T eachers
R esisting
U nhealthy
C hildren’s
E ntertainment
All toys listed are suitable for girls and boys. Age guidelines represent youngest age for safety and appropriateness, however, we have selected toys that children can use throughout their early years.
Toys of quality can help children develop:
◆ Social skills: Cooperation, interacting with others, sharing and a perspective of diversity.
◆ Physical skills: Small and large muscle development, eye-hand coordination, exercise.
◆ Thinking skills: Creativity, innovation, imagination, endless possibilities, language development, math concepts, problem-solving, aesthetics.
• Toobers and Zots - Flowers (Hands-on) $15
Large flexible colored foam pieces (tubes, strips, etc.) designed to bend, twist, and connect.
Ages: 5 & up
• Plan Toys Modular House Structure (Plan Creations, Co. LTD.) $30 Ages: 3 & up
Three wooden house segments connect in a variety of ways to create several house /apartment possibilities.
People come in a variety of ages, non-traditional workers, multicultural. Furniture sets available, $16-$18.
$7 Ages: 2 & up • Flexible Dolls (Fannyʼs Play House, Inc..)
Small 5” cloth dolls in a variety of skin tones and fabric outfits.
• Plan Toys Unit Blocks (Plan Creations, Co. LTD.)
Hardwood building blocks, a variety of shapes in 30 and 50 piece sets.
$34 & $50 Ages: 2 & up
• Big Bobʼs Itty Bitty Blocks (Small World Toys)
Approximately 28 wooden pieces set in a wooden tray.
$6 Ages: 3 & up
• Wooden Chug Along Construction Train (Simplex) $27 Ages: 2 & up
For 2 years and up: Wooden shapes to build your own train. For 3 years and up: Removable construction vehicles and interchangeable pieces to create train cars.
• Imagination Transportation (Creative Art Activities, Inc.) $25 Ages: 6 & up
Includes components of a bi-plane, car and tall ship, which can be combined. A nice shared project with an adult.
• Paint Center (Koosh Creative)
Paint set with koosh brush, roller, stamper, stencils and tray.
$18 Ages: 4 to 137
• Multicolor Art Case (Battat) • Sketch & Color: 35 pieces
Deluxe: 80 pieces
$7.50 Ages: 3 & up
$20
Case with pastels, markers, and colored pencils. Deluxe set has scissors, ruler, sharpener, glue.
• Max Discovers Shapes and Colors (International Playthings) $11
Non-competitive beginning matching game includes 6 boards and 24 pieces.
Ages: 3 & up
• Color Mosaics (Simplex) $8 • Design Mosaics (Plan Toys) $20 Ages: 3 & up
Colored shapes can be used with or without wooden frame to create endless geometric patterns and designs.

• Cooperative strategy games (Family Pastimes)
Sand Castles: Help each other build sand castles before the waves come.
$15
Max: Help save the little creatures from the cat.
Round-up: Bring back runaway horses to corral. Each game is a new adventure.
Secret Door: Find the stolen valuables.
• Pearl Gel Ball (Play Visions)
Shiny squishy ball to stretch and squeeze.
$4
Ages: 5 & up
Ages: 4 & up
Ages: 5 & up
Ages: 5 & up
Ages: 3 & up
• Hoppity Ball (Small World Toys)
Durable PVC ball with a handle large enough to sit on.
$17 Ages: 3 & up
• Classic Sport Set (R.A.M. Sports, Inc.) $15 Ages: 2 & up
Small replicas of official basketball, football, and soccer balls. Comes with air pump. Wonderful for older preschoolers.
• Woodkins Dress-up Kids(Pamela Drake, Inc.) $12 Ages: 2 & up
Wood framed person’s body with interchangeable facial expressions and a variety of fabric pieces make many possibilities for expressive and creative play.
• The Very Busy Baker (ALEX) $30 Ages: 4 & up
Play bakeware kit contains 8”x 11” cookie sheet, cake pans, plus 11 pieces of cooking equipment and utensils. Includes chef hat and cloth apron.
• I Spy Floor Puzzles (Briarpatch) $15 Ages: 3 & up
35 giant pieces to put together on the floor. Several patterns: I Spy City Blocks or I Spy 1, 2, 3.
• Bugs Puzzle (Small World Toys)
Beautiful 35 piece colorful wooden puzzle.
