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Issue Date: November 30, 2008
Good gifts: 10 classic toys
The best tried and true toys
By Claire S. Green
A classic toy is a perfect storm of fun and learning. Play helps us become creative and critical thinkers, and guides us to be more productive and socially adept. Play keeps us imaginative and curious. Classic toys provide valuable opportunities for children to imagine, create, discover and explore. In short, classic toys are what play is all about. Happily, the fun and appeal of classic toys give them a long play life -- and a long shelf life. They can be found in the aisles of almost any toy store.
The best toys don't dictate the play -- they give kids the freedom to play in any number of ways. They need neither elaborate instruction manuals nor battalions of batteries to provide the tools and opportunities to play and to learn. Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y., agrees: "A classic toy is one that has open-ended play value, with ongoing appeal that makes it endure. A classic toy is expandable and offers endless possibilities for creative play."
Still, if your child's holiday "wish list" includes a highly promoted toy, don't panic. Balance is the key to stocking a playroom and getting through the gift-giving season in relative harmony.
There's no time like the present for a classic toy, especially in these tough economic times -- and eight of our 10 picks can be found for less than $20. So take a break from bells and whistles to enjoy the magic that ensues when children interact with these tried-and-true toys.
After consulting with the Strong National Museum of Play, here's the Parents' Choice Foundation's list of 10 classic toys:
-- Crayola crayons
-- Radio Flyer Classic wagon
-- Paper airplanes
-- A doll (that neither talks nor performs bodily functions)
-- Legos
-- Play-Doh
-- Bicycle or skateboard
-- Puzzles
-- Action figures
-- Non-electronic toy cars and trucks
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