Toys for idiots

Tonight I went toy shopping for a project we have at church - the Christmas Angels. You are randomly assigned to a little boy or girl at a sister congregation in Brooklyn that serves families where either the mother, father or both are in jail. This means the kids are raised by grandparents and other family members who don't often have extra money for Christmas. You buy a toy and some clothes and the little kid gets a few gifts. These are sometimes the only gift the child will receive, so I really like doing it.

But tonight I had a problem. My match is a little 8 year old girl who I have never met nor will I likely ever meet. I have no idea what her favorite color is or what toys she likes. I don't know if she's a smart 8 year old or still has serious trouble reading. And it's even more complicated because there don't seem to be that many suitable toys for girls that don't involve Barbie, the Bratz which seem to be Barbie dolls for the "tweens".

Here little girl, have all these toys that only depict skinny white girls. Why, you don't look anything like them! What's wrong with you? That's not the message I want to send...I don't want to send it to my own kid (if I had one) and I certainly don't want to give it to a stranger's kid. I wanted arts and crafts, I wanted My Little Pony. Granted, I wanted the toys from my childhood. I did find Strawberry Shortcake stuff which was sort of cool, but we're not buying toys for Gayle, we're buying toys for tots.

I ended up getting a learn to knit kit (cuz it was on clearance and hey, it's cold. Knitting might prove to be a really valuable skill!) I also got a Learn and Play Recorder Set which will prove handy when she wants to annoy the hell out of her parents and a game of Boggle. All educational or useful. Maybe not "toys" in the true sense of the word but maybe the music will inspire her to become a musician. Maybe the knitting thing will inspire an interest in fashion. Maybe the Boggle will..well, I"m not sure what Boggle makes you do, but it must be good.

The truth is I am glad I wasn't shopping for my child (hypothetically). I would be pretty annoyed at having to choose from "My First Bratz" and "Ye Olde Timey Princess Crown". Not that there is anything wrong with those toys or your kid if she has one. I just think that when it comes to playing and toys, it's not what you have, but what having those toys make you do.

Now where the hell's my Lite Bright??