An article in the Toronto Star published this weekend sums up a key trend in the toy industry: simple toys made from all-natural and sustainable materials that allow for open-ended imaginative play. The author cites several contributing factors including concerns about toy safety in light of the recent massive recalls, emerging eco-consciousness, and a backlash against “educational toys”. My favourite quote is “A good toy is 10 per cent toy and 90 per cent child” by Peter Emmenegger who recently launched Inquisitivekid.ca. The author also cites David Elkind, who writes in his new book, The Power of Play, that “Children’s play - their inborn disposition for curiosity, imagination and fantasy - is being silenced in the high-tech, commercialized world we have created.”

Click here to read the article. Enjoy!

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