Nothing grabs a child’s attention quicker than the promise of a new toy. I remember just how exciting it was to be taken toy shopping. I would peruse the shops with my older brother, and we would stare at the isles that loomed before us, filled with X-men action figures and Barbie dolls.

It was so hard to pick just one toy from all of the choices, but now that I am a wife and a mother, I find toy shopping even more difficult. I try to purchase toys for my son that are fun yet educational, and while there were plenty of toy choices when I was a kid, now it seems as though there are more gizmos and gadgets on the shelves than there ever were before. I usually do my research before entering a toy shop, knowing about all the warranties and warnings associated with what I want to acquire so that I can buy something of quality.

However, sometimes while shopping, my eye catches the gleam of a toy, and I remember just how much I still enjoy playing with kid’s toys. In fact, some of the best times my husband and I have had are when we play with our son’s toys while he is napping. My husband enjoys comics and cartoons, thus the tiny replicas of his favourite comics provide him with hours of utter delight. He twists their little bodies in an effort to recreate epic battles with Spiderman and Captain America, and he even forces the Captain Kirk action figure to duel the Obi Wan Kenobi action figure in order to determine whether Star Trek is better than Star Wars. The figures are so life-like that they can be morphed into any position, which makes for absolutely side-spitting and almost realistic action sequences.

I think the best kid’s toys, however, are interactive toys because they provide more stimulation for children, but also they are funnier for me to watch my husband play with. These kinds of toys make sounds, light up, spin, flip, or move in some capacity. One of my favourites is the Jumbo Music Block made by Neurosmith. This large block toy has bright colours, buttons, zippers, and snaps, and it plays several peppy, little tunes designed teach young children shapes and colours. I laugh every time my husband tries to imitate the toy. He sings along with the music by squealing at the top of his lungs, a sight that would drive even the most stoic person into hysterics. Another toy, Dance Party, a dancing mat that you plug into your T.V., provides endless entertainment for my husband and me as we jerk our bodies in what seems like unnatural ways in order to complete the dance task we are given. While the toy is designed to improve coordination, it also serves to remind me that I have muscles on my body that I did not know existed until I attempted to use this toy.

All in all, toys are more than simple play items, they are a metaphor for a type of fun and excitement that brings out a grown-up’s inner child for an hour a day, enabling him or her to re-examine life through young eyes and renew a positive outlook on the world.