a robyns nest

I'm in the middle of reading Amanda Soule's new book The Creative Family - How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections.

In it she spends some time talking about toys. She has created 6 criteria that are used in her home when choosing toys for her kids. It was so nice to read someone else's thoughts on this subject, especially someone who agrees with me - we all need a little validation every now and then, right?

1. Is it beautiful? She is, as am I, a big fan of hand-crafted toys. Toys that feel good to touch and hold and are visually pleasing. Toys that are beautifully designed can be a great source of creativity and imagination.

2. Is it simple? She puts it well, "If there's a toy that does it all for you, there's little room left for creativity." She advises to "select toys that can be used in a multitude of ways and that evoke imagination and creative expression."




3. What is it made of? "Does your children's toy selection show an adequate representation of nature? Is there wood? Cloth? Natural Fibers?"

4. What Senses does it use? We all experience the world through our senses, and our children are strongly programmed this way (anyone else have kids who taste everything?) Soule suggests having toys in our homes which represent each of the senses.

5. How is it organized? Toys get used more when they are accessible, easy to find and available. This is SO true for my own kids! If our kids have to spend too much time looking for what they need, creativity often goes by the wayside. "Keeping toys organized in baskets, boxes and on shelves where kids can reach them helps so that children know just where they are when inspiration strikes."

6. Is there too much? Less is MORE!!! I try to do fairly regular toy rotations where I clear out most of the toys in the living areas, put them in boxes, and bring up another box (from a previous rotation) from the garage. Not only does it keep the toy chaos and clutter down to a minimum, but for a few days afterwards it's like Christmas all over again as the kids get reacquainted with old toys :)

I can't recommend this book enough. It's an easy read (for those of us with minimal free time), visually pleasing, and full of inspiring suggestions and ideas. Amanda Soule also has a great blog which I visit often.

Cheers!