Aaaaah toys, toys, toys. What could bring more delight, to both children and adults alike, but exciting toys to play with?
Back in the day, as my mother would say, toys were not always easily accessible, and folks were lucky to have one doll or one car to play with. We, however, myself include, are fortunate to have had access to many toys, different kinds of toys, that have shaped us and how we perceive the world. How so, you may ask? Well, as a trained teacher, I know very well the positive affects and importance of learning through play. What better way to play, than with toys?
As a little girl, my favourite toy by far was my baby-dolls. There was one doll in particular, a big-brown-eyed baby-doll, who I cuddled for hours on end. I actually knitted a baby-blanket for her with my mom’s help, and felt like the ‘richest’ little girl-mama around.
I was reminded of my baby-doll last week at the Prima Top Toys Carnival. Oh what a stunning event, where Prima passionately revealed their latest and greatest toys for 2018 under the banner of Let them Explore. Of course Prima Toys has been around for many moons, and can consider themselves as toy experts and I would certainly agree. Prima show-cased many cool toys that stimulate creativity and fine motor skills alike, added to that they presented toys that are “forward-thinking” by incorporating technology and robotics.
Before, I list the many cool toys Prima presented, I have to take time to tell you just how excited I was to see the Baby Love Babies. As a mama to a baby-girl myself, I practically leaped for joy at the thought of purchasing one of these dolls for my Miss Amelia-Rose. What makes me even more excited is the fact that these beautiful dolls, come in three varieties, speaking English, Afrikaans and Zulu, respectively. I honestly want my girl to have all three, because to me, this is the beginning of embracing all races and cultures in our amazing country. I just love the fact that these Baby Love Dolls are softer and cuddlier than the dolls I grew up with and baby will even speak back to you. Excited much!!
The Baby Love Baby Thando is a definitely shopping item this Christmas.
Ok and then of course I have a very intelligent and active little four-year-old son, who I know would simply adore the National Geographic Wildlife WOW S.T.E.M Toys. They are phenomenal and had me captivated for a good few minutes, and I kept going back to their display to see and learn more about this educational toys. The dinosaurs are all soft and cuddly but you can download the free Wildlife Wow App, and just a few clicks and the animal comes to life via virtual reality. For me this toy is innovation, educational and fun at it’s best. Eli would be kept enthralled for hours, and I would be so happy knowing he is also learning.
Take a guess what’s on Eli’s Christmas list. Hehehehe
I often say, my children have too many toys and that I never had so many toys as a child. But times have certainly changes and toys are far more accessible and far more entertaining or educational, than the ones we may have had growing up. Toys today are really very innovative and offer endless hours of entertainment and fun, for both children and adults alike, and I am testament to this.
There were truly a multitude of fantastic toys show-cased and for the slightly older than one-year-old girls, there are the Lots of Little Surprises Dolls, the L.O.L Surprises. It’s basically this ball, you unwrap layers and layers reveal a surprise doll or pet inside, and it’s all the craze, as I believe it’s fits the collectables genre very well.
One of my personal favourite are the Fingerlings, they are so very adorable and I found myself slightly mesmerised by the Unicorn Fingerling at my table. The Fingerlings collection has also grown and other than the Monkey Fingerling, Prima also introduced the Untamed Raptors Fingerlings, totally cool for boys.
Written by Teixeira Murray
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