Toys are more than utilitarian objects

In this column, in the previous week, we had a good look at the world of words, including the word 'word' itself. Likewise, the word 'toy' also has many 'avatars'. Depending on the context, it can manifest itself as a verb, a noun or an abbreviation. In its popular form, in the realm of online chatting or instant messaging, it can mean 'thinking of you'. As a verb, it can mean dealing with, or controlling, someone or something, in a clever, and usually unfair, or selfish, manner. It can also mean touching an object without any purpose, while distracted about some other matter or, on occasion, thinking about an idea, or possibility, for a short time.

It is with the meaning of the word toy, as a noun, that we shall deal with, in this column, this week. All of us realise the importance of the need for relaxation, especially given the fast paced and tense ambience of life in the present times. Many pursuits provide relaxation. They can include taking part in games or sports (like tennis, golf, fishing or flying kites), mental stimulation, through activities such as solution of puzzles or riddles.

Listening to music, or cultivating a taste to appreciate good works of art, such as paintings or sculptures or enjoying watching movies, plays or dance performances are also popular ways to relax. Thanks to the digital revolution, it is, nowadays, possible to divert one's mind from serious matters, through playing computer games.

In common parlance, a toy is an object that provides entertainment, with blocks, board games and dolls being the most popular among them. Although primarily meant for children, toys are also available for use by adults and pets. When designed to correspond to a given context, they can provide many benefits including physical exercise, cultural awareness, or academic education. Often, utilitarian objects, such as empty cereal boxes and tissue paper spools or even TV remote controls that have outlived their original purpose, can also serve as toys. The term toy can also refer to things purchased more for enjoyment than necessity, such as luxury cars, and motorcycles or state – of – the- art smartphones.

The genesis of toys dates back to prehistoric times. Dolls representing infants, animals and soldiers, as well as the presentation of tools used by adults, have been found in archaeological excavations. Toys and games, such as small cars, whistles shaped like birds, and toy monkeys that can slide down a string, have also been retrieved from the sites of the Indus Valley civilization.

Thousands of years ago, Egyptian children played with dolls made from stone, pottery, and wood, which had wigs and movable limbs. In ancient Greece and Rome, children played with toys such as sticks, bows and arrows and yo-yos made of wax or terracotta. And when girls came of age, it was customary for them to sacrifice their toys to the Gods in a temple, as a symbol of passage into adulthood.

The oldest known dolls are believed to have existed 4000 years ago. The earliest toys were made from natural materials such as rocks, sticks and clay. It is generally believed that the word toy was first used in the 14th century. Mention of toys can be found in ancient literature also.

Toys, in the form of miniature versions of vehicles of different types, such as aircrafts, boats, military vehicles and trains have been favourites with children for a long time. Even in ancient times children in Greece used to play with toys depicting two – wheeled carts.

In one's childhood, it is toys which provide an avenue of amusement and entertainment, while, simultaneously, acting as an effective, and powerful, medium of developing the child's creative ability. They play an important role in childhood and promote development of the cognitive, motor, emotional and linguistics skills, among others. Products such as Lego sets, jigsaw puzzles and building blocks can also be used as teaching tools that impart knowledge, and information, in an engaging and interesting mode.

Toys can be extremely useful instruments for training young children to face the experiences of real life in the future. Different materials, such as wood, clay, paper, or plastic, go into their making. Playing with toys is a significant step in the process of ageing of and children, and helps them in developing faculties like learning, the relationship between cause, and effect, apart from cognitive and linguistic skills.

Some toys have specially designed textures, make distinctive sounds, or display bright colours. Playing with them helps infants develop the ability to recognise shapes and colours. Toys impact positively the physical development, emotional development and social development of children also by raising their self-confidence and helping to make them creative, and happy children.

Some toys, such as Frisbees, are designed to improve hand – eye coordination, while there are others, such as skipping ropes, which improve balance. Children, in contemporary times, tend to move more quickly through various stages of playing with toys than was the case earlier. Certain categories of dolls which only girls over the age of eight played with some time ago, are increasingly becoming popular with children, barely three years old, a phenomenon known as 'age compression'.

Little wonder, then, that the Greek philosopher, Plato, wrote that the future architect should play at building houses as a child. And Nelson Mandela maintained that "there can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children".

Robert Oppenheimer, the legendary theoretical physicist, even went to the extent of saying that "there are children playing in the streets, who could solve some of my top problems in physics, because they have models of sensory perception that I lost long ago".

While there are, clearly, many advantages which toys can provide, in one's childhood, notwithstanding, it is necessary to be cautious about the dangers of their overuse. A study has suggested that supplying fewer toys in the environment allows toddlers to better focus to explore and play more creatively.

Also, their beneficial impact on the wellness of people notwithstanding, toys can also potentially create many health hazards. Children, for instance, often put toys in their mouths. In recognition of this danger, many countries have put in place safety standards to ensure the safety, especially of children.

Before we end this piece, a little snippet. A group of high ranking politicians goes on a series of institutional visits. It first goes to a school where, the leader, after a critical examination of the facilities, decides that, as a measure of economy, the portions of lunches be cut in half, the internet slowed down, and the number of computers reduced. The group next goes to a preschool, where similar recommendations are made by the leader, apart from a suggestion that the number of toys also be reduced.

The next visit of the group is to a prison where, after a similar examination of what is available, the leader suggests that the size and the courses of the meals be increased, apart from getting a faster broadband for the internet and providing more comfortable beds. The leader also recommends that new TV sets be bought, apart from getting a few extra consoles.

One of the members of the group, baffled by the attitude of the leader, asks for the logic behind it. "Simple", replies the leader, "we may never go to a school or a preschool again. But we are almost certain to land up here at the end!".

(The writer is formerly Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh)