Can We Learn From Kids and Their Toys?

Last updated on: March 28, 2013 at 6:00 am by Jason Morehead

Can We Learn From Kids and Their Toys? 2013-03-27T21:05:59-06:00 Jason Morehead

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Several weeks ago, my three-year-old began lugging around his most prized possessions — a pair of sunglasses, a toy airplane, and some bits of jewelry, among other things — everywhere he went. At first, it was all in a pouch that he filled nearly to the point of bursting, and now his “mess” (as he calls it rather accurately) resides in a plastic bin. The boy loves his stuff, and one of his favorite activities is carefully and methodically going through it all, organizing it into nice, neat piles, and making sure he knows where every little toy and trinket is.

The sight of my son sitting on the floor, patiently putting his treasures into piles organized by size, color, and other criteria known only to him, reminds me of Gabriele Galimberti’s “Toy Stories” photo series. Galimberti spent 18 months traveling the world and photographing children posing with their favorite toys. On the whole, the series is extremely charming: it’s easy to be won over by cute kids proudly posing with their earthly treasures, be they cars, dolls and stuffed animals, sunglasses, or musical instruments. (I’m particularly charmed by Arafa & Aisha, twin sisters from Zanzibar who count Skeletor and Chewbacca among their favorites.) Above all else, the photos are a good reminder that kids are kids, the world over, and everybody loves a good toy.

That said, it’s nigh impossible to not notice the disparity between the photos’ subjects when you compare photos of children from Texas and China with photos of children from, say, Malawi and Kenya. The former pose in pristine rooms surrounded by mountains of games and toys; the latter, in huts with a handful (if they’re fortunate) of battered playthings. It would be easy to try to make a grand statement about economic inequality or poverty, but Galimberti wisely resists the urge to politicize or over-dramatize his photos and their subjects. He simply presents the children “as is” in their environments, and allows readers to be drawn into the children’s worlds and come to their own conclusions.

Galimberti’s photos also, however subtly, point to the social and cultural forces shaping the children. For example, “the girl from an affluent Mumbai family loves Monopoly, because she likes the idea of building houses and hotels, while the boy from rural Mexico loves trucks, because he sees them rumbling through his village to the nearby sugar plantation every day.” The children’s toys can also reveal the various ways that parents tried to influence and shape their children. Seemingly trivial playthings are more than just mere toys.

Galimberti’s photos are a helpful reminder that I need to be thoughtful about the toys and other possessions that I give my children because I want them to be thoughtful about their material goods. There’s nothing inherently wrong with having lots of stuff (toys or otherwise), and there’s nothing inherently more righteous about having less. But the Bible makes it clear that material possessions do represent a danger — that owning too many things can cause us to become too fixated on the things of this world, and the temporary joys and comforts they can give us. (Indeed, Galimberti noted that kids with the most tended to be more possessive and protective whereas kids from poorer countries were more open, even when they had little.)

Photo by Gabriele Galimberti.

Previous Post

March 27, 2013

The Landslide of Terror: Living in This Present Darkness

Next Post

March 28, 2013 "Call the Midwife" Celebrates Life from Beginning to End

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz