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When you were young all aboard toys were some of the most popular toys especially among boys. Toys have been around forever. Even before they were actual toys, common items were used for play. Rocks were building blocks and vines were swings. Examples of toys can be seen in the cave paintings of prehistoric man and the hieroglyphics of ancient Egypt and Peru. Game play traces its roots to the activities of adults that were emulated by their offspring. Whether it was copying the parent in hunting, child rearing, or even war, play is an integral part of passing down not only traditions but valuable life sustaining skills. Play is not limited to just humans. You will see many examples of play among most mammals throughout the world. Having the skills developed in play as a young cub can mean the difference of life and death to an animal. With humans it is much more complicated because of the social constructs that go along with play activities and human society in general. Rules developed during juvenile play activities translate to the ability to get along with others for life. Individuals that cannot play by the rules as a youngster will find it difficult to assimilate into a grown up world. All aboard toys represent symbols of some of these social constructs. They may be in the form of dolls, as an example of developing character and societal roles. Dolls can range from gurgling babies to action figures ready to take on the largest threat known to mankind. They become vehicles for the young child's mind to expand his or her self awareness in the safety of another persona. This helps them develop not only individual skills but a sense of purpose for which to use those skills. Play is the simplest of human activities on the surface but has complex social ramifications built into it that creates an environment of interaction that evolves to real human interactions that allow society to survive. Many of the lessons learned during play become the core fabric of society with very strict guidelines both explicit and implicit. Everyone develops a sense of fair play which becomes honesty and integrity in future interactions. Breaking these well defined rules will cause the individual to be ostracized among their peers. Playing nice with others is an often stated phrase that everyone understands. It means more than just getting along on the playground. What it really means is you can be trusted to follow the rules and be counted on to pull your weight in any interaction. Note the recent scandals on Wall Street that show how deviating from the rules of the game not only hurts individuals economically, but causes harm to the overall process because of lack of trust in the system. Broken laws are the product of broken rules. On the flip side, following the rules should result in being rewarded. It is just as important, if not more so, to reward good behavior as it is to punish bad actions. But it is not just the broken rules that cause disruption. Changing the rules in the middle of the game can be just as damaging. Keeping play age appropriate will help the young mind grasp these rules more easily. Using simple smaller versions of adult objects like toy cars, trains, and airplanes will give your child the opportunity to not only have fun but to learn. The more your child can practice these important social skills in a nonthreatening environment, the better they will cope as adults and learn how to play nice with their all aboard toys as well as with others. Sandy Winslow writes about many subjects, including toys and games. Reminiscent of simpler times all aboard toys bring back fond memories.
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