their own imagination, children are encouraged to experiment using classic toys. Think about how children use a puppet. While playing with a puppet, the child uses their own language and their own artistic expression. The child also explores without limit the opportunity to achieve their own goals. The puppet forms the object that encourages expanded language development, and spontaneously stimulates imaginative play of the moment.

These toys become children's props to more imaginative play. They are also able to reflect their observation of objects around them, or express feelings or the fantasy imagined in their dreams.
"New" classics can be found in many places.

There are newer versions of favorite classic toys. They are updated and improved in some way. Sometimes, the design is made safer or changed in some way that makes it easier for a young child to use. You will be able to find toys that you played with as a child and share them with your child or grandchild. You can also just find a toy you always wanted as a child and would enjoy having now.

Among the carefully-selected "Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toys," you'll find products that are consistent and as much fun as ever, or are improved in some tangible way to make the play value even greater. When you look carefully at these products you will see the best examples of classic toys.

Children love the classic style of a labyrinth. They will have also have fun playing a good game. You will find a lot of favorites that you played with included on this list.

Watch for these other great classic toys that have been around since you were a kid. Most of them can be found in homes around the world.

You may already have some of these, but did you know some of the specific benefits of classic playthings such as:

•Checkers offer simple strategy lessons. Children learn to take turns and gain enjoyment playing again.

•Chess helps develop more advanced strategy and helps problem-solving.

•Gyroscopes allows children to better understand the challenge of gravity, and learn basic principles of physics.

•Hula Hoops encourage children to exercise, develop strength and improve physical skills.

•Jacks provide easy-to-learn finger dexterity, gain response skills and stages of mastery, plus enhanced eye-hand coordination. Jacks and Ball were the favorite toy of Dr. Toy as a child.

•Jump Ropes strengthens coordination, helps balance and improve physical agility.

•Kites are a fun way to enjoy light breezes while learning about gravity and observing the flow of air currents.

•Tops provides a lesson in the observation of on-going balance and velocity.

The Care and Feeding of Your Classics

•Encourage your child to learn more about toys by visiting your public library and reading about them. Sometimes, a book about the history of dolls or trains can fascinate both of you.

•Help you children learn to care for their toys so that they understand they are special and must be treated well. Have a special place for storage and set aside sufficient time for pick-up.

•Classic toys are wonderful products to introduce to your child when they best fit their age, interests and readiness.

•You'll often find that the adult train enthusiast began as a child while setting up the layout for his first train, or that the avid doll collector started learning more about dolls when given a special one from a grandmother along with learning about how a doll was made or its history.

•Children are influenced by these early experiences. They will grow to enjoy lifetime hobbies if given the opportunity.

Show your child the toys you enjoyed playing with as a child. The enjoyment will be experienced all over again. Special memories are created that will last a long time.

Learn more about classic toys in my books, The Toy Chest, Toys for a Lifetime (Rizzoli/FAO Schwarz) and Dr. Toy's Smart Play Smart Toys: How to Raise a Child with a High P.Q. (Play Quotient)

Visit my website (www.drtoy.com) to find more information about "Best Classic Toys."

Remember, classic toys have proven over time to be safe, consistently popular, well-designed, frequently used and practical and are a good value for the money.

But, most of all, the right toy encourages your child's involvement. After all, isn't that what play is all about?

©2013 Stevanne Auerbach, PhD/Dr. Toy, San Francisco, CA