Achtung Santa! A German Study Sets The Ideal Limit On Toys
Play is a fundamental part of childhood development. But when it comes to toys, as one nursery in Bavaria has shown, there s something to be said for moderation.
PENZBERG No clutter. No model railways, no toy trucks, no dolls, not even crayons. For 12 weeks, children in this state-run nursery in Penzberg experience what adults would term minimalism. Every morning, the kids, aged 3-6, come in and find tables, chairs, cushions and plates laid out. Outside there s a garden. Except for the other boys and girls, there s nothing else.
Once every three years, the nursery in this Bavarian town has three months without toys. It s a tradition that goes back 30 years. So how do the children and their nursery teachers find it? In the first month, it gets very, very loud, says Tamara Eberl, the nursery s deputy director. In the second month, they start to make up very creative games. And in the third month, we see the children t