Unwanted toys

Check out this picture and story regarding piles of unwanted toys

Quite sobering isn't it - plastic toys may enthrall the kids for a short period but for the most part they are quickly finished with and forgotten, often broken too because they aren't engineered to last forever.  
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There are 3 small children at my house and I don't think one day goes by when I don't feel like I am choking in the stuff they have and the stuff that is broken and can only go to landfill and I don't even get them that much.

I blogged late last year about making sustainable purchases for Christmas and included discussion on kids toys but when my colleague sent me this link and at the same time I had been given the Chalk magazine by the local kindy where the kids had circled things like plastic irons, hairdryers, cooking stuff - you know all the stuff I already have in the house (as the real deal) and then this morning my son was playing with my real hairdryer - yes he was supervised and I thought WHY do we need all these plastic replicas of things we already have in our houses.  Are we all so lazy (or busy) that we can't supervise our kids to play safely with the real thing or are we so health and safety conscious we think they are just not allowed to play with the real thing? 

If the kids use the real thing the kids learn about how they really work, they learn about the things to be watchful for.  My son understand with my hairdryer that first we need to remove the safety plug from the wall (which i do), then we plug the hairdryer in before turning it on, we take care not to cover the fan or have it too close to us.  After 5 minutes he turns it off, switches it off at the wall, unplugs it and asks for the safety plug to put back.  

We have a similar system with other pieces of equipment.  My kids all know how to use them and how to be safe with them.

They do make believe kitchen play with real stuff out of the kitchen - sure I select what pots/bowls they can have but they get a wide range of stuff (just not my really good stuff).  They are allowed to use some food - with the rule that they eat what they make (or they use playdough - I don't make them eat that!).

Next time you go to buy your children, nieces, nephews, or other children in your life a toy, stop and think.  Ask yourself -  do they really need this?  Think back to what you had and how you carried out that play.  Not only will it reduce waste but it will reduce clutter.  And that is the advantages even before considering the waste and carbon footprint prior to the toy making it to the shop you are about to purchase it from.  

Last year instead of a physical gift for my daughter for her birthday I bought her  a two hour horse trek which she has lots of memories from.  It supported a local business too, and has a lot lower footprint than a toy in many cases and it has not cluttered my house (or my daughters life) either.

One of the many toys that last a lifetime available from Funhotoys

Check out this link to Funho for toys that truly last a lifetime.

By the way - this blog may have been all about kids toys but lets face it, we could all do with reducing the "toys" in our life!  So think about it for yourself too.

Reduce the 'stuff' in your life and feel the freedom!  

Have a great weekend
Francesca