A Poor Boy's Toy

Driving into town the other day I came across a little boy pulling a handmade toy car behind him. I called him over (which took some effort, since he didn’t understand English) and told him I wanted to take his photo with the car. It was an ingenious little creation, made out of an empty juice box, with soda bottle lids for wheels, and a space for hauling other empty juice boxes. When we were done, he put it back on the road and went off contentedly on his way.


From all that I can tell, children in Sudan really don’t have toys. Instead of dolls, little girls take care of their younger siblings. And apart from handmade toys like this one, and – if they’re lucky – a beat up soccer ball, boys don’t have any either. Yet, for all that, they still exude the joy and playfulness of children. I remember in Honduras seeing boys making toy parachutes out of plastic shopping bags tied to a small stone for weight, or handmade kites out of the same material, and having a great time playing with them.


These experiences confirm my suspicion that many toys make children unhappy, just as television makes them bored. It seems that a lot toys are bought in response to very aggressive advertizing campaigns aimed at small children. And, since there’s always another new toy that children don’t have, or some new accessory to a toy they already have, or another cartridge or version for whatever electronic game program they have, they’re never very happy or satisfied with what they have for very long. I remember one missionary sharing with me how almost all the children at an orphanage that had just received Christmas presents were either crying or fighting right after opening their gifts.


Like television, many children’s toys seem to encourage passivity, and dull – rather than enliven – their imaginations. They create an attitude and expectation on the part of children that they be entertained or amused by someone or something, and when they’re not – which seems to be a lot of the time – they’re bored. Perhaps the saddest part of all is that these things seem to quell the natural sense of wonder and joy that characterize the heart of a child and open them so amazingly to the reality of God.


Another lesson to learn from those who do not seem to have much…