Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Technology and the Loss of Kids Imaginations!

I remember having such a vivid imagination when I was young. I would play house with my sister on the front porch and use our porch swing as the car. I would seat belt my Cabbage Patch kids in with the belt from a bathrobe. We used to pretend there were leprechauns in our yard and set traps for them. We would go into our basement and play barbies with my brothers old Tonka Jeep and make towns out of Lincoln Logs.

There were no talking babies, no handheld games, no laptops, my Cabbage Patch even had yarn for here hair. I had to make my toys talk and walk, I had to pretend that the horse was galloping into the Lincoln Log Barn. Where have all our kids imaginations gone?

As much as technology has done for us, I think it has taken a lot away from our kids. There is really nothing we can do about it. We all adapted and there is no going back. If you go to the store and look at the shelves with the babies on them. There may be 1 or 2 dolls that are just regular dolls that come with a bottle and you have to pretend but the rest can talk, cry, eat, and even poop in their diapers.

Really? How much fun can that possibly be? I have watched my kids over the years get so bored with these toys. They play with them for a few days and then the toy will be found in the bottom of the toy chest with the next stop being a box in the basement.

I watched my kids in my mother-in-laws basement when she was moving. They had taken out their uncles Rock em' Sock em' Robots and Hungry Hungry Hippos. They played those games all day and asked if they could have them to take home. Now, isn't that funny, hours of entertainment by the toys that had the least instant satisfaction!

We waste millions a year for our kids to play with the latest and greatest toys.  I would love to see my kids use their imaginations more. How about you? What are some toys you think make kids use their imaginations?