Electronic toys replace the child's own ideas with programmed scenarios designed by adults. Toys fueled by a child's own imagination, in contrast, don't require recharging or expensive equipment. In fact, constant heavy use doesn't wear imagination down at all, but powers it up for a lifetime of innovative thinking and creative action. Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment. Today, the pervasive influence of electronic media undermines play, she adds.
Children spend a lot of time watching television.
Toys of value enhance children's natural ability to engage in imaginative, meaningful play. Electronic toys tend to channel children into imitative play involving little imagination, problem solving, or creativity, Levin says. Rhonda Clements, professor of education at Hofstra University, shares those concerns. High-tech toys, she says, may frighten or frustrate children with their insistent demands. Wagons, wheelbarrows, balls of all kinds, scooters, tumbling mats, and building blocks are all great choices, she says.