The games that children play in the playground come and go all the time. They are created by a child on a whim one day, played for little while and dropped shortly after. One game though has been played for generations and is staple in any school child’s experience. This game is of course ‘tag’. This basically involves one or two people being ‘it’ and they have to chase others around to ‘tag’ them and make them ‘it’. When someone has been ‘tagged’ they become the chaser and the person who tagged them are free to be chased. It’s a very simple game that promotes agility and spatial awareness, as well as improves teamwork and of course fitness levels.  You don’t need any expensive toys, and it can be played anywhere.

Those in charge of Education in the UK however, belief that the game is potentially unsafe and is often discriminatory. They therefore would like to see it stopped in schools. Their argument is that this game is often played on hard ground and children can hurt themselves quite badly. They also say that the game can often escalate into a more physical tussle when there become agreement over whether someone has been caught or not.  Their second grievance with the game is that people tend to get left out and this promotes segregation.The Education Committee’s Harold James has said “the unpopular children are often not chosen to take part in the game or are ignored when they do….games that are inclusive are preferable”. Mr James continued to say that it is not something that can include those with physical disabilities as they have difficultly competing in the game.

Other games that have already been outlawed in the UK include kiss chase, conkers, British bulldog and mercy. It does make you wonder what exactly children have left to do now and if bubble-wrapping our kids is the right thing to do. We need to take the wheels from the training bikes one day don’t we?

The other day I posted a question on “answer bank” and had a really good response. It seems that there are lots of people out there with fond memories of the toys that they owned back in their childhoods. 

My question was what do you think was the best or most entertaining toy you ever owned?” 

The first response I got back was “etch a sketch” I too remember having one of those and got hours of fun out of it. 

Next up was “Hungry Hippos” probably a game that many people have either owned or heard of. It’s quite an addictive game and one that you never seem to get fed up with. 

Someone else said it was a yo yo and another “juggling balls” which kept them amused for hours. 

Football was mentioned often using Mums washing line to make your own makeshift goalposts in the back garden. Boomerangs too. 

Another real old favourite was lego which I suppose really took over from mecano. 

For the girls out there it was of course “Sindy”, “My Little Ponies” and the “Barbie Doll”. 

It seems that a lot of the girls were lucky enough to have their own dolls houses. Very often they have been kept in the family and passed down to future generations. 

One thing I do notice is that out of all the replies there is only one game which requires more than one to play. 

I wonder what that says about our childhoods or do we just prefer our own company? Perhaps we were simply just used to amusing ourselves better, that’s my theory anyway! 

When I look at all the different toys I think what strikes me most is the lack of computer games. It looks like the good old fashioned traditional toys are the ones that seem to stand the test of time and its those that we remember best! 

What do you think?

It was a quite an eye opener the other day when I was asked to attend a rather large family gathering. All ages were there from babies to the grandparents.

The organiser of the party had enough common sense to realise that in order to help to make things run smoothly there had to be some sort of entertainment for the little ones. Things can get quite chaotic when there are a room full of kids with nothing to occupy them!

In one corner she had organised a table with a variety of art supplies for the children. There were crayons, stickers, drawing pads and pots of paint. They were resquested to come up with the best picture which would then be judged and there was a prize to be won.

A number of small board games such as draughts and ludo were at another table for the slightly older children and the more serious children seemed happy to get stuck into these. I noticed that one of the older girls was quite happily entertaining a small group of children by reading them their favourite story.

Another rather novel idea was that someone provided all the more capable ones with small disposable cameras. This kept them happy for ages and it was also a good way for the quieter children to break the ice and interact with the adults. Mind you this was not necessary with the majority of them who were snapping away and having an excellent time.

When it comes to big family get togethers it can sometimes be the case that you can leave feeling somewhat jaded especially if you are the parent of a child full of energy, so what a great idea, this takes the pressure off everyone. It took bit of extra planning but was well worth it and the adults and children all had a brilliant time

The development of a toddler depends on continuous learning. This is why they need educational toys at playtime. Your toddler will learn many useful things that will put him ahead when he starts school in a year or two.

There’s a huge variety of quality educational toys for toddlers that you can choose from, including big floor puzzles, educational video games, and games that help your little one learn the alphabet, numbers, shapes and colors. However, just buying the toys for your toddler is not enough. You also need to know how to get the full benefits from these fun and exciting toys.

How to Learn With Learning Toys

You can’t simply buy a learning toy for a toddler and expect him to learn on his own. You have to take the time to sit down and play with the toddler and the toy. Show her what to push or pull to make things happen. Otherwise, your toddler will simply press buttons mindlessly. You get the most benefits from exploring the toy alongside your child.

Always remember that toddlers have a short attention span, and keep this in mind when you’re playing with them. Therefore, rotate your toddler’s selection of toys occasionally. Show interest in all of the toys. When you become interested in the toy, your toddler will also become fascinated with it.

Bring it Outdoors

Inside the home isn’t the only place that learning can occur. To help toddlers learn about the wonderful world that surrounds them, there are numerous outdoor toddler toys that will delight them. One example is an inflatable easel on which toddlers can draw their interpretation of nature using sidewalk chalk. Riding toys, swimming pools, and outdoor sporting equipment for toddlers can teach them motor skills. There’s a lot to be learned from outside educational toys.

The many benefits of toddler educational toys make them your best bet when it comes to buying toys. Your child is never too young to start learning. If you provide him with the right toys, you will help him to learn skills that will be needed in kindergarten and for the rest of his life.