$12 Ages: 4 & up
• Wonderboard (Dowling Magnets) $12 Ages: 3 & up
Variety of sets of magnetic pieces, such as, Junior Architect, Build a Bug, Zany Zoo, Explore a Galaxy and Fun with
Letters, for creative designs and inventions.
• Magic Wall (Magic Wall) $25 Ages: 3 & up
Magnetic panels 2’x3’ attach to walls (reversible and removable) for use with magnetic pieces. Four designs: sky/clouds, grid/white, checkerboard/white, black/white.
• Earl E. Bird (Early Years) $12
Multi-sensory toy made with all kinds of fabric, teething rings, squeaks and crinkles.
Ages: Birth & up
• Poppa Geppetto's Toys (Manhattan Toys) $12 Ages: Birth & up
Wood and soft fabric rattles, that pull out and stretch. Snake Woogles, Garden Woogles, etc.
• Funland Farm (T.C. Timber)
28 colored wooden pieces, barn, silo, fences, animals and people figures.
$40 Ages: 2 & up
Support independent, specialty toy stores, that have made a commitment to high quality, non-violent toys.
For more information write: TRUCE P.O. Box 441261, West Somerville, MA 02144
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T eachers
R esisting
U nhealthy
C hildren’s
E ntertainment
We have chosen toys which dramatically illustrate the harmful toy trends. Some toys could fit into more than one category. When selecting toys try to avoid any that fit into one or more of these categories.
Avoid Toys That:
• Make Electronic Technology The Focus Of Play.
Many are billed as educational, most control & limit play, leading to “smart” toys, not “smart” children.
Elmo Talking Doll Stroller (Sesame Street /CTW.) $20 Ages: 2 & up
Doll stroller with a back in the shape of Sesame Street character, Elmo. When the child places a doll in the stroller, it says “Whee Let’s Do It Again” & “That Was Fun.”
Amazing Amy Playmates (Playmates) $60 Ages: 3 & up
3 foot computerized doll programmed to simulate real baby behavior—she talks (when fed, when it’s time to wake up
& when she needs medicine). Box claims it’s like playing with the real thing!
Looney Tunes Talking Cup & Bowl Sets (Funomenon) $14 Ages: 3 & up
A plastic computerized cup & bowl for small children to use on their own as they learn to eat which will talk back to them after each bite saying “That was delicious!” These sets feature Sesame Street & Disney characters.
• Hook Infants & Toddlers On Tv, Computers, & Other Media.
These children learn best by interacting directly with people & materials & learning the direct effect they have on their immediate environment.
Clue Keeping Blue (Fisher-Price/Tyco) $17 Ages: 1-1/2 & up
Computerized stuffed animal based on TV show. Blue looks for clues. “Gets preschoolers thinking further & laughing harder.”
Tummy Glow Teletubbies (Playskool) $13
All five Teletubbies with glowing, noise-making pictures embedded on their tummies.
Ages: 12 months & up
Star Wars Episode I Electronic Board Book (Publications, Int’l.) $7 Ages: 18 months & up
A board book based on the movie, including illustrations of fighting and guns shooting. Little pictures in text match pictures on buttons on book that make big & exciting noises when pressed.
• Lure Young Girls Into Pretending To Be Teenagers.
Promote stereotyped & sexualized behaviors—focusing on appearance & bodies (including make-up, tattoos, body piercing, diets)—that equate self worth with beauty & appearance.
Body Art Activity Case (Colorbok Paper Products) $8 Ages: 6 & up
An “art” case filled with tattoos, belly button, nose ring & other trinkets for young girls to use as they attempt to imitate inappropriate adolescent behavior.
Extreme Green Teen Skipper (Mattel) $8 Ages: 4 & up
Skipper (Barbie’s little sister) colors her hair green makes “appearance” the focus of the “play”. The box says, I’ll “cruise to the mall &…..be the buzz.”
• Emphasize Violent, Grotesque & Sexual Images.
Contribute to an unhealthy focus on anti-social play that undermines the lessons caring adults teach.
Super Soaker Naboo Pistol (Larami) $13
Linked to the lastest Star Wars movie, this air pressure Super Soaker rifle looks like an Uzi.
