New category of role-playing toys takes tea parties to a new level

(ARA) - Remember holding court at an imaginary tea party when you were a kid? Kids still love to pretend they are adults -- holding tea parties, grocery shopping, cooking and playing house. That said, a child's world has changed a lot over the years. How do you find toys that provide classic, best-loved play activities, but are updated to make them relevant to kids today? You'll be happy to hear that there are now some products that foster creativity and imagination just as "role playing" toys have done over the years, while addressing timely issues such as the importance of a healthy diet and how to appreciate foods from different cultures.
"Role playing is as important an activity today as it was years ago," says Renatta Cooper, a child development expert who serves as Education Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Office of Child Care. "Play acting not only promotes social interaction, it helps children develop an early sense of empathy." In fact, child development experts have long agreed that role-play has a variety of developmental benefits, from helping a child work through emotions and resolve conflicts to building vocabulary.

What parents may not know is that the toy industry is now taking role play toys to a new level by creating modern, kid-sized play environments that go far beyond pretend teatime supplies. Small World Toys, a company well known for its sturdy wooden Ryan's Room play sets, recently launched Small World Living, a new brand devoted exclusively to role playing toys for today's kids.

Sushi Anyone?

Update your cupboard! The brave new world of food role play includes a cross-cultural sushi play set complete with plastic chopsticks, soy sauce, teacup, rice bowl and several pieces of sushi.

How about teaching your child about food shopping? Kid-sized grocery carts, grocery store sets with pretend food, as well as cash registers with working scanners and play money empower kids to "take control" of familiar activities.

Does your child love the Food Network as much as you do? If so, why not treat your future Iron Chef to some (not so pretend) tools of the trade? Some toy companies offer stainless steel baking sets and utensils that you can use with real food and even (with mom's or dad's help) pop in the oven! Small World Living's 18-piece Boutique Bakery Set comes with everything you need to prepare real cakes, cookies and muffins.

Finally, what is more important than the kitchen itself? There are a host of new kid-sized kitchen play sets that will quickly make your kids the envy of the neighborhood. The upscale Young Chefs' wooden appliances from Small World Toys include a stove and sink combo, a side-by-side refrigerator and even a barbeque for hours of imaginative play.

"Role playing helps develop creativity so much more effectively than video games," adds Renatta Cooper. "An environment that fosters interaction with others also helps children develop their interpersonal skills."
While some toys play a useful role as pleasant diversions, the ones that forge social interaction, creative thinking, and imagination are invariably the ones with the most lasting impact on a young child's life. While the toy world is replete with items that focus on flash over substance, the most mentally and physically stimulating toys are generally those which tap into the age-old need young children have to create their own playtime experiences and environments -- to use toys and playthings to develop their imaginations, not to replace them.

For more information visit www.smallworldtoys.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content