We were pondering a question the other day, “What’s the purpose of toys….really?” What value do they have beyond the obvious one of sheer joy for the sake of play? Do they educate, stimulate, manipulate?
We think they can do all of the above and it differs with age, gender, culture and tons of other variables.
Children first orient themselves to the world through their parents and are greatly influenced by their parents world view. Soon enough though, they begin to orient themselves through play and the toys they play with have a profound influence on them.
Here at IBC, we don’t believe in helping children become adult consumers and we don’t believe in advertising directly to kids. Here’s a great video clip that exemplifies how we feel about the commercialization of children -
Children are pretty much a blank slate when they arrive and it’s up to us as parents, grandparents, community and yes, even we toy makers, that we be honest and genuine enough to fill those blank slates with love, respect and lots of creativity, instead of putting profit first!
The long and short of it is that toys are often a filter of the world for our kids and can have a powerful effect on them. Let’s give them something that makes both them and the world a better place.
Let’s face it, right now people need jobs! The current unemployment rate according to google.com is 9.3%. and there’s reason to believe that the figure is actually higher.
So…….Let’s bring back manufacturing to the U.S., and what better place to start than the toy industry! 98% of toys sold in the U.S. are made in China. And right now, China has it’s own bubbles that are bursting. They have exploited their workers for many years now and have kept the value of their currency artificially low.
That all seems to be changing now, which goes to show that there is nothing like a billion pissed off workers to change a governments mind. Some American companies are starting to bring their manufacturing back home. Toy maker Wham-O has recently brought 50% of their Frisbee manufacturing back to the US along with other toys. Thank you Wham-O!
This Chinese bubble is both good and bad news, as many companies are starting to look for cheap labor (women and children included) in other places such as Vietnam, Russia and Romania.
The question is – what can we do? Well, it’s a process and part of the process is our intent. So, let’s all raise our voices and tell someone else, tell your congressman, tell your milkman and even tell your mother – Dude….bring back our jobs!!
If you are a toy manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer, you can educate your customers. Buying American made is a good thing and helps us all in the long run. When we buy more American made products, manufacturing will return, jobs will return and a sense of well being will return. It’s voting with our pocketbooks that works.
We need to look toward a more sustainable future and not just down the rabbit hole.
I love activities that allow kids to be creative and artistic, that is what Imagination Box Co is all about. Imagination Box Co. provides eco-friendly crafty toys that can be decorated by your child to make it their own. I had the opportunity to review the Castle Tower design and it was a HUGE success!
We said goodbye to a dear friend last week. Striker, a chestnut quarter horse gelding, has been a member of our family for 29 years. That’s a long time! He started getting a growth in his leg a couple of years back.
Never limping or in pain, the vet said at the time, to just let it be. After all, he was 27 at the time and had been put out to pasture for the last 10 years. Technically, he belongs to my (Kim) parents, they quit riding about 10 years ago, so he had quite the leisurely life. Living in North Idaho – land of grass, he enjoyed many fine years munching away!
About a week ago, the cancer opened up and began to cause discomfort. My folks knew what needed to be done!
Having done lots of hospice work, I honor the process of death. So on his final day I grabbed the camera and documented the occasion, and an occasion it was! Loaded up with flowers in his mane, carrots, apples and whatever treat he loved, we spent the morning honoring this fine friend. Here is a pic of our daughter Becca with him. She grew up with him, so it was a special day for her as well.
“Sounds like it’s time to give them a cardboard box or a flashlight!” That’s the ridiculous but so true advice I’ll get from my sister when she calls and the noisy kids make chit chat impossible. It’s good advice.
My 2, 4 and 6 year old kids have been spending hours coloring, painting and playing with our eco-friendly paint-able cardboard schoolhouse from Imagination Box Co.It’s been a fabulous craft time and imagination time toy for all three of them, together and separate. I expected for them to paint it for an hour or two and then be done which was fine because I could just recycle it. I have been very pleasantly surprised at the amount of time they have all dedicated to it. It’s been a few weeks now and they still come back to “work” on it or bring over their Barbie’s and little critters to play school with it.
A big part of my personal parenting plan is raising creative kids, and in a busy world that is full of distractions, that can be difficult. Thankfully, I recently came across a company that understands the importance of creativity in childhood. Imagination Box Co. provides eco-friendly, paintable arts & crafts toys that are made here in the US!
At Imagination Box Co. you’ll find unique cardboard designed play structures, including a barn, castle tower, country cottage, firehouse, & school house. So, whether you have a boy or a girl, Imagination Box Co. has a toy for you!
Let’s face it, right now people need jobs! The current unemployment rate according to 
