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Top panel: Red-haired white woman with black and white striped shirt staring at a computer monitor that says “study finds fewer toys, better toddler play,” thinking “did we buy too many gifts?” behind her are four gifts and a grey cat switching its tail. Text says “it’s a question that resonates with me…” Middle left: The same woman gazes into a window at a 50% off sale, with gift bags in the window that say “shiny” “new” “things we don’t need.” Text says “especially this time of year.” Middle right: Same woman pushes white toddler with red hair and blue & white striped shirt in a shopping cart down an aisle with cereal boxes. Toddler says: “Mama, trucks!” Text says ”I’m thankful our 2 year old isn’t a fully indoctrinated consumer yet.” Bottom left: Toddler sitting next to what appears to be Santa’s lap, reading a list. Text says “but I can feel it coming.” Bottom right: split panel with toddler gazing at a box and woman gazing at a new phone. Text “I’m guilty, too. What parent isn’t delighted by the thrill of a new toy. And, I can relate.”
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Top panel: One of my favorite parts of parenthood has been watching my baby — now a toddler — play. Middle panel: Image: baby with red hair and yellow and white striped shirt crawling on blue carpet, examining carpet. Text: “In the beginning, his play was about exploration. Watching my baby, I wondered if I had ever found anything as fascinating as he did.” Bottom left: Toddler holding a red spatula. Text: Later, I learned anything could be a toy. Bottom right: How had my definitions — my world, even — become so limited as an adult?
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Top left: Toddler holding doll. Text: Kids benefit from playing with open-ended toys (Robson, 2018, New Scientist (3209/3210): 65–67). Top right: an assortment of blocks; stick; child poking their head out of a cardboard box; puzzle pieces; stacking rings. Text: open-ended toys encourage imagination, problem-solving, and original thinking…not one use or prescribed answer. Middle panel: red bucket, with sand being poured in; bucket swinging; bucket used as a megaphone; standing on a bucket; bucket carrying tools. Text: I love this example of how many ways you could use a bucket (Dauch et al., 2018). Bottom left: a white hand cleaning with a yellow sponge, a headless toddler holding a yellow-clothed baby doll; a toddler hand pushing a toy train. Text: Pretend play starts around one year. I love watching my toddler’s play become ever more complex. Bottom right: Play is the foundation for all kinds of learning — even mathematical reasoning. I love watching my toddler develop flexibility and patience, and figure out cause and effect through play. (Clavio & Fajardo, 2008, Education Quarterly 66(1); 87–100).
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Top left: headless woman picking up an assortment of toys, including blocks, and a cup. Text: But sometimes, while picking up toys, I find myself daydreaming…Top right: Grinch head saying “No more toys” and white hand holding a yellow toy car saying “does this spark joy?” Middle panel: Red-haired white woman with black and white striped shirt turned away from a computer monitor that says “study finds fewer toys, better toddler play,” thinking “I hope I saved the receipts” behind her are four gifts and a grey cat snuggled up in a cat breadloaf position. Text: So naturally, I wanted to know more when I stumbled on this study. The study compared toddlers playing with 4 or 16 toys. As a scientist, I ‘m always curious to know how studies are designed to reliably test questions. Bottom left: Toddler with brown skin and hair and yellow and white striped shirt and blue pants and red sock playing with toys, including a yellow school bus, blocks, a sorting toy, and a train of animals. Text: In this study, each toddler experience both conditions. Thus, the researchers could determine that the higher quality play was due to fewer toys. Bottom right: Red-haired white woman with black and white striped shirt turned away from a computer monitor that says “Google: minimalism” and then a drop-down menu says “tiny house” and “commune.” Text: But what American family has only 4 toys? I investigated options.
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Top left: In fact, middle class American families have an average of 139 toys visible. Most have at least 100, and some have as many as 250 (Arnold et al. 2012. Life at home in the 21st century. Top right: Lego box, dollhouse, and train. Text: And, I wondered, what counted as one toy. I had so many questions. Middle panel: Same woman facing a computer screen, having a video call with Dr. Metz, a woman with white skin and brown hair, and a blue shirt. Bottom panel: Dr. Metz, shown larger, smiling. Text quotation: “Play is fun, intrinsically motivated, and non-instrumental to your immediate survival. This does not mean that play isn’t important.”
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Top panel: Toddler with brown skin, brown hair, and blue shirt, black pants, and yellow and white striped socks crouched playing with train cars on the floor. To her right, part of a wooden mahogany table is shown, to her left, a white woman with long brown hair is shown reading a book, back to us, in a grey chair. Text: I was curious: how’d the study work? Dr. Metz told me parents were instructed to sit and look busy. They could respond to their toddlers’ requests — but were not to initiate. A parent’s dream! Middle panel: Three long-haired women wearing white lab coats and holding clipboards, one with a list of verbs (pouring, tossing, sorting, pushing) staring at a monitor watching a toddler with white skin and blond hair, and red and white striped shirt play with a sorting toy. Text: Then the researchers recorded how many unique verbs could describe how toddlers played with each toy. The more I learned, the more intrigued I was. And, I wondered, what motivated Dr. Metz to study play in the first place? Bottom panel: Text: It turns out that as an occupational therapist, she often hears parents’ worries about their toddlers’ attention spans with her. “Parents sometimes confuse immaturity with pathology,” she told me. So, she began to wonder about children’s play environments. Could the play environment be optimized? Image: toddler with white skin and short blond hair, and grey and white striped shirt and blue pants and white socks, prone on the floor, playing with a red truck. Around the toddler, identified as “player,” is a circle labeled “playing,” and the truck is labeled “plaything.”
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Top panel: White right foot stepping on a red lego. Speech bubble saying “f*$&” Text: And like most of us, Dr. Metz was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff that invades the house when you’ve got kids. (Thanks, Grandma!). Middle panel: As a scientist, I know that good research often leaves us with more questions than answers. This study was conducted in a lab. I’m dying to know what happens beyond the lab. Bottom left: Toddler tossing a stuffed kitty in frustration. Text: Could children survive with only four toys at home? I’m exaggerating — but you know what I mean. And, how does children’s play change after they play with the same toys for months? Bottom right: More studies, please! And sign us up to participate!
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Most of all, as a parent, I wanted to know—what should I do? “Pay attention to your kid’s play,” Dr. Metz said. “If their play is overwhelmed or distracted, maybe reduce the number of toys. Or, if a kid has mastered a toy, maybe it’s time for a different toy.”