It is easy in today’s modern world of electronic gadgets and shiny plastic to overlook the classic toys that have been around for generations. You can still find them, usually tucked away in areas labelled ‘Classic Yesteryear’, or in toy shops that are themselves tucked away in small corners of old towns, as though the town grew up around them, like a grain of sand inside the pearl. These classic toys have not become classics simply because there are still generations old enough to remember them from when they were young. Classics usually earn their status because they combine the three essential elements for any toy, which today’s toy manufacturers sometimes need to remind themselves of. The second rule of a classic toy to earn its status is that it should provide some satisfaction upon the child’s achievement in solving it. A puzzle reveals a picture of a scene that is worth all that effort. A tower that looks amazing at the height it has reached, a cube that looks perfect and organised. The child needs to be able to show the adults what he or she has achieved, and gain their adulation and praise. We all need praise, and we all try harder if we know that we’re likely to get it. A toy that provides a child with a puzzle that merits not only his or her own attention, but the praise of an adult should they complete it. The completed toy or puzzle is a certification in itself of their skill and dedication. The third rule of any classic toy becoming an all time classic is that it’s component parts should be sturdy enough to last. So many toys today have small, fragile parts that are mostly made of plastic. Once it is broken, then the whole toy is rendered useless. Once a piece is missing, the rest of it loses its appeal. The toys should be reasonably fixable, which means that if it does get broken, then dad can get it working again very quickly. If it takes dad all evening with thirteen screwdrivers, four pairs of pliers and a hammer just to get in to the thing, only for half a dozen coiled springs to leap out from who knows where, and the toy is quickly consigned to the non-classics box, otherwise known as the bin.

Ten years ago, the top few toys on the market that children were asking for were toys like the Furby, the Tickle Me Elmo, the Tamagotchi, Beanie Babies and the Teletubbies. There was nothing too technological about these types of toys, and all parents understood them, and how they worked. (Except for the Tamagotchi…some parents may have had some trouble understanding what the point of an electronic pet was!) After that year, the next fads in toys were toys such as, the Baby Furby and, believe it or not, the Yo Yo! The Yo Yo came back on the scene after being completely redone and presented as the new and improved ProYo. Baby Furby was just as big a hit as the Furby of the year before, and toy stores made a good profit off of this interactive toy.

After these toy trends were over, the TV show, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” hit the airwaves, and of course, the board game came out before Christmas and was asked for by many kids that year. Along with this popular game came some toys that were a lot more technologically advanced than the toys of Christmas past. One example of this type of toy is the robotic pet. This toy was very popular with both parents and kids, because it provided a type of surrogate for a real pet, without being smelly, dirty or noisy. The robotic pet did a lot of real, pet like things without the hassle of having to care for a real pet. It was also a great idea for families with pet allergies. After the robotic pet, technology basically took over the toy industry, and now there are toys like, more advanced robotic toys, video games, X Box, Guitar Hero, Nintendo Wii and all of the plug and play games. There are actually toys that allow kids to exercise without even stepping outside! There are still toys in the stores that are like the ones we had years ago, such as doll, cars, train sets, and the like, but kids these days are asking more for the technological toys. Toys have almost become a popularity contest – kids want what their friends have, and if they don’t own certain toy, they are not “cool” to their classmates.