Shock News – Fabric Tiles are the toy of the year!
Hamley’s, the famous London toystop held it’s annual prize yesterday and the prize for Overall Best Toy went to creAtiles, a low-tech creative play set made by a small London firm.
It is based on the simple idea of different sized tiles which fit together to let the little ones use their imagination to construct and create architectural masterpieces.
I think this is a great result as in my limited experience it is precisely these simple, old fashioned toys that become perennial favourites as they are played with in ever more imaginative ways.
The truth value of such toys became obvious to me last March when it was my youngest son Michael’s first birthday. We really couldn’t decide what present to get him, especially as his brother, Jacob, is only two years older and so their bedroom, and indeed the rest of the house were already full to the brim with baby and toddler toys.
Lots of shiny, primary coloured plastic and different shaped things that light-up, play music, move long the floor etc. etc. etc. In fact, our house could bring a whole new way of thinking to interior design based around ‘An Explosion in a Toyshop’.
Anyway, to cut a long story short I was looking in the charity shop and I came across an old-fashioned hoop toy – the one with a stick and several different coloured hoops of different sizes. It only cost 50p and so I got it and wrapped it up alongside his other presents.
On his birthday he absolutely loved it. He slowly realised that he could put the rings on and that it dawned on him that he had to put them on in order of size. It was great to see him work it out and he was extremely pleased with himself.
It is now a perennial favourite. He can easily put the rings on in order now but he often plays with them in different ways, at the moment he loves to try and roll them across the room and he loves cooking them in a large pan.
Don’t get me wrong, I am all for some technology in our kids lives. My older son, now almost four, has just discovered the joys of the computer and he has a couple of games featuring his favourite characters – Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder – which are not only great fun, but help him to learn mouse skills and understand computers which is essential.
All I am saying is that in the hectic run up to Christmas, maybe we should all think about adding good old fashioned toys to the current hi-tech favourites.
Many people think that today’s children are too sophisticated for the toys they remember from their own childhood. But, just cast your mind back to all the fun you had, why not give today's children the time and imagination to create their own magical worlds too.
Notes:
For more information about creAtiles go to: http://www.fiestacrafts.co.uk/hamleys.php
For more information about the winners of the Hamley’s Toy of the Year Awards go to: http://www.hamleys.com/pcat/hamleysprize
Finally, please do let me know if you agree and tell me your thoughts about what you and your children have found to be long-lasting favourite toys?
The felt tiles sound a bit like "fuzzy felt" from when I was younger, definately my favourite toy! You had a board and shapes to make scenes out of and people shapes. Toys have got far too sophisticated leaving very little to the imagination.