Low- to No-Cost Activities
Toy and game makers need to make a living just like the rest of us, and we understand that. In tough economic times, however, it is especially important to understand that the latest and greatest toys or games, often with accompanying, impressive price tags, are not necessary for healthy child development. When the first Madison PlayDay began, there was a recent trend of fancy toys (with all the bells and whistles) listing on their packaging the developmental benefits a child would receive by playing with that toy. While we do not deny the truth in many of these claims, we were instantaneously struck by how the same benefits could be gained from simpler and cheaper forms of play.
This will ring true for many readers when they think back to their own play experiences as a child. How many of us played with that refrigerator box until it was too worn to stand on its own? Who can vividly remember getting kicked out of the kitchen while a parent was preparing dinner for using needed pots and wooden spoons as a drum set? Who had a bare-bones doll that could become anything the mind and a little creativity conjured? Our belief is that this type of play, while existing in many of our memories is being replaced by play with fancier toys; we want parents to remember those days, relive them, and pass them on to their children.
Furthermore and perhaps more importantly, expensive toys target a very specific audience: those who can afford them. We know from research and experience that cheaper options can provide the same developmental benefits, and so our goal is to remind or teach others that this is the case. Our PlayDay is filled with games and activities created with recycled or reused items easy to find around the house (i.e. toilet paper tubes, milk jug lids, water bottles, boxes, etc.). Activities include informational posters advising parents of the specific developmental benefits that can be gained from not only playing, but creating the game.
This will ring true for many readers when they think back to their own play experiences as a child. How many of us played with that refrigerator box until it was too worn to stand on its own? Who can vividly remember getting kicked out of the kitchen while a parent was preparing dinner for using needed pots and wooden spoons as a drum set? Who had a bare-bones doll that could become anything the mind and a little creativity conjured? Our belief is that this type of play, while existing in many of our memories is being replaced by play with fancier toys; we want parents to remember those days, relive them, and pass them on to their children.
Furthermore and perhaps more importantly, expensive toys target a very specific audience: those who can afford them. We know from research and experience that cheaper options can provide the same developmental benefits, and so our goal is to remind or teach others that this is the case. Our PlayDay is filled with games and activities created with recycled or reused items easy to find around the house (i.e. toilet paper tubes, milk jug lids, water bottles, boxes, etc.). Activities include informational posters advising parents of the specific developmental benefits that can be gained from not only playing, but creating the game.
