What should kids play with?
On the web, I saw someone ask this slightly strange question:
How can I find people with exceptionally good taste and judgement in recommending children's books, toys, and other child related things?
My thoughts:
Here’s a rock-solid children’s book expert:
Children know what books they like. Since any reading at all will stimulate their intellect and imagination, don’t worry about it. Let your kids join the local library and pick whatever books they like.
It doesn’t work this way with toys. Kids tend to be attracted to colorful things with flashing lights that they end up quickly getting bored with. The best toys are ones that stimulate rather than attempt to replace the imagination. So here’s your resident toy expert (who also comes in handy with the book thing!):
The toys they played with when grandma was a kid are still the best toys today: marbles, blocks, simple toy cars, plastic toy soldiers and animals, Lego sets etc - these stimulate kids to build a world of the imagination, instead of just being things to mindlessly stare at.
Then there is this:
For the love of all that’s holy, stop wrapping kids in cotton wool. Get them out of the house and let them play in dirt. Yes, dirt. Yes, dirt that’s full of bacteria.
Last, but very decidedly not least, this:
It is your responsibility to raise your kids, not some or other supposed “expert”who supposedly has better taste and judgement than you do. The whole point of raising children is to imbue them with your own values and culture; what on earth do you need an expert for?
It is fundamental that parents be involved with their children, every day, intensely. Get down on your hands and knees, and play with them, with all those cool toys mentioned above. That is how they learn what it is like to be human, and to take an interest in others and the world around them. We cannot abdicate our own responsibility to others and then act all hurt and surprised when our kids turn into psychopaths or layabouts.
So to the original question
How can I find people with exceptionally good taste and judgement in recommending children's books, toys, and other child related things?
here is a very brief answer: Look in a mirror.