Toys aren’t as good as they used to be

Published: 
Listen to this article
Nicole Moraleda |
Published: 
Comment

Latest Articles

Improving concentration and relaxation is a walk in the park – with a dog

Climate change, urbanisation lead to early flowering of cherry blossom trees

Tatler to give fans 50% ticket refund for Messi’s Hong Kong no-show by May

An intense smell from a rare corpse flower attracts visitors in San Francisco

Hong Kong grocery chain DCH goes out of business after 39 years

Hong Kong logs coldest start to March since 2016

Did toys used to promote interaction more than today's toys do now?

With the rise of technology, teddy bears, toy cars and dolls are slowly disappearing. Everyone wants the newest game console or smartphone. Even parents seem to be supporting the shift and are buying more electronic toys for their kids.

But toys aren’t just for fun. They play an important role in children’s learning and socialisation, while boosting their imagination and creativity.

Toys such as building blocks, puzzles, puppets, board games and Play-Doh give children what they need to grow and be responsible. On the other hand, I don’t think electronic toys allow children to be as creative or imaginative.

Those classic toys were important in the past and we mustn’t let them die out in the future.

Shirley Ng Cho-yan, Leung Shek Chee College

From the Editor

Thank you for your letter, Shirley. I agree that it is a shame those classic toys you mentioned are not as popular as they used to be. It seems the only toys kids are interested in these days are that of the electronic sort.

Although modern electronic toys can be very fun to play with and some can even stimulate the brain, I agree that they don’t allow children to use their imagination and creativity as they do with traditional products.

Gone are the days when children used to make up their own games. Now they don’t have to, with all the game developers creating video games and apps for them.

What’s more, these electronic games usually have such strict rules, there isn’t much room for children to be creative and really go wild with their imagination.

Before video games, children would have great fun playing with things such as Lego blocks which are designed to inspire and entertain them for hours. Now they can hardly play with one toy for more than an hour.

Also, electronic games hinder human interaction. Well, you may be interacting with other people online, but you’re staring at a screen all day and end up neglecting those around you.

With Christmas around the corner, perhaps more people should consider buying more classic toys rather than the latest gadgets. Mix things up a little. Something like a board game could really bring the family together.

Nicole Moraleda, Sub-editor

Sign up for the YP Teachers Newsletter
Get updates for teachers sent directly to your inbox
By registering, you agree to our T&C and Privacy Policy
Comment