Denise Thong
Jul 28, 2017 · 3 min read

Minimalism – Children’s Toys

Long before Roy and I joined the minimalism movement, we had already made it a point to give our son, Benedict, as little toys as possible.

On the occasion when toys were given, they were usually toys that allowed room for creative play (e.g. building blocks) or toys that trained him to acquire some skills needed to fulfil the various developmental milestone (e.g. shape sorter bus, stackable toys).

Our motive for giving him as little as possible was to encourage him to discover multiple ways of playing with every single toy. We wanted him to concentrate on playing with one toy at a time and to learn to value every single one of his possessions.

In a way, our strategy worked. Benedict begun to create new games for himself. His favourite toy of all time is in fact, not a toy. It is a household item – two silicon coasters that we keep on the coffee table. Apart from biting them, Benedict also stuck them on the glass windows. When they did not stay, he slobbered all over them using his saliva as an adhesive. Disgusting I admit, but still pretty impressive for a 10 month old.

Our society is one that encourages consumerism. Even from a young age, children are expected to be consumers. Parents and loved ones spend hundreds of dollars purchasing toys for their children. A simple stroll through Kiddy Palace would give you an idea as to how many toys are being marketed to our children. Disturbingly, some of the toys actually encourage only one time usage (e.g. Playdoh that encourages mixing of colours to create special effects). Gone were the days where toys were made to last.

Even more unsettling is the fact that some toys are made to be collected. It is not enough to buy one set of shopkins, you need all of them. Inside the box of the more expensive sets, you will find special access codes for an online extensions of the game. It pains me to see how early children are taught to lead a maximalist lifestyle.

It is our sincerest hope that Benedict grows up to be a good man who values his belongings, takes good care of them and is able to live within his means. To that end, we will not only strive to limit his toy consumption but also be role models in our own consumption habits.

Lastly, it is nice that Benedict only has a limited array of toys. Each toy has its space in the living room and every evening before we go to bed, we return the toys back to their original location. In fact, they are so well arranged that they actually look pretty on our display cabinet AKA ‘toy box’. What a pleasant and unexpected side effect of having a minimalist toy collection.

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Writer in Christianity and Morality

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