Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys,
showing that nothing else in life need to be taken seriously,

and that Christmas Day in the company of children
is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive.

-Robert Lynd

I love this infographic! It’s interesting to see what toys had real staying power (1903’s hot toys were teddy bears— named for the bears that Teddy Roosevelt hunted!— and Crayola crayons) and which ones have gone gently into that good night.

 

 

I don’t recall ever being caught up in the “must-haves” of the season, although I definitely owned My Little Ponies and the Simon game. Jake’s first birthday was the year of Tickle Me Elmo, and his family was so sweetly determined that he have it that he would up opening three of them that day. (And by he, I mean Jeff and me. Jake was only 6 weeks old and slept through Christmas at THREE different houses.)

I’m not into buying more than you need. But I know that sometimes kids NEED a certain gift during the holidays and that’s totally cool. That squeal of delight upon opening a present to find “it” inside? That’s the magic of childhood and one of the best things about parenthood.

What hot-ticket toys have you owned through the years? Are you snatching anything up this year for your own kids?

Disclosure: This is a paid post for Black Friday 2011, where you can find the Target Black Friday ad, Red Envelope coupons and more for your must-have holiday shopping. 🙂