[extropy-chat] Maximising Human Potential : Education : Toys

[Daniel Matthews]

On Sat, 15 May 2004 04:00 am, extropy-chat-request at lists.extropy.org wrote:
> Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 10:31:51 -0700
> From: "Acy James Stapp" <astapp at fizzfactorgames.com>
> Subject: RE: [extropy-chat] Maximising Human Potential : Education :
>         Toys
> To: "ExI chat list" <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
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>         <56BC65EB2F3963489057F7D978B5E7B701AB9403 at amazemail2.amazeent.com>
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>
> Daniel Matthews wrote:
> > Simple and durable is definitely the way to go, then the toys can be
> > handed down to other children along with any curlure that has evolved
> > from the children's interaction with them.
> >
> > I am going to focus on wood as I feel there are a lot of good designs
> > for wooded puzzles and building blocks etc. As you pointed out there
> > are many traditional toys of this type in some parts of the world, so
> > all I need to do is to select the best of these ideas to propagate
> > globally.
>
> Keep in mind that wood is also used as fuel for cooking in many parts
> of the world. These toys will compete with that.
>
> Read http://pcasacas.org/SPC/spcissues/22.1/donlon.html for some good
> information about traditional wooden and wire toys in South Africa. One
> thing mentioned is that wooden toys are considered special.
>
> You should also consider the energy cost of mass fabrication. In
> the developed world we consider energy usage on a personal scale to
> be inexpensive or even essentially free. Incidental costs which
> would seem trivial to us need to be accounted for.
>
> I haven't ever lived in the third world, but I think you really
> need to get the advice of someone who has lived and worked there.
>
> Here's another good link, showing a little bit about the creativity
> of third-world children in making toys:
> http://www.eco-artware.com/newsletter/newsletter_07_01.shtml#toys

I did consider the danger of the toys being used for fuel. Hopefully the 
health and economical  benefits of solar cookers are becoming more widely 
known. If not, I'll look at introducing them at the same time. Fresnel 
mirrors pressed out of aluminium sheet (or aluminium coated plastic) look 
like a good candidates, with the frames etc being fabricated locally. There 
are other people working in the solar area, however the EduToy concept seems 
unsupported perhaps because it only has longer term benefits. I don't 
personally like the idea of keeping people alive without offering them a hand 
up, out of the poverty that is so harmful to them. IMHO the improved 
intellectual development of children is the key and this had two parts, 
nutrition and stimulus. There are already many food programs.

Even in the first world parents upset their kids by destroying toys etc. 
during one household move my mother decided I did not need a lot of my old 
books, I was not very happy! If the toys can be fabricated locally, burning 
them now and then should not be a great problem. Local fabrication cuts out 
transport costs, allows for ad hoc replacement as well as the evolution of 
new toys. Decentralisation is vital to the perpetual growth of such ideas, 
the local population needs to feel like they own the design so that it 
becomes part of their culture.

I do have close friend working in the third world, they ( the children they 
care for) will be the recipient of my initial product/design when I join them 
at the end of this year.