play, laugh, grow

sure thats a catchy motto for a toy company, but its a very valid mantra.

Play, I love to play, just ask my kids, sometimes I spend more time making a path for the train track then they do. Sometimes I color or paint long after they leave the table. Really kids have it right, their priorites are in order. If you are hungary you eat, if you are thirsty you drink, if you are tired you sleep, the rest of the time... you PLAY...

EXPERTS  of all kinds say that playing helps kids get ready for the real world. I dont like the real world personally. Bad stuff happens in this " real world". BUT  in play time.. if you dont like something them image it different. Solve the problem with a magical wand and fairy dust. Or pretend a Monster who is your friend because you feed him cookies, stomps till the problem disappears.

I love to hear the different laughter that happens during playtime. It is fresh and raw, full of innocence and acceptance. I long for those belly laughs when really you have no idea why everyone is laughing, only that it feels good to laugh.

You find me correcting my children a lot when they are playing, does it really matter if a racecar says roar or vroom?? If you ask you often find out that its a dinosaur that was turned into a racecar and according to childhood logic it does make sense.

Childhood logic amazes me all the time. As well as early math skills children show. Where else would 3 cups equal only 2.5cups, because they TASTE-tested the rest.  Or, the 'IF, IF, THEN's' apply to weather you can or cant fly becasue you have a set of wings.

To quickly will children experience those moments where they shed the innocence of childhood for what they think it better.  Christmas was just 10 days ago and most children have already choosen the favorite toy... was it what they asked for or the high dollar item tried to impress them? Maybe it was the box the are getting the most use from.

I hate most toys, they seem to be robbing kids of the imagination that it took to work them. Lights, sounds, and gadgets are neat but they get overwhelming fast. MY KIDS favorite toys are the quite plan toys that they control. Trains, dolls, blocks those toys that keep standing the test of time.

So once your grown-up to know you wish you could be a kid again, PLAY, LAUGH, AND dont grow...