| My son Jack had been quietly playing | | | | forethought. And of course crafts |
| with his Meccano set when we heard him | | | | require creativity. |
| scream, sweet! | | | | I think that's a bit too technical for |
| What a cool toy, my friend Dave said, | | | | my son, said Dave. Well, why don't you |
| it's a ferris wheel. It's a solar | | | | start with some magic. Most tricks are |
| powered ferris wheel, said Jack. | | | | scientific illusions that require |
| Dave asked me, How did you get him to | | | | planning and practice. Or how about |
| play with educational toys, my son only | | | | simply building a plane,train or |
| wants to play video games. I asked Dave | | | | automobile with him, a real mechanical |
| whether he had ever played educational | | | | toy. This way he can see how all the |
| games or built rockets or space toys | | | | pieces interconnect to achieve a common |
| with his son. I'm not really a hands on | | | | goal, like a team of components. |
| guy was his answer. So I proceeded to | | | | My son likes to collect baseball cards, |
| demonstrate to Dave that educational | | | | said Dave. Well how about starting a |
| toys teach skills that all successful | | | | bug collection or rock collection. It |
| adults use in everyday life. I told him | | | | just might inspire him to be a geologist |
| that construction toys require | | | | or entomologist. Of course you could |
| imagination and planning. Robots | | | | always get him some anatomy models, so |
| require the use of logic. Strategy | | | | he can be a surgeon like his dad. |
| games require competitiveness and | | | | |