The value of toys: 6–8-year-old children's toy preferences and the functional analysis of popular toys

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the kinds of toy preferred by 6–8-year-old children, asking: how, and on what basis, do children rationalize their preferences for particular toys? Data were collected by interviewing children in their homes. Children chose eight toys from a tailored catalog and explained why they wanted those particular items. Toys were analyzed with the aid of a framework designed to test their functional manipulation potential. The children's reasoning was analyzed by means of inductive content analysis. Two kinds of values were found: (1) those which reside in the toy itself and (2) those which children give to toys. Sub-categories relating to material, social, and personal values were identified from the given values. The present paper deepens knowledge of the value of toys not only as playthings but also as cultural artifacts which children use as one form of their voice.

The cultural spaces of young children: Care, play and learning patterns in early childhood among the Guji people of Ethiopia

“…What makes such cultural practice of the Guji children unique is that it shows the capability of young children to imagine their social world and create their play objects from the materials available in their local settings. Although contemporary studies in early childhood play show the fact that toys and the other commercial play objects dominate the play world of young children across different cultures (Baxter, 2016; Mertala et al, 2016; Smith, 2016; Worthington and van Oers, 2017), among the Guji people, young children utilize local materials to create their own play objects. It is also notable that the creating process gives the children senses of pleasure, accomplishment, and knowledgeableness (Møller, 2015).…”