"New Inductees"

It has been a year since I blogged about which toys made it into the Toy Hall of Fame, at the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY. A year ago I never knew there was a hall of fame for toys, but now I wait to see who are the newest inductees.
  

Chris Bensch, the vice president for collections at the museum, announced that the Rubik’s cube, bubbles, and little green army men finally made it into the hall.  They beat out paper airplanes, My Little Pony, Slip’N Slide, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

 

Bensch said that the new inductees represented three important aspects of play: intellectual challenge (Rubik’s cube), physical skill (bubbles), and make-believe (little green army men).

Can you believe there is a 23 member national selection committee that includes toy collectors, professors, and psychologists? The toys must be iconic, innovative, and best of all, encouraging of learning and creativity. Interestingly, none of the new inductee toys required batteries or a computer.


I am not sure what toys you enjoyed as a child, and I am not familiar with all the toys that fascinate children today. I wonder, do kids still have toy chests or does everything come with wires?

There is something wonderful about taking a moment to capture a pleasant memory from childhood. Toys seem to have that magical power to return us to a simpler and more carefree life.

The early years of Jesus remain hidden from us, but I wonder what toys he enjoyed. I wonder if Joseph carved him a special stick or if Mary made him a pouch to carry smooth stones for skipping on the water. 
  

Jesus reminds us to not lose touch with the child that is inside of us. He uses children to define greatness and says they set the standard as to what it means to have faith.

Of all the important things about us, one of the most spectacular is that regardless of our age, we are called children of God. Yet so many adults seem tired, stressed, and worn thin from all the demands of work and family. I believe we all need to rediscover a sense of play and the simplicity of our childhood. In other words, with everything else we do, we must not forget to have some fun in this life!