Walking into a toy store these days feels like walking into the movie Toy Story: it seems as if all of the toys have come to life. Start talking to a teddy bear, and it talks back to you. Sing a song to the bear, and it starts dancing.
The technology is amazing. But are these toys really what's best for children?
The issue is not whether toys should include the latest technology, but rather what types of play activities are encouraged by the toys. Unfortunately, most of today's high-tech toys squeeze creativity out of children's play.
This is not an idle academic concern. There is a growing recognition that creative thinking is the key to success in today's fast-changing society. In his book The Rise of the Creative Class, Richard Florida estimates that 30% of all jobs now require creative thinking, up ten-fold since 1900. And the percentage will undoubtedly continue to climb in the future.
Read more at:
http://www.parents-choice.org/article.cfm?art_id=329&the_page=editorials
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