Cheaper toys may keep children more active and creative than expensive ones

As a parent, we always want what’s best for our children and very often, we overspend on birthday gifts and Christmas presents because we want to give them everything.

 

However, a new research shows that expensive gifts don’t help children develop creativity. Nor do they encourage physical activity in tots.

 

A group 120 primary school kids in Melbourne were given cheap toys to play with. This included buckets, pipes, exercise mats and hay bales.

 

They were then compared to the children who played with expensive playground toys like monkey bars and slides.

 

The results showed that children who played with cheaper toys were more physically active and creative than those who played with expensive items.

 

They also took 13 more steps per minute and played more vigorously than children who played with expensive toys.

 

Dr Brendon Hyndman, from the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Melbourne said: “Conventional playgrounds are designed by adults; they don't actually take into consideration how the children want to play.”

 

“At a time when childhood obesity is growing and playgrounds are shrinking, we need a creative approach to stimulate physical activity among schoolchildren,” he added.