Dust bunny: An eco-smart baby toy
Babies don’t like costly, colorful developmental toys, writes Joanna Weiss in the Boston Globe. Her infant son loves to play with lint. I’m thinking of starting a company that sells lint. Lint, dust...
View ArticleToys to develop young nerd minds
Topless Robot suggests 10 Great Nerd Toys for Developing Young Nerd Minds. Toys for the preschool nerd include: giant plush RPG dice, mad scientist alphabet blocks, Dismember Me Plush Zombie,...
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Old toys as art
Mom threw out your old toys? Artist Allen Innman creates nostalgia on canvas, writes If It’s Hip, It’s Here:
View ArticleSan Francisco may order ‘sad meals’
San Francisco may ban “happy meals” that come with a toy, unless the meal includes a serving of fruit and vegetables or meets the city’s nutritional requirements, reports the San Francisco Chronicle....
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Play TSA! It’s fun — and educational
For everyone who traveled over the holidays, here are reviews of the Playmobil Security Checkpoint. I was a little disappointed when I first bought this item, because the functionality is limited. My...
View ArticleNew threat: Talking about Nerf guns
It’s bad enough when little kids are kicked out of school for bubble shooters, cap guns, gun-shaped pastry and Lego guns, etc. In Washington state, a 6-year-old was suspended for talking about the Nerf...
View ArticleSchool holds toy gun exchange
A California elementary school is holding a toy gun exchange, offering students a book and a chance to win a bicycle if they turn in their play weapons, reports the Hayward Daily Review. Strobridge...
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A few of my favorite things
In Toy Stories: Photos of Children from Around the World and Their Favorite Things, Gabriele Galimberti shows what boys and girls in 58 countries consider their most prized possessions. When a box of...
View ArticleOnion: Serial killers didn’t get toy on store trip
Most serial killers were denied a toy in childhood when visiting a store with their parents, reports The Onion. Even one toy denial may trigger violent impulses, said forensic psychologist Edgar...
View ArticleHow parents use Lego
Lego is the biggest toy company in the world, writes Jonathan Ringen on Fast Company. The Danish company has found “a clear distinction between American and European parents,” researcher Anne...
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‘Insanely dangerous’ toys of the past
From The Federalist‘s 8 Insanely Dangerous Toys From The Past: The Gilbert Chemistry Outfit included “potassium permanganate, which, besides being poisonous, has been known to make things catch fire,”...
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When toys talk, Mom doesn’t
Talking toys may be bad for babies and toddlers, writes Cory Turner on NPR. Parents talk less when toys talk more, according to a new study in JAMA Pediatrics. And young children need to interact with...
View ArticleCover the world with LEGO
“Nimuno Loops” — LEGO-compatible adhesive tape — looks very cool. A new Indiegogo campaign is raising money for the product, reports Nerdist. The Nimuno Loops offer “flexible strips that can be cut to...
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German toy bans aim to prevent drug abuse
Some German day-care centers and kindergartens ban toys to prevent addictive behavior, writes Sara Zaske in The Atlantic. The theory is that learning to play without toys will build children’s coping...
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Playing with DNA
Among the STEM toys in this holiday gift guide is this kit for ages 10 and up. In my day, children couldn’t isolate DNA at home, though I guess we could breed bacteria. Neither could scientists....
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Too many toys spoil the toddler
Toddlers play more creatively if they’re given a few toys, according to a new study in Infant Behaviour and Development. Too many toys at one time are distracting, writes Emma Young in Research...
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