TOYS REFLECT CHARACTER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21716, 3 February 1934, Page 6 (Supplement)

TOYS REFLECT CHARACTER

MODERN TENDENCIES A RETURN TO SIMPLICITY In an age where child-psychology has shown the great educational and character forming influence <?f play, the study of toys is a fascinating one. Perhaps one cannot altogether tell what sort of a child it is by the toys it plays with, because in many instances it lias not had any say in their selection, though the modern child often does choose its own presents; but, in any case, the general character of toys shows to the thoughtful person something of the tendencies of an age. And it looks as if the age of. freak toys is passing. Grotesque animals in unnatural colours and shapes, dolls which have no resemblance whatever to the " little girl " doll adored by children of 20 years ago—these can still be seen in the shops, but their popularity is waning in favour of straight-out mechanical toys for little boys, and homely furniture and toy kitchen sets for the small girl. A recently returned Australian artist, who made a special study of toys overseas, says that, there is a return everywhere to simplicity, to old-fash-ioned pretty toys and natural looking woolly animals. It all shows a wholesome reaction from the extravagances of the pre-depression world. The next step is to get rid of, as far as possible, dangerous toys. There have been several cases of children being nearly drowned by going into deep water after some enormous rubber " beach animal."