Having a daughter is a memory I will never forget. Doll-playing fantasies with her in her pink-and-purple-themed room filled my thoughts. After the birth of our son a year later, my husband’s vision of sports and vehicles revving about like crazed men threw his masculine psyche for a loop.
These dreamings were just that, dreams. I had no idea that the toys kids play with can help predict their future personalities.
Dolls are a big hit with my daughter. She enjoys getting her hands filthy when playing with clay. He plays kickball and baseball and can outrun any boy, while she digs in the dirt, climbs trees, and races her trucks.
My little guy enjoys the classics like trucks and blocks, as well as more modern activities like coloring and playing PlayStation 2, and he also enjoys playing house with my daughters, who he helps to rock and feed in their pretend play.
My husband used to yell at my son, “Put down that doll!” until we realized the importance of play in a child’s development and preparation for life. The several sports she participated in helped teach our daughter the importance of teamwork and good sportsmanship. He was gaining empathy and perspective on parenting from those dolls. Seeing my son interact with his new sibling blows my mind. Seeing my daughter line up her brothers and siblings for a game of kickball, I can see the compassion he has acquired through us and his play and I know someday he will be a good father. And I can see how she has matured into a confident leader. She will eventually achieve success in anything she sets her mind to.
In conclusion, I would urge parents to provide their child as many opportunities as possible. Pop funko toys and sports should be gender-neutral learning resources for all people.
A Space Age Toy – Silly Putty and How to Make It
As kids, we can all agree that playing with a mystery substance known as silly putty on the dining room floor was a favorite pastime. Perhaps we pressed a wad of newspaper onto one of the pictures since we happened to have one lying around. When we removed the putty, we saw that the identical image had transferred to it. Because of its malleability, youngsters can use silly putty to showcase a wide range of creative abilities. One of the most sought-after playthings for kids, the silly putty has been and always will be.
Dow Corning originally envisioned Silly Putty, a synthetic rubber invention from 1943, as a material for the manufacturing industry. Lacking the necessary tenacity to serve as a substitute for rubber, Dow’s patent number 3179 was largely unsuccessful. Dow’s silly putty was sitting on a shelf, unused and forgotten, until 1949, when a jobless advertising executive came up with the idea to sell it as a children’s toy. For convenience, it is still sold in the original plastic egg-shaped packaging.
Chemists call the substance most commonly known as silly putty a polymer. To avoid getting too scientific, a polymer is simply a substance that consists of a long chain of flexible molecules. Because of their inherent malleability, these molecules can be stretched like rubber with little effort.
Let’s be honest here; making your own silly putty would be a huge pain. On the other hand, a substance with similar properties can be whipped up quickly and cheaply in the kitchen using commonplace items.
- Ingredients
- Only one Elmer’s glue bottle required
- Powdered Borax, 1 Tablespoon
- one cup of water
- Food dyes of your choosing
- Quantity: one cup
- A depleted plastic drink bottle.
- Miniature resealable plastic bag
- Achieved Gradually
1. In a soda bottle, combine the Borax powder and water.
2. After the Borax has been completely dissolved, replace the cap on the soda bottle and shake it firmly.
3. Put a tablespoon of Elmer’s glue inside the plastic bag.
4. Dilute with water from the tap, one teaspoon at a time
5. Lastly, step five is to add a splash of food coloring.
6. Put one tablespoon of the Borax mixture into the Zip-loc bag and close it.
7. Knead the bag with the mixture inside for a few seconds.
Eventually, everything within the bag will feel like silly putty. When you can take your putty out of the Ziploc bag in one piece, you may start rolling it between your fingers. The more the fake putty may be rolled in your fingers, the more realistic it will appear.
Helpful Suggestions
I feel the need to add a word of caution here. When playing with Borax, children should always be supervised by an adult due to the product’s potential toxicity if ingested.
