I feel that kids need real tools. Wilbur loves his tools and yes they are real. He has his own tool box and he knows where it is kept. He also sneaks my good screw drivers into his box... He knows good screwdrivers from cheap already. Kids aren't stupid. Give them quality and they will give it back. When my youngest son was 2 he wanted a guitar in the worst way. We got him a fair quality ukelele which he plunked around on, slept with and kept in reasonable shape - it's had various tuners, strings and refinished.... No plastic and it was not really a toy. Then he got a cheap guitar to learn on.... Every time he 'graduated' to a better guitar the quality of his music went up. I don't know if this would be considered an ad or what but I think it is free if you just listen all day long so I hope I'm not in any trouble. Anyway, here is what he is doing these days besides playing music in coffee houses and pubs:
http://calebhawkins.bandcamp.com/album/wood-and-wire I think the idea of toys opposed to real tools - real music - real life experience is invaluable. Who knows what he would be doing these days if he had gotten some cheap toy guitar. When I was a kid I had an old hand crank long bobbin sewing machine mounted on 2X wood. I sewed my finger a good one (but I never did that again when I was a kid.) Then I graduated to a toy sewing machine... My mom was so mad at that machine she returned it or else pitched it.... I got to use her Singer Featherweight after that. She thought it was safer than a hand crank and much better than a toy. Maybe it was but I did learn how to sew on the old HC and I have pretty good control with my left hand because of that. I picked up a HC not that long ago - I think they are very good for teaching how to sew and I hadn't forgotten how to do it. Finger guards aren't a bad idea with a HC - take adequate precaution when giving a kid tools. When I was 7 years old I got a bunch of baking mixes and little tiny pans for Christmas. They were too small and stuff burned in our oven. I can also remember getting a cookie press not long after - Oh the cookies that thing made! It was a real tool and I loved it. I learned how to bake and used a lot of math skills. The side affects of using real tools can't be discounted.... Ever try using kid scissors? Give them real ones. Give them guide lines for using tools. Use common sense - a kid doesn't really need a knife but a screwdriver is likely ok. Treat the kid with respect and teach them to respect the tools. Yes some times things break or what ever but so do toys. Actually they might use a tool longer than they would ever play with a toy. If nothing else they will grow into a tool. Of course if a parent doesn't teach responsibility along with a tool they might as well have a bunch of stupid toys or a video game...