We have fallen to a level of consumerism such that we believe and make children believe that playing is synonymous with having toys. You play with toys, of course, but To play, you don't always need a toy.
Toys accompany the development of children and are very useful to stimulate their skills, but the game itself is an essential element in the lives of children that can be practiced with or without a toy. The game is learning, it implies mental, verbal and physical activity. Through him, the child develops his personality and learns to relate better with others and with the world around him.
We hardly conceive playing without a toy, but you can do many fun things without them. Sing, invent stories, play hide and seek, thieves and police, riddles, imitate, make Chinese shadows, play with the body ...
They are games that as parents we have to promote in children and do with them. Playing together is not each sitting with a command in front of the Play (although a little while it may be), but sharing the activities that enrich communication between parents and children, help them feel content, teach them to interact, both with us and with your peers, to understand others, perceive feelings and express emotions.
Having many toys does not mean that the child plays more, but rather encourages the opposite. We do not do them a favor by filling them with toys because we really do not appreciate them and they get bored more easily, making them less tolerant to the frustration that you cannot have everything you want.
Hasn't it happened to see how sometimes they have more fun with a soft drink lid than with a super sophisticated toy with lights and sound? The same with a cardboard box, an empty bottle or a piece of cloth. Well, I think that is the interesting thing to encourage, to be able to play regardless of the price or size of the toy, and even regardless of whether there is no toy.
