The Five Best Toys of All Time

    Being in the boomer generation, I have reminisced about how we played for hours with our own “galimotos.” Specifically these are cars created from any common material, but the term can apply to any readily available object that “becomes” a toy, and builds our imagination for hours!

     My son alerted me to a list by “GeekDad” writer, Jonathan H. Liu, in Wired.com of the “Five Best Toys of All Time”.  Now that’s an important list to know, and let’s see if you agree.
    
     Number one is a stick.  I was reminded recently of its prominence when I pulled out a 25 year old document of school “Recess Rules”. One of which stated: “Do not steal sticks from another class’ fort.”  Last month we completed a new playground on our school/church property. I wonder if we would have been better served to have just let kids go collect “toys” in the back woods on our campus!  Sticks earn their number one ranking as they are: generational, collectible, biodegradable, easily combined with other “toys” for versatility, and they do “grow on trees”!

     Number two is the cardboard box.  Your stick becomes an oar, a mast, or an antenna depending on the box transformation.  A box can take on small (a robot) or large (a house) proportions easily.  With minimal effort, recycling centers and appliance stores won’t hesitate to give one up.

     Third is the incredibly versatile ball of string.  One of my favorite childhood books, making it of 1950s origin, was called A Big Ball of String by Marion Holland.  In it a bed-ridden kid with a cold creates a literal carnival of fun with objects in his room animated with string.  He rejoices, “I can do anything with a big ball of string!”  And when it evolves into rope, even more ideas emerge.
     
     The fourth toy is a cardboard tube.  This one is a character builder of patience, unless you don’t mind a small hill of unrolled paper towels in your kitchen.  Or, buy the really cheap Christmas wrap at the Dollar Store, take off the 18 inches of paper, you have a super deluxe sword, a telescope, or a bazooka.  The Nerf folks just improvised on it.  You could even join the Cardboard Tube Fighting League, which really exists and provides a welcome alternative for kids who like to play safe from sports concussions.

     Last, but not least, is number five, which I declare is a tie between dirt and water.  The first is more creative, and the second is more exhilarating.  Exposure to dirt actually strengthens immune systems! It is always available, and the cost is free!  A garden hose, mud pies, or a nearby creek can fill a day with fun.

     As the anticipation for new toys under the tree arises, I would encourage you to remind your children of what fun they can have with what they already have.  After all, test scores and worldwide education levels have dropped with the advent of new “toys”.  Enjoy the ultimate “toys” this season with imagination and creativity.

Bobby Scott, headmaster of Perimeter School in Johns Creek, Georgia, and director of the ChildLight Schools Association, has over 30 years of educational experience.  He is a co-author of When Children Love to Learn (Crossway Books), a Charlotte Mason education book for school educators. Bobby has been the headmaster of Perimeter School in Johns Creek, GA (a 500+ student school of grades K-8) for 26 years. Since 2004, he has annually led teacher training teams to the Punchmi Christian Academy in Karanse, Tanzania, East Africa, as well as been an adjunct instructor at the Joshua Teacher Training College, also in Tanzania. He holds a Master of Education in Counseling and a Master of Education in School Administration. He and his wife, Valerie, have a son and two daughters.