un-toys link

With the holidays upon us, all of the (good and bad) toy catalogs making their way from the mailbox to my coffee table and the long lists (both paper and mental) of my childrens' wishes being crafted, I would say that it is the perfect time to think about TOYS!

I am a minimalist when it comes to children's playthings and believe that less is more, will choose quality over quantity anyday, believe that a toy should be open to the many possibilities of creative play, must be beautiful and pleasing to the eye and tend to give preference to toys made from natural materials.

With that said, there are certainly toys in my home that are not ideal, but for me it is important to look at the 'bigger picture' here and not become so rigid and purist that there is stress and guilt associated with what toys my children are playing with.

My children tend to play with so many things things that are not toys on a daily basis. It seems that they are often asking me for quilts and blankets, using my pots and pans and utensils, asking for some form of water play and lately have been giddy about being allowed to find the hidden nooks and crannies in our (rather unfinished) basement.

So it is with great joy and satisfaction that I share this link with you about un-toys. It is one amazing, inspiring and creative list of playthings for children that will take you out of the big box toy store and digging in your own cupboards, toolsheds and backyards for the items that many children are really desiring to play with.

Kyrie Mead from Are So Happy has put together this great PDF file to share and describes it like this:

I love the concept of un-toys. My childrens’ best-loved toys are nearly all un-toys! They spark creativity and let them dictate their own play in such amazing ways.

Enjoy this wonderful resource... I know that I have!