Toys are elements that children use to play , thus acquiring various abilities. The term derives from gambling : a recreational action that is carried out for entertainment and that, sometimes, includes a competition with losers and winners.
Essential in development
Thanks to toys, children enhance their psychological and physical development . These products allow them to interact and perform analysis and exploration that helps them grow.
There are toys that are associated with certain cultures and eras. Over time, designs and materials changed, often due to greater awareness of the dangers of these items.
Balls and dolls are among the traditional toys that are popular around the world. It should be noted that there are simple toys, with one or a few pieces, some more complex and articulated, and others that include electronic components.
Benefits of toys
Imagination is a characteristic of many living beings, and it should always be nurtured so that each individual can develop in the way they need, without barriers. Toys give us that possibility, among others, because they allow us to be other people, or become animals, superheroes, manage our own house, or drive a spaceship, etc., when we still don't even know how to tie our shoelaces.
All of this, which can also be experienced with literature, for example, is necessary to find ourselves, to begin to understand who we want to be, who we should be. Each child should be able to try all the toys that interest them, regardless of their gender, so that they never feel the imposition of becoming a certain person.
homemade toys
Although today we are used to buying everything ready-made, to acquiring products of industrial origin, we must never forget that there are people behind all the manufacturing processes , especially those in charge of conceiving and designing them, and that even today There are those who prefer crafts .
Creating a toy can be compared to making food: beyond the economic and time differences that these processes have with the purchase of an industrial product, there is a pleasure that cannot be paid for with money that has to do with the feeling of having done it. oneself . Toys are not only made by adults for children, but many children explore this skill from a young age to have fun with their own creations.
In some cases, the need to make a toy at home arises due to economic problems, while in others it is nothing more than the artisan vocation that prevails over the idea of buying a ready-made one. Whatever the case, all children should be encouraged to do their own things, to explore their creative abilities and those of their families, to depend less on the market.
Other meanings
It is important to note that, in addition to children's toys , there are other types of toys. Pet toys , for example, are used to entertain dogs, cats and other animals. The idea of a sex toy , on the other hand, refers to a device that an adult uses to enrich their intimate life and obtain or give erotic pleasure.
The object or individual that is dominated by an external force is also mentioned as a toy: “The ship was nothing more than a toy of the sea, which moved it at will to the rhythm of the immense waves,” “I'm tired of being a “My boyfriend's toy, I'm going to separate because I don't want to continue suffering for his whims,” “The boss thinks that we are all his toys, but labor rights exist and he must respect them.”