This was a great post sent to me by Alex Bailey, of Early Childhood Education. The reason I found it interesting, and very true, is because I also believe that we, as "play" developers and innovators, need to be encouraging more creativity in our youth. I particularly found her examples about the Pre-80's and Post-80's examples of toys to resonate with me. Previously, toys were ambiguous and required kids to use their imagination during play to create stories, voices, backgrounds, etc. These days, toys and games come with a back story, often with their own television show, movie and/or books, so there is little room for children to do anything other than extending the story! Providing the opportunity for children to think, explore, create, and even embellish during these critical developmental stages could really do some good! Enjoy! (read in a funny, clown voice!)

Created by: EarlyChildhoodEducation.com