| Well, of course kids can watch television when it's | | | | |
| a rainy day. Indeed they do anyway on a daily | | | | Other valuable toys are those that reflect real life |
| basis from a very early age. There is no doubt | | | | in model form, and can be arranged in various |
| that the right television programmes for children | | | | ways to set up different scenarios around which |
| can help them learn about the world outside whilst | | | | a child can develop a simple story. When I was a |
| also entertaining them. | | | | boy we had Dinky toys that could be raced |
| | | | | across the lino, and sets of knights and soldiers |
| Watching television though is a passive pursuit, | | | | which could be painstakingly laid out in battle |
| requiring little or no interaction, so it is not | | | | formation and allowed various strategies to be |
| desirable that they should spend all their time in | | | | developed to engulf the enemy. As these soldiers |
| front of it, however appealing it may be for busy | | | | were made of a soft metal alloy, it was inevitable |
| mothers who want to keep their child out of their | | | | that a number of heads would be lost in the |
| hair. Very small children will not sit still for very | | | | course of a battle. |
| long anyway, and nor should they. They need to | | | | |
| move around, and to explore the world around | | | | Nowadays there are much better sets of models |
| them, which they do by touching things, putting | | | | available which are virtually indestructible, and are |
| them in their mouth, moving them about, and | | | | excellent for such games. The company called |
| generally playing with them. | | | | Schleich is relatively small in world terms and may |
| | | | | not be familiar to many, but it ought to be, since |
| | | | | it produces several different magnificent sets of |
| It is extremely important for a child to have | | | | models based on the natural world, historical |
| some indoor toys that stimulate them and | | | | figures, and the mythical world. For example, |
| encourage them in creative play. The traditional | | | | there is a range of medieval knights, courtiers, |
| toys such as model cars for boys and dolls for | | | | ladies, and accompanying accessories including a |
| girls are all very well but, in addition to these, | | | | castle. These figures are hand-painted, incredibly |
| children need toys they can actually manipulate | | | | detailed, and really bring the world of the knights |
| and do something with. Toys like wooden or | | | | to life. |
| plastic bricks that can be used to build something, | | | | |
| shapes that will only fit into a board in a certain | | | | These kinds of activity toys, such as playing with |
| way, easy jigsaws, and Plasticine or Play-Doh, are | | | | Schleich figures, should keep your children |
| all examples of these kind of toys that are | | | | occupied for many hours when they cannot get |
| exactly the kind needed to keep children occupied | | | | outside to play, and are an essential part of |
| on a rainy day, whilst stimulating their creativity | | | | children's development, allowing them to interact |
| and allowing them to practise their skills in handling | | | | with actual things that stimulate the mind, and to |
| and manipulation. | | | | interact socially with each other. |