Some finds toys for toddlers based on digital devices a bit confronting. But really they’re just updated versions of traditional toys for make-believe play such as doctor and tradie tool sets.
Many children receive gift cards or even ask for them so they can choose their own presents. But are youngsters ready to handle the wiles of advertisers and the complexities of ‘credit’ on a card?
Blocks probably won’t top Christmas wish lists, but they have many benefits including developing fine motor skills, social, cognitive and language skills, and spatial reasoning and language.
Barbie has a forgotten history of changing in response to market pressures. Are her multiple new bodies ushering in an era of ethical body inclusiveness, or is Mattel just shifting deckchairs on the Titanic?