The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-13
YOUR CHILDREN
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 DEMAND GROWS FOR REAL
 TOYS.
 Hard times have made women more domestic and the girls arc naturally failing into line. Little girls have gone back Co house. keping toys, and these are the real things toy makers say.
 Stoves really cook, gWoeperA really sweep brushes actually scrub and although SO far have not seen a miniature ice-box that freezes water into cubes, these are made in such exact c0unterparts of the big ones that the utility part can be left out of the picture. How ever, there are Tom Thumb wash ing machines that do operate per- fectly.
 Even doII-houses, some of them. contain real plumbing and reBem- ble the affairs we live in. most amazingly.
 Children Are Realists.
 All this fits in with the latter day theory that children are real ists. Demand for such toys has increased 100 per cent ih the last two years.
 I wonder if we can lay it to the depression and the habit of chil- dren >coyping their mothers, or to the fact that such toys have only been on the market for, a short time. Probably both.
 We know that boys playthings have fallen into better ways also. What is not made today for boys that won't work as cleverly as the big models they are copied from
 And yet--I don't know. It seems to be that perhaps we are leaning over backward in this matter of real honest-to-gOodness no-ifnar. ination, gadgets for the children.
 Isn't there something missing when little fellow can't turn Clair down and with two of dads neckties for reins ride off across the plains to fight the Indians?
 And as to the little girls, did you real the story by Laura Spen- cer Porter about Uncle Nate and Vicitoria?
 Victoria's mother had spen. weeks getting together a such-as- never-was doll house with all the tiny tables and chairs in perfect period style--to cultivate victor ia's tastet"
 While she was out one day, along comes old Uncle Nate, owner of the "Bloomin' Adeline" mine. and he proceeds to cut a ranch house out of a shoe box with vic- toria's help. Strips of, paper and matches did for Bill, Manuelo and Shindy.
 Victoria loved 1t. She took the whole business to bed with her where her parents discovered 1t later and threw 1t in the trash, which broke her heart.
 She behaved very we'll about the real doll house, but she built a dream about the other.
 Appeal to imagination.
 And 50, there we have 1t. Things to keep children busy are fine, but those things that appeal to imagi- nation must not be forgotten.
 Many people this year will have no money for real toys. Welt that means there cannot be anyi How about Q shoe-bex and Q | 'Bloomin' Adeline" ranch house l How about an orange crate and a ten-cent saw? I can make a knockout doll house out of a crate. I know, because I have done 1t, painted it, made windows and doors and everything.
 One time small boy l knew got | .wo presents for Christmas, a | stone crusher and a gasoline truck. |
 "Oh-o!" thought l. Aren't we | getting technical though! Why | couldn't Santa have made one of | those presents something less mor- tai, something in which the Spirit of Christmas could Ind a haven 10 rest its tired wings! It is u problem, isn't it?"