Educational Books, Toys: Savvy Essentials: The Classics
Savvy Essentials: The Classics
Classics: What are the classics? The classics, for us, are the books and toys we cannot do without.
These are the books we need when we are cooped up in the house on a rainy day, or at home with a sick child. These are the books we love to read night after night, year after year, to child after child. These are the books that teach our kids that reading can be an unending source of joy. Some were written a long time ago, but these are the books that never get old.
These are the toys that unleash our child's amazing creative forces. Inspirations for preschoolers come a mile a minute, and all they really need from us are the right materials. That is to say: toys that inspire, but don't constrain. Toys that can adapt to whatever odd brainwave should happen to strike their little masters at a moment's notice. Toys that are so cleverly designed and well-made that they just call out to be played with. Toys that can stand those tests, year after year, decade after decade, are what we call classic toys. Every kid should have a couple on hand for playtime -- who knows what they'll make with them!
The Little Engine That Could
by Watty Piper
"I think I can. I think I can. I think I can." Who among us hasn't conjured up that refrain when faced with a seemingly impossible task? Like running the last leg of a marathon. Or getting an uncooperative child dressed in the morning. "I think I can." This beloved story of a small engine pulling a train laden with toys over a mountain was published in the midst of the Great Depression (1930), and has ever since been taken to symbolize the American can-do spirit in the face of hardship. But for children of any era, it offers a reassuring mantra for climbing all the mountains on the path to growing up and beyond.
Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
You of course remember this fabulous tale, but if you haven't read it in a few decades, you may be thinking it was dark or scary. It's not -- or at least we haven't met a child who thinks so. Mr. Sendak brilliantly recognizes that children are often far more comfortable with the wild things that stomp around their imaginations, roaring their terrible roars and gnashing their terrible teeth. It's grown-ups who seem to have most often forgotten the trick of taming these monsters (with their ever-so-slightly upturned mouths, you'll notice on this read) by telling them simply to "BE STILL!" and "staring into all of their yellow eyes without blinking once." And you simply must remind yourself of the beginning and end of this dreamlike tale -- you'll have a completely different perspective as a parent. Who knew that it was Max's mother losing her cool after all of his "mischief" and sending him to bed without supper that started this flight of fancy? And who knew that after the very long boat ride home to his room, his supper was waiting for him after all. "And it was still warm." Well, now you do. Read it again and share the delight.
Corduroy
by Don Freeman
Consider this a story of love at first sight - love between a slightly forlorn, been sitting-on-the-store-shelf- too long teddy bear and a little girl named Lisa. Like any good love story, this one has its obstacles. When Lisa spots the corduroy-wearing bear in the department store, her mother declines to buy him because he is missing a button to one of his shoulder straps. Rejection sends Corduroy on a none-too-successful quest for his missing button, but, not to worry, love prevails. Any child who has ever been attached to a special stuffed animal or doll will be utterly absorbed by this sweet tale as well as its sequel, A Pocket for Corduroy. And parents and children alike will appreciate Ash Can painter Don Freeman's vivid illustrations.
The Runaway Bunny
by Margaret Wise Brown
This bedtime favorite is as beautiful a love poem as has ever been written. The story's imaginary game of hide-and-seek between a little bunny and his mother appeals to children's dreams of running away and even stronger desire always to be found. Its gentle tempo and dream-like images have sent countless little ones off to sleep with the lulling assurance that their very own mother bunny will be there no matter where they go, and whenever they awake.
Peter Rabbit
by Beatrix Potter
The world of Beatrix Potter can come as a bit of a shock in our kinder, gentler era of child-rearing and children's books. The rabbits here don't spend much time on games like Guess How Much I Love You. Rather, Peter is dubbed ?very naughty" from the book's beginning, and, in Potter-land, naughty bunnies get their due (in this case, a dose of camomile tea ? but at least Peter escapes the switch, unlike his naughty contemporaries, Tom Kitten and Benjamin Bunny). Yet naughty bunnies also get to have all of the adventures, and what a thrilling adventure this is! Full of the radish feasts and hairbreadth escapes that have kept children riveted since the book's publication in 1902. With its utterly beautiful illustrations and delightful cadences, Peter Rabbit is, more than a century later, still a must in any child's library.
Twister Scram
by Hasbro
Another reinvention of a classic game that we love in its original and new form! It's Simon Says and Musical Chairs and an outdoor version of Twister all rolled into one. Scatter red, yellow, blue and green mats around a lawn, spin the spinner, and dash for right colored dots. Last one's out! But the game can quickly be stared over, so everyone gets a chance to win.
The Original Colorforms
by University Games
This toy is so cool (there's no better word) that is has acquired an almost cult-like following not just among kids but also among grown-up artists and designers. The set includes 350 brightly colored shapes that stick when pressed to the black shiny surfaces in this spiral bound book, and can be rearranged in different patterns and images to your little one's heart's content. Your young designer can compose images as abstract or literal as she chooses, fitting the pieces together like blocks, or overlapping them for texture and depth. The possibilities are endless and so is the play. You'll want to take a turn yourself, and will soon see why this set is so addictively satisfying to play with. (It also makes a particularly great travel toy - plenty of artistic gratification with zero mess in a light, compact set? It may actually be the only travel toy you'll ever need for the four and older crowd). This colorforms first appeared in 1951, and was recently given the Parents Choice award for Top Classic Toy.
Tinkertoy Classic Jumbo Set
by Hasbro
Ah, tinkertoys. The very mention of tinkertoys brings on a flood of nostalgic memories, doesn't it? Can't you recall almost exactly the feeling of fitting the rods and wheels together? Don't you remember the wacky structures you used to create and proudly display? One of the best things about these classic toys is precisely that store of memories that makes us want to get down on the floor and relive a piece of childhood with our own kids. So let's see if we can help them create something even wilder and wackier than what we did way back when.
Lincoln Logs
by K'Nex
There are lots of reasons to give a nod to Lincoln Logs, not least of which is that we celebrate President's Day this week and the birthday of Honest Abe himself. Another reason is that this building set provides a particular kind of satisfaction unlike any other comparable toy. Yes, you can build a house with good old wooden unit blocks which are, of course, another classic, essential toy. But it will never have the same solidity and, well, log-like quality that the one you build with Lincoln Logs does. There's something irresistible about the way the logs and roof slats fit together - so even if our kids can never claim to have lived in a log cabin in their political bios, they'll darn well know how to build one. .
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Jumbo Cardboard Blocks
The Big Bad Wolf has nothing on these sturdy cardboard blocks. They're easy to assemble, and they're lightweight so even the youngest builders can construct their dream home. Bright colors mean endless combinations. Blocks come in several different sizes. Includes 40 blocks. Review from Amazon
Candy Land
by Hasbro
Candy Land is truly the perfect first game. No reading or number recognition required, no strategy possible. It helps to know your colors, but you can always just match them if need be. And yet it is still fun for older sibs, and of course for older generations too. If you haven't seen the board for a couple of decades or more, you'll blanch when you see the (ahem) "updates" that Milton Bradley had included. No, we aren't fans of the new illustrations, but we are lifelong converts to the fun of Candy Land.
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