Two astonishing events in the news really underscore the influence of toys: a huge show of retro and modern toys, and a Lego professorship at Cambridge.
Do you have any toys from your childhood? At a show this month, called Retro and Relevant, over 700 adults will be sharing tables of Star Wars, Transformers, Ninjas, Lego, Meccano, and other toys. The list is extensive and one man interviewed estimated the value of all his Transformers to be over $70,000. He doesn’t just collect them, he and his 3-year old play with them, along with guests that visit. I bet they get lots of visitors to their house.
Hundreds of people will attend the event. Some will be searching for items to add to their collections, some to rekindle memories, and others want to find toys to share with their own children. These toys have had a lifelong impact and sparked deep passions.
The other bit of news is an announcement of “the establishment of a Lego Professorship of Play in Education, Development and Learning” at the renowned Cambridge University in the UK. Just thinking about taking a class in Lego is exciting. Can you imagine the class assignments? Would term projects be written in Legos?
What toys did you play with? Do you think they had an influence on you? These are interesting things to think about. There are also dozens of questions to ask when we think about getting toys for our own children. As our kids receive invitations to birthday parties, we are faced with the challenge of what toy to bring as a present. These are considerable challenges!
New research is being done on the role of toys in development and learning. Sometimes, we shrug our shoulders and say “It’s just a toy.” Instead, maybe saying “It’s just the future,” would be more accurate?
[_] Could you share a photo of well-loved toys on 123’s FB page? I’ll post one of some of my old play dishes.