Ages: 6 & up
WWF (World Wrestling Federation) Action Figures (Linked to PG 14 TV show) (Jakks)
WCW (World Championship Wrestling) Action Figures. (Toy Biz) $7 & up Ages: 4 & up
Line of figures based on real-life wrestlers seen on TV. Comes with a whip, a severed head of a woman, or a toilet to use to smash the opponent. Highly sexualized female figures, sexual & racist language on back of many boxes.

WWF Bangers (Jakks Pacific) $7 Ages: 4 & up
Wrestlers (made of cloth) who, when smashed together or against a hard object, say angry, fighting phrases. For instance, the female figure Sable says, “Do you want a piece of me?”
Impaled Mummy with piercing action (linked to PG13 movie, “The Mummy”) (Toy Island/Universal)
$9 Ages: 4 & up.
Stick a spear in a hole in the bloodied, half skeleton, half human Mummy action figure’s back & “Watch as his intestines fall out of his chest.” Each figure in the line has it’s own horrors.
• Are Linked To Commercial Products & Advertisements.
Turn play into ads for products & ensure an early & easy market for brand-named products
Barbie ‘Toys R Us’ Toy Store (Arco Toys - Mattel) $15 Ages: 3 & up
A miniature collection of Mattel brand name toys to set up as Toys R Us store allowing Barbie to shop for toys.
“Toys R Us Money & Bags included.”
McDonalds Birthday Doll Party Kit(Hasbro) $10 Ages: 3 & up
A doll & party items with McDonald logs, including a cake, to use to act out having a birthday party at McDonalds.
“Surprise present inside cake” “She really blows her party blower”
• Take The Creative Play Out Of Classic Toys.
Dictate what & how to play & undermine creativity & learning.
WCW Mold & Mash Wrestlers Crash Set. (Colorbok) $8 Ages: 6 & up
Art set containing 4 wrestler molds, with bat & sting mask. Plastic box becomes wrestling rink. Make, then smash the wrestlers. “Rules & bones are meant to be broken.”
Night at the Movies - Loving Family Series. (Fisher Price) $15 Ages: 3 & up
Miniature props create a living room with TV & VCR. Box shows a traditional family (not included) sitting on a couch “with a good movie to watch.” Insert little videos to change TV screen. (We do recommend the family figures of diverse races, with fathers shown in nurturing roles in this toy line.)
Rotten Egg Game (Toy Biz) $20 Ages: 5 & up
Electronic game which records & plays back each player’s name,
& yells insults & put downs as children throw the egg to each other. “The interactive egg with an attitude.”
• Are Linked To TV Programs, Movies & Videogames
Rated For Teens Or Adults.
Expose children involved with content not designed for them.
WWF toys (See above).
The Mummy Movie action figures (See above).
• Link Play Materials To Candy & Unhealthy Foods.
Encourage poor nutrition as well as conditioning children to expect a treat as part of play.
Jar Jar Binks Monster Mouth. (OddzOn/Lucasfilms)
$4 Ages: 4 & up.
Based on Star Wars movie character, push the lever—Jar Jar Binks monster mouth opens & its candy tongue sticks out. Your mouth goes in Jar Jars’ mouth as you lick the tongue.
Deluxe Breakfast Set (Strombecker) $10 Ages: 3 & up
Miniature boxes of brand name snack foods including Lucky
Charms, Trix cereals, Oreos, Chips Ahoy & Ritz crackers.
For more information write: TRUCE
P.O. Box 441261, West Somerville, MA 02144
A Letter About Fighting T oys: for Children & Adults to T
About Together alk
Some kids really love toy guns and toys with weapons on them. They have fun pretending to fight with them. A lot of teachers worry about weapon toys. T hey think that if kids play with these toys and pretend to fi ght and kill, it will teach kids that it's okay to hurt people and that fight ing and hurting is fun. Kids often say, "We’re only pretending. W ing.’” e're just ‘play-
Some teachers say kids in their classes pretend to be y. It isn’t pretend, often really do hurt each other. It gets scar teachers say.
Many teachers are worried. T hey are angry that TV shows and ads make violent toys look cool so kids want to buy them.
They say companies shouldn't be allowed to sell violent toys to kids on TV.
Teachers hope this letter will help families talk together the toys they buy and make thoughtful choices.
about
• What do you think about what the teachers say?
• What do you think teachers, parents and children should do about fighting toys?
• What can grown-ups do to help children be safe and learn not to fight?
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• What ideas do you have about how children can play with out fighting toys?
y
Thanks, From Many Teachers All Over the Countr