Author: Sarah Scott

In a world filled with flashing lights, electronic sounds, screens, talking toys, and increasingly sophisticated children’s gadgets, a surprisingly simple idea is gaining attention: children may benefit from having less stimulation during play—not more. A wooden block, cardboard box, set of crayons, toy animals, or a few kitchen-safe household objects may look boring compared with a toy that sings, talks, flashes, and responds to every button press. Yet simple toys can give children something highly valuable: the opportunity to decide what happens next. This doesn’t mean electronic or interactive toys are inherently bad. Rather, child-development research consistently emphasizes the importance…

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