Children's toys at Child's Play, Mall Plaza. - Yahneake Sterling

Thirty-two-year-old Andrea has two boxes full of 'play money' at her St. Catherine home. At least, she does not think of the boxes of toys her children, now six and four, used to play with as being very funny. She recognises that she spent a lot of money on 'playthings' for her children.Money that eventually ended up in a box or two.

"You know how children are; they like toys and as young parents we try to buy what we can just to see them happy," she said. That drive often means not keeping tabs on the price and Andrea recognises that she went overboard.

"There are even toys here that were never used, brand new," she said.

However, she notices that there are some which are missing or, if they are there, look much more used that the majority of the playthings. Things like flash cards, which show numbers and letters for children to recognise. Things like an Abacus, which was used to teach them counting.

natural development

"I find that the things which were used to educate them were used much more than the toys, those they sort of got tired of over time," she said.

Carolyn, who has taught at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, says that as children develop it is natural that they should leave some of their more childish toys behind and gravitate towards those that provide mental stimulation. She notes that often the educational games cost less than fancy toys and, naturally, offer the children much more.

"Toys, especially those with batteries that have to be changed on a regular basis, cost a ridiculous amount of money. And they do not last long. What many people do not realise is that a blackboard and chalk is very much a toy for the children, but at the same time an educational tool," she said.

She suggests that it is never too early to introduce children to a computer and, with the prices of slower, older but still very useful models tumbling, it is much more practical to invest in a computer than dolls, toy cars and other such items.

Thirty-three-year-old account executive Patricia has done just that, restricting her purchasing of toys for her son to stuffed animals and buying a computer that is reserved solely for his use. The result is that at five years old Brandon is computer savvy and is making some attempts to do simple graphics and also plays a few games on the machine.

"He will be on it for hours," the satisfied mother said. "And the good thing is that there is educational software as well, so it is a learning tool as well as a toy. As he gets older, of course, I will get a newer machine and keep up to date, but I am very happy with the way things have turned out."

And it does not hurt that there is an alternate source of traditional toys. "His uncles and aunts will take care of that anytime," Patricia said.