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imported from foreign countries in–
cluding Prance and Japan, includc
little dolls ( boy and girl dolis) com–
plete with anatomically correct sexual
parts. Makers of such dolls claim they
foster thc dcvelopment of healthy atti–
tudes toward sex. But they have no
proof to substantiatc thesc claims.
Children taught properly by thcir
parents about sex certamly don' t need
to be reminded of thc differences every
time they play with their little dolls.
Certain of thcse dolls, which obvious–
ly overemphasize sex, only height–
en the natural curiosity of children,
perhaps even lead thcm to begin ex–
perimenting among thcmsclves. The
world already has far too much sexual
stimuli in every
f
acct of society. Do
children need further bombardment of
such stimuli
?
One of the latest ''immoral" toys for
children was introduced into the United
States and Great Britain from Japan.
Called "Sexy Anna," this doll was
"topless." It was introduced when top–
less dancers were making headlines in
the United States and Great Britain.
lt
was, in effect, banned from Britain
when a magistrate fined a street pcddlcr
a few pounds for selling one.
Creative Toys
When purchasing toys, parents should
obtain those toys suitable for thc
child's age, sex, and temperament. Re–
sist the impulse to purchasc somcthing
which appeals to you, as an adult. Jt
might be boring to the child - a waste
of your money.
Childreu up to one year of age enjoy
and profit from toys they can look at,
Outdoor toys, such as the tricycle,
are excellent for physical de–
velopment and for the learning
of motor skills.
H. Armstrong
R.obt'rtt
39
feel, safely chew on, hold in their
hands, and drop. They should
be
wash–
able and nonbreakable aod have no
sharp edges. They should
be
large
enough so the d1ild cannot swallow
them.
One- to two-year-olds often like toys
they can take apart and put together
again, and toys they can push and pul!
around. Balls, blocks, little airplanes,
cars, and dolls would generally intercst
them.
For toddlers and younger children,
toys which can be assembled, which give
childrcn the chance to learn different
textures of familiar objects, different
colors, and which help them learn to
count, are very good.
As a child grows older he likes to
turn pages of books and experiment
with newly díscovered abilities. Such
toys as non-toxic modeling clay, safe
vegetable dye paints, various balls, and
construction sets could
be
recom–
mended, depending of course on the
child. Dolls which can be dressed and
changed would interest little girls.
Four- and five-year-olds are learning
their manipulative skills. Often toys
which stimulate coordination of physi–
cal and mental abilities, speed and ac–
curacy, interest them. Trains, road rac–
ing sets, hobby materials in arts and
crafts, construction or model sets,
tricycles, real carpenters' tools, games
that can be played out of doors, etc., are
stimulating and creative.
Creative toys provide a child the op–
portunity of the excitement and satisfac–
tion of learning. Providing a child with
creative play materials challenges the
child to use his imagination in a con–
structive and creati,re way.
Good educational toys should
be
ver–
satile and involve the active personal
participation of the child (more than
just winding it up and letting it run
!) .
They should satisfy the sensory interest
of the cbild (having many textures he
can touch) and help him to learn to use
his muscles by putting things together
( incrcasing finger and manual dexter–
ity). They should enable him to learn to