More than once, while engaged in conversation with others and upon being asked “What are you doing this week?”, I have replied that I was engaged in my shop working on a production run of one toy or another. Also on more than one occasion, the response has been incredulity. And here I paraphrase…” Do you mean children’s toys? Why don’t you just go buy them?” Obviously, this has come from individuals not fully versed in my particular folly. And why don’t I just go buy them? I can think of several reasons, which we will explore and see where I fetch up.

Parenthood. I did not always understand that this changes everything but I learned quickly that it has a way of transforming general questions into specific imperatives.

For example:

When my first-born, Cora, was an infant my wife and I were given a parental relief device (PRD), a wind-up spring escapement powered baby swing. I still recall the brand name – “The Swing-O-Matic,” and was totally sold on the marketing premise which suggested that from time to time the parent could nestle baby in the powered reciprocating swing, thus magically relieving said parent to do things normally requiring both hands! Or maybe even dare to take a bath. I am certain that the giver meant well, but then reality interceded. Upon placing baby Cora into this parental sanity saving machine, we noticed that something was amiss. At the end of the swing’s arc the spring motor would reset with a loud click as it changed direction. At every click our baby would startle, flinch and blink, which was not the kind of gentle distraction we had envisioned. Further testing yielded the same results and it was decided that mechanical baby care was not for us. I was working as a carpenter and so launched into designing and building a wood (Fir) baby swing with backrest, arms, seatbelt, etc. It is very clear to me that I enjoyed the process.

“But that was in olden times,” you say, “predating the internet and the endless shopping opportunities which it portends”. So, why would anyone choose to make wood toys when they are available abundantly, quickly and easily in alternate materials. Why? I will not dwell upon the tactility and aesthetic beauty of wood here, since I suspect that in our diverse world, there may be those who find molded thermoplastic to be wood’s aesthetic superior. Sigh. I also promise not to lapse into gooey nostalgic rhapsodies regarding toys which I knew and loved as a kid. Looking at this from my viewpoint as a mature adult who derives a lot of joy from the wielding of tools and creating things, I believe that I see a parallel.

I see toys as children’s tools. And just what is a child’s work to accomplish with these tools? Well, themselves. Their unfolding physical, mental, psychic, and emotional development. Their concepts of basic relationships like weight, balance, gravity, friction, not to mention imagination and fantasy. All this from just individual play.

Desirable toys as an aid to play and development may, in my humble opinion, fall into that very large category in life where less really is more. Thank you, Mies von der Rohe. Allow me to attempt to explain myself. My concern is that along with the proliferation of “intelligent” toys and electronic games, children are taught that through conformity to an arbitrary set of rules and expected behaviors that the game can be played competently. I am not sure that this is good or desirable teaching. I do think that toys are meant to empower a budding imagination and not to replace it. Thank you for reading!