| Being a parent these days is difficult enough without | | | | Without a doubt the children of today are very much |
| having to worry about what effect toys have on your | | | | spoiled for choice when it comes to shopping for the |
| child's mental growth and development. This is a | | | | right educational toy or otherwise right from the early |
| problem solved greatly by sites that specialize in | | | | learning toddler and baby toys through to the near |
| educational toys rather than the usual guns and dolls. | | | | laptop computer standard of the Leapfrog learning |
| Some of the great old fashioned wooden toys are | | | | systems. |
| seriously in demand these days and, like their | | | | Whatever happened to classic meccano and standard |
| predecessors, will probably become family heirlooms | | | | Lego? |
| and collectors items. Yes indeed some of the | | | | These days if you go into a toy store even these old |
| contemporary toys of today will in fact become the | | | | favourites have become technical marvels with kits to |
| classic toys of tomorrow. | | | | build robots that really do interact and can even sense |
| A great leap forward in children's toys though is the | | | | and see. |
| exponential growth of the number of science and | | | | Cowboys and cowgirls on their make believe horses |
| discovery type toys which show up the old chemistry | | | | and ponies (commonly known as a Space Hopper!) |
| sets of yesteryear with all sorts of exciting | | | | can upgrade now to an electronic full size pony which, |
| experiments to perform including building your own | | | | wait for it, even talks! |
| operational rocket! | | | | As for outside toys there are now electric powered |
| Preschool toys now include wondrous electronic | | | | vehicles to be had from scooters and motorcycles |
| gizmo's included in them which makes the activity toy | | | | through to full blown 4x4 jeeps of every description |
| learning market one of the biggest growth areas due | | | | shape and color. These could even be described as |
| to the cheap cost today of electronics. Young babies | | | | educational for the simple fact that it gets young |
| even get to kick and slap things just to make a noise | | | | children fully prepared for the day they actually own |
| though so perhaps this is education in the wrong | | | | their own full size street legal version of these ride on |
| direction. | | | | toys. |
| Fisher Price toys is still going strong and has a range | | | | Many children love the idea of their own home too and |
| of offerings from the humble building block type of toy | | | | there are also many plastic and wood chalets which |
| through to the most sophisticated gadgets on the | | | | can be acquired in order for them to learn how to |
| planet as far as kids playthings is concerned. | | | | keep house in the future! |
| Musical toys of old though like the eternal music box | | | | The true education about the toys of today however |
| seem to be on the decline and are being superseded | | | | is really about education of the parent by the children |
| by such things as full blown synth organs and even | | | | on how to put that hand in the pocket and pay for |
| karaoke machines. | | | | these educational wonder toys in the first place. |