But all the toys they make are hand-made and safe. The toys are both fun and educational. And the fact traditional toys usually require youngsters to play in a group promotes their social skills. Playing in a group teaches children about respect and complying with the rules of the game. Also the youngsters get to absorb the culture passed down to them from the elders, and the generation gap is bridged.
Children are closer to their grandparents than before.
They watch them make the toys. The children also learn about their ancestors' ways of lives from miniature carvings, such as the ones created by Yueng Promyakang, 64. The former mechanic depicts old rustic scenes, from rice pounding to weaving and fishing, in his miniature works. They learn how some toys are on the verge of extinction, as the raw materials become scarce. Mr Weerapong cited an example of Yok Yong, a bunch of small bamboo tubes tied together, that create a variety of sounds when thrown in the air.