Fisher-Price Encourages Adult Play and Creativity

by Jyl Johnson Pattee on February 15th, 2011 | No Comments »

What were your favorite childhood toys? And be honest... which of your children's toys do you most like to play with now?

Sometimes when shopping for toys, I only think about my children. What would they like? What would help with their development? What would help them build curiosity and learn to problem solve? And sometimes I forget that toys can be equally as important for adults as children. They get you out of your routine, help you to stop thinking about the pressing items you have to deal with in your every day life, and most importantly, help you build creativity. This can not only be stress relieving and fun, but can also inspire your work in other areas.

If I were to name one toy from my children's collection that has helped me develop creativity, it'd be Thomas the Tank Engine. When my kids were younger, we'd spend hours building train tracks and villages and telling stories about the trains and the people in the villages. I'd find myself building more and more creative tracks long after my children had moved on to another toy.

And then there are the classics like the Rock-A-Stack. You know? The stackable, brightly colored rings. They now have them in Stack and Roll Cups and my modern-day favorite, the Little Superstar Classical Stacker. Add a little music and I'm always game.

I enjoyed a fun twist on this toy the other night when I attended a Fisher-Price event at the Loew's Regency Hotel, which partners with Fisher-Price to create family-friendly experiences for hotel guests (what's not to love about that?). The centerpieces were brightly colored flowers tucked inside classic Fisher-Price toys, including the Rock-A-Stack. It was fun to head back down memory lane and think of playing with this toy as a child and later, buying it, albeit in a more modern rendition, as an adult for my own children. I always wonder how "they" come up with these fabulous inventions:

The Fisher-Price Play Laboratory, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, was the first child research center of its kind in the industry. Herman Fisher established the Play Lab to observe real children playing with the company's toys during various stages of development. The Play Lab remains at the heart of product development today.

So, whether you are purchasing the latest and greatest gadgets for your children or looking for educational-oriented toys to help with their development, don't forget to factor yourself into the equation and buy things that you can do right along side them to enhance your own creativity.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

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Jyl Johnson Pattee

An active part of the Mom It Forward team, Jyl primarily writes about parenting, social good, and all things travel related. In a past life, Jyl was an award-winning copywriter and designer of corporate training programs for Fortune 100 companies. Offline, Jyl is married to @TroyPattee; a mom to two teen boys and a beagle named #Hashtag; loves large amounts of cheese, dancing, and traveling; and lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Topping her bucket list is the goal to visit 50 countries by the time she's 50.