The kids and I have arrived to our temporary quarters in Seattle and are now patiently waiting for the rest of the family (dog and husband!) and all of our stuff to get here. Since we came out in advance, we packed very lightly and have been living out of suitcases for the past two weeks. But kids being kids, they need some stuff to play with in between exploring the parks and beaches near our new home. So it was off to Target we went in search of a few things to keep them busy until all our gear arrives.
I gave each of them a limit of three items each that they could select, and they had to be things they could both play with. My son chose a Lego set, the game Memory and a t-ball and bat, while my daughter picked out a Lincoln Log set, some Play-Doh and a beading kit. I also added some crayons, Silly Putty and the game Barrel of Monkeys to the mix.
What struck me was that when given the change to choose *anything* (within reason), these were the toys they selected. Granted the Lego set was Star Wars-themed and the Memory game featured characters from Spongebob Squarepants, but mostly, these were the same toys that I had played with when I was a kid.
At least twice a day, they sit down and either play quietly with their Silly Putty and Play-doh, or color using their good old Crayola crayons. Why have these brands stuck around with all the shiny, flashy new stuff is out there? Simple: because they are great products that kids love to play with.
