When toys were magical..

@ersmommy1 (12588)
United States
December 20, 2008 6:10pm CST
Did you ever make a tent with chairs and blankets? Or play hide and seek with neighborhood kids? Or turn a cardboard box into a magic kingdom? Has imagination been replaced by the Playstation Nation? Or is it still more important who we play with than what we play with? Do you really think it is more important the cost of the gift than who it came from?
2 people like this
14 responses
@riyasam (16556)
• India
21 Dec 08
i do play around a lot with my kids.i am not much for video games.but they seem to have unlimited energy.i get tired and breathless after playing hide and seek or soilders but my kids enjoy it a lot.
• United States
21 Dec 08
Your kids will appreciate the fact that you took time to help fuel their imaginations, when they are older. It is the little things that kids remember and appreciate most when they are grown.*S*
• United States
22 Dec 08
I think kids still have fun with imaginative play if they are given time and opportunity. My daughter plays imaginary games with gnomes and goblins with me all the time. She has a good imagination.
@SHAMRACK (8576)
• India
21 Dec 08
Dear friend, Yes I used tends and used play with my neighbourhood kids my old days. Playstation Nation some it is too gets addicted to some kids. May life is a still more valued when we the part of kid but times goes up when the age too goes up and no more back one could go to the those kids part after being adult. Those sweet memories really worthy a lot if those memories during being kid is nice to share.
@TessWhite (3146)
• United States
21 Dec 08
When I was a child we spent most of the day outside, weather permitting. Even when it snowed we were outside building snow forts. We could create about anything out of a large cardboard box in the summer time and have fun for hours doing it. We didn't have things like Playstations back then, or even Nintendos or computers. I remember those summer days fondly and miss those hours in the sun. Now my granddaughters spend most of their time in front of the TV or playing video games. Unfortunately I live three states away and can't change that - yet. I'm in the process of moving closer and I look forward to spending days in the sunshine with them. We'll picnic, garden, play ball and have summer time camp outs in the back yard. I'm looking forward to making some memories with them and prying them away from the TV screen.
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
21 Dec 08
I think that if we do not encourage our children to use their imaginations, they won't. I think that many parents allow their children to watch too much television and play video games too much. I know that in my home, I limit my kids' exposure to video games and television, just as my parents did with me. I would rather see a group of ckildren playing in my backyard, all using their imaginations to create a fantasy world, than to see a group of kids sitting on the couch with a video controller in hand. I think that the cost of a gift is of minimal concern. would rather have someone give my child, or me, a card and a smile that is meaningful and from the heart, than to go out and spend a lot of money on something that is useless.
@Indojo (242)
• United States
21 Dec 08
One thing we used to spend a lot of time with were legos and lincoln logs. We used to use the legos to make communication devices and play "star trek". As for lincoln logs, I just loved making log cabins. I don't know why...I still love them. I'm thinking of getting some for my daughter, but we're living in India now...don't know if we can buy them here.
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
21 Dec 08
I have seen alot of Playstation nation kids that feel more comfortable with a controller in their hands then playing cars or toys with a friend. I think it has also closed the kids off from other children alot because of this. I miss the days of taking walks and being outside when I was younger and we didn't have anything tech except for a radio. We played board games and had fun family time occasionally. I am teaching my little sister that by getting her board games instead of tech stuff like games for playstation something that will just add to kids zombie like state. We need to get them out do things with them as a family and they will enjoy it and like it and will want to do it more. But alot of parents have even less time to do these things since some work all day and 2 jobs. Now days it is the cost it is totally the cost..from my experience of getting up to 17 kids gifts at Christmas..I so miss the easier less greedier times. when a person appreciated the little things in life.
@maximax8 (31055)
• United Kingdom
21 Dec 08
I had a play tent and I used to enjoy serving tea for my dolls and hope a cat would pop in to visit us. I got many children dolls and a Cindy doll that was the teacher. She gave lessons and I made the children's homes from cardboard boxes. Imagination is important and much can be learned from making things. In a way it is sad that Play Stations have taken over children's interest. Cost doesn't matter and sometimes a child has more fun with the box a £50 toy came out of that the actual toy funnily enough. These days children want a lot and in the past they made do with a few toys and endless imagination.
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
21 Dec 08
I think my son is about 50-50 when it comes to technology and imagination. Probably only because I will sometimes tell him he has to do something/anything that does not require electricity for at least an hour every day.
• United States
21 Dec 08
I sure did make a tent out of blankets & chairs I spent alot of time hiding under one as a kid. My kids do like to play with cardboard boxes and decorating them or pretending they are a vehicle or whatnot. I think there's a certain amt of time that kids should be glued to tv, video games ect if that's all they do then the partents need to step up and limit the time.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
21 Dec 08
I have a bunch of grandkids and I think the "who" is more important to them than the "what". They can get something pretty cool from someone they don't particularly know and it won't get the same response as something simple from Pop or me...cause we're special. I do remember all of the things you mentioned and the opportunities to use your imagination are one of the reasons I like living in the small town community I live in now instead of where we used to live. That was Playstation Nation but this is Country! The boys have a tree house in the big tree across the street...even though they're not supposed to play in it. They build forts, play Army, have real skateboard competitons instead of pretending they're Tony Hawk. There's a lot of kids around here for my grandsons to play with and I think that's very important. They're learning important social and negotiating skills without realizing it.
@baileycows (3665)
• United States
21 Dec 08
yes, I was just saying to a friend the other day what happened to our kids. My kids think they can not play without me right there helping them. What happened to imagination or the cool boxes and tents made out of chairs and blankets. Now your kids want a 1K gift for christmas or they think they didnt get anything.
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
21 Dec 08
I think parents really need to give this some thought. When I was a child I had some toys but the most fun I had was when I used my imagination. I truly believe that having to find ways to amuse myself taught me self reliance and how to think outside the box. These talents served me well as I was growing up and while I was raising my own kids with limited financial resources. Kids today don't know how to survive without their technology. They have TV with hundreds of available stations and will still whine about there being nothing on. They have the latest gadgets but will still pitch a temper tantrum if something new comes out and it is not provided for them instantly. Heaven forbid if there was no electricity to power their gadgets. If all the power in the world was suddenly cut off these kids would be standing in the streets milling around with a blank look on their faces. And we are to blame for giving them everything they ask for.
• United States
21 Dec 08
I used to do all of the above. I loved to play with cardboard boxes and build a castle. I also liked to make a play fort from blankets and chairs. I think that now, children are not encouraged to use their imaginations as much as they were when I was younger. That was not even that long ago, so I hate to see how it will be when I have children. I think that children are not required to think and imagine things as much as they were. Now, they play video games, or play with toys that make sounds for them. I think that eventually, we will see the downfall of toys that do not require children to use their imaginations.