What price toys?

From astronomically-priced PlayStations to the more affordable hula hoops and dinky cars, the seasonal fever is on as the toy shops get ready with their goodies

With Christmas round the corner, this year it's not just Santa's clothes that will need a good deal of padding, but his wallet as well. And the ting-a-lings are more likely to be replaced by ping-a-pings as cash registers work overtime to fill Santa's bags.

Not so long ago, shopping for toys was a happy experience. A spinning top, a hula hoop or marbles could put a smile on the grumpiest face. Today, buying a toy for a child often requires diplomatic skills unknown to the United Nations coupled with a good deal of account balancing savvy.

With the astronomical cost of toys these days, keeping children entertained is becoming almost as expensive as feeding and clothing them, says Thulasi Yogarajah. “I can't believe the prices of toys these days. There's nothing for less than Rs. 1000, and if it's a good toy which you want to last for some time, it's close to Rs. 5,000 - 6,000. Sometimes I find that because I have bought them an expensive toy I have to cut corners to make up for the cost,” she says.

For many parents looking for educational value in toys, the old favourites like Monopoly, Scrabble, Pictionary, Mastermind and Cluedo which stimulate creativity and imagination while providing hours of fun, although priced at anywhere between Rs. 1000 toRs. 5000 are well worth the price. “'These toys are classics. They stimulate and educate children as well as encourage group play and family participation. They’re definitely pricey, but an investment well worth making,” is how one father of three put it.

“If I'm buying my children an expensive toy, it's usually something they can learn from or get some exercise out of, something that will last for a long time and that both of them can use. The most expensive toy I've ever bought them was a play gym where they could climb, swing and jump around, which cost me Rs. 20,000, but it was worth it,” says Mrs. T. Hamza.

For the most part however, toys today are prohibitively priced. Right now, the eye-poppers price wise are the PlayStation, Xbox, iPod and Gameboy which are all the rage, and bound to be numero uno on Christmas or birthday wish lists. But with the PlayStation 3 at a cool Rs. 50,000 and even a Gameboy at Rs. 15,000, just how is the average 'Santa' expected to cough up the dough for it?

A little lower down the scale but still expensive are children's computers for Rs. 5,000 upwards, cutesy dolls houses priced anywhere between Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 25,000, and remote controlled cars for an average of Rs. 5,000 – Rs. 15,000, like the one Aravinda de Silva bought his five-year-old for Rs. 12,000. “I guess if you can afford it it's okay to indulge a child once in a way, but you don't want to spoil them. I always tell my son that just because everyone else has something he doesn't necessarily have to have it, and also if each child has different toys it teaches them to share and be more sociable,” he says.

For parents buckling under the cost of living and yet not having the heart to disappoint their children, consider these options drawn from the collective wisdom of a cross section of parents, and you stand a chance of getting through the season unscathed.

First, plan in advance. “Look around and see which toy shops and what toys fit your budget. Then take the kids along on the next trip and guide them towards the toys you can afford, and just say 'no' to anything more expensive,” was one mother's advice. But not all entertaining toys have to be expensive. There are several classic toys which children can have hours of fun with and don't have to cost much at all. Toddlers, for example, can have oodles of fun playing with shoeboxes, tearing up newspaper, jangling car keys and banging on saucepans.

Marisol Medina says she can't remember the last time she bought her children any toys. “The babies use my son's old toys, and I make rattles from beads and plastic soda bottles. I also do a lot of craft and cooking projects with my son, and take him along to lots of playgroups with friends, where the kids share their toys and generally run around and play.”

The back to basics building blocks and modelling clay will never fail to please. Crayons, paints, balls and dress up items like an old scarf, silly hat, shiny crown or mask can provide hours of entertainment and teach concentration.

A sandpit or 'water-hole' is another old favourite, which you can use a big plastic tub for. A sand bucket, plastic shovels, cups and moulds and a sieve or two won't cost much and can help children experiment for hours. A toy gardening set and a pot along with some green gram or red onions to plant is also sure to be a hot favourite. Hula hoops, boomerangs, marbles, the beloved dinky cars, tiny plastic soldiers, plastic farm animals, a Rs. 50 wooden spinning top to replace the niftier metal Rs. 3000 Bey Blade or a children’s cookery book with recipes for snacks the kids can make themselves, can all enthrall a child and be lots of fun.

A little more expensive, but still not more than Rs. 1000 are meccanno sets, cross-stitch kits, or art and craft books crammed with fun projects.

Also, a game of checkers, junior scrabble and carrom are hot favourites which kids can play with their friends. With a little imagination which kids are never short of, a tent, available for between Rs. 650 to Rs. 1000 on the pavements on Havelock Road and Reid Avenue, can become a house, a jungle camp, a safari tent or just somewhere the kids can have a sleepover, and provide hours of fun well worth the price.

And then there's always the undisputed champion of children's entertainment – books. “My six-year-old spends hours with his books, and sometimes he doesn't even hear me if I talk to him. The things he learns from them amaze me as some of it even I don't know,” said one mother.

Of course not all expensive toys are inadequate. Toys like video and computer games do help children hone skills they need earlier and earlier in an increasingly technology reliant world. But it is worth remembering that at the end of the day, 'price' doesn't always equate 'wise'.