Choosing what toys to buy is a small matter compared with the overall task of discerning from moment to moment how to respond to our children in an intelligently loving way. When buying a toy seems called for, here are some things to consider: . . .
Toys to avoid.
Terrific but too temporary. Some beautiful, well-made, and educationally sound toys that are valuable in a preschool may be almost worthless at home because the child learns what they offer in a few minutes. At least in the beginning, children are not interested in the having of toys (possessiveness is acquired), but in what they can learn from them. As soon as the child has learned all he can from a toy, he will lose interest in it. If he can learn everything in one sitting, he will be through in one sitting. Glenn Doman estimates that the average toy designed for the average eighteen-month-old holds interest for about 90 seconds.