new york city with melissa and doug!

I’ve already talked a bit about this recent partnership–truly, I felt (and feel) so grateful to have been a part of it–but today I want to get into the details. There were so many reasons why this was so exciting for me. It brought some really like-minded people together, and to talk about something that’s top of mind to us all. Plus, it was in the fantastic NYC, and was all put on by what is truly one of my favorite children’s toy brands, Melissa and Doug. Their mission: “Take Back Childhood”–I can seriously get behind that! It was an honor to be invited, and I’m excited to share more with you guys.

This post is sponsored by Melissa and Doug.

No doubt you’ve noticed, whether you’re a parent or not, that childhood idle time (dare I say it, even the time to be bored!) seems to be dwindling more and more every year. Without such time though, free-play and spontaneous creativity are more limited too. This epidemic (yes, we can call it that!) was a large part of what the gathering in NYC was about. There were a few of us “influencers” (how funny to be called an “influencer”!) invited to the event, plus Parents Magazine, and some parenting experts (like play therapists, professors, etc.). Basically, it was a big roundtable discussion with others who are invested in this conversation. I think so many of us are. When it ended, I felt like I had so much more to talk about.At one point while there I referenced this book I’m reading. The old analogy about the frogs in the slowly boiling pot seems so poignant to this discussion: WE ARE THE FROGS!! The expectations our culture has for parents as well as children, and the ways in which we modify our lives to live up to those expectations are the slowly boiling pot. Kids are getting iPhones younger and younger every year, playing more and more video games, being constantly scheduled and scripted, enjoying fewer minutes of recess time in school (I love that there’s a recent pushback against this one and homework! thank you, Finland!), and, in turn, becoming more and more stressed. Seriously, what did we expect would happen? Twenty years ago if we were to hop into the present boiling culture, we’d look around and realize how completely crazy it is and adjust accordingly (we’d jump out!). But the temperature has been turned up so slowly that we’re just constantly trying to adjust to it. Does it feel this way to you, too?
Well, obviously, we’re not totally oblivious to the heat. I think it is something we’re talking about–hello, this event was all about that–but I think we’re making mistakes that we know we’re making while continuing to make them. As they relate to our children, I’m having a harder and harder time forgiving myself for them. We’re the gatekeepers! It’s our job to protect childhood for our kids. Therefore, I couldn’t be more impressed with the fact that Melissa and Doug are bringing attention to this problem, too, while trying to provide actual solutions.One of the guests at the event shared this Gary Landreth quote: “Play is a child’s language and toys are their words.” That just drives home the point that play for children is their most important work (and, depending on their age, their only work). (Check out this article by the AAP.) When I consider how play functions for them in ways so much deeper than my non-science brain can even understand, it blows me away. It helps them to manage stress and learn to concentrate. It increases their attention span. Free, unscripted play promotes social and emotional connections with others. It has benefits for their language skills, problem solving abilities, and capacity to think creatively. Allowing them to lead, and be the teacher, while we remain their students, is hard for so many of us. It certainly doesn’t come naturally to me. To my credit, I should say I’m good at playing cards, coloring, reading stories, going to do an activity like a walk or bike ride, but the moment I need to get my imagination in on it, I’m just wondering when they’ll go off and not notice me slip away to clean the kitchen or something else equally mundane.So Melissa and Doug are trying to come up with ways to better facilitate play between child and caretaker. Indeed, they’ve made it their mission to create toys geared to not simply serve one function, but to make simple, well-made toys that inspire creativity and imagination. I knew I always loved them, being drawn to their toys whenever they popped up on Amazon or when I saw them at a store, but I had no idea how intentional their process really was.

After the roundtable discussion, we walked to their showroom where I saw so many of our Melissa and Doug favorites. Some we have and have loved for a long time and some that I’d love to add to our collection. Their toys are timeless, passing down to siblings easily, and are really aesthetically pleasing too. And then there’s this plug: my boys have actually loved their toys. From their latches board to their puzzles, they’re toys we visit and revisit time and again. (It’s like kids know!)After the showroom, our last stop was a special sneak peek of the new FAO Schwarz at 30 Rock. This was especially exciting as I’d been to the old one as a kid, and remember being totally blown away by it (anyone remember Tom Hanks dancing on the piano in Big?). Suffice it to say, the store is spectacular. There is so much to see, but the Melissa and Doug section is prime real estate–literally as soon as you walk in, right across from the checkout. And it’s so fun for kids, even if you’re not intending to go just to shop. Melissa and Doug has it set up like a little store for kids, with carts they can pull out and put produce and stuff into.

Here are some of our favorite Melissa and Doug toys right now; some that we own, and some that will be a part of our Christmas morning!
01. grocery store (and food to go with; this is going to be a present for anders’ birthday!) 02. farm and animals 03. schoolbus (have and love) 04. 4 in one puzzles (we love these! 05. fireman costume 06. water wow (the besssst!) 07. magnetic matching picture game 08. latches board 09. spill proof paint cups 10. doorbell house (an m&d favorite!)

Thank you so much for reading, and thanks to Melissa and Doug for cultivating such a great conversation. Keep an eye on my Instagram for a pretty sweet giveaway! Happy playing!