So far, you have learned about the True Cost of toys measured as the cost per hour of play. Remember…

The most affordable toy is the one your child plays with the longest.

You also know how to evaluate toys using the criteria of Interactive, Open-Ended, and Creative to find toys that have long lasting play value and low True Costs.

Part 2 showed how the Expandability of a toy - the ability to buy add-ons and associated products that make the child play with the original toy longer - can also be a big money saver.

The third area to save is that most expensive commodity in parent's lives - Time.

As a parent, you are constantly aware of time. You have schedules to follow to get your kids to school, to sports, to music lessons, to doctor's appointments, to bed. You have to allow time for eating, homework, practice, playtime, and naps. You have your own agendas to follow including work, laundry, housekeeping, grocery shopping, gift shopping, and meal preparation. And none of that includes your own white space, your own playtime.

Yes, time is the most valuable, and thus most expensive, commodity in parents' lives.

But how can toys save time?

Some of the answers are obvious. Toys keep kids occupied so that you have time to do what you need to do around the house. Of course, that is only true if you have the right toys that hold your kids' interests. If you have given your kids toys that are Interactive, Open-Ended and Creative (Great Toys), they will play longer with those toys and give you more time for your projects.

Then again, the opposite is true. If you buy cheap toys that break easily, or buy toys that don't hold your child's interest, not only will your child be bugging you more (taking up more of your time), but you'll also have to spend more time shopping for new toys to replace the toys that didn't last.

So, being more diligent in your research and selection of toys will save you time spent entertaining your children and time spent shopping again for more toys.

In a more subtle way, buying the right toys also saves your children time. Great Toys do something wonderful to children. These toys make kids think. That's right; Great Toys get kids to use their brains. Toys are the great teachers of youth.

When children think and use their imagination, they become smarter. You know the old adage how "practice makes perfect." When kids think, they are "practicing" using their brains. Studies show that children who are read to at early ages and children who are encouraged to read a lot on their own perform better in school. They accomplish more in less time.

The same holds true for toys that require children to think and use their brain. Kids who play with Great Toys use their brains, become smarter, and are able to accomplish more in less time. In other words, they save time.

So, the right toys can and do save time. And Time definitely does equal money.

Happy Shopping!

<< Return to Part 2