Why Mr. Potato Head you ask? What is so special about a big brown piece of plastic with removable eyes that has no bright lights or gadgets and doesn’t even talk?
Mr. Potato Head not only helped my daughter through developmental milestones but also taught her so much about having toys and me about buying them for her.
Our collection, that now sits neatly in its own small bin in the garage, started many years ago due to one rather large advantage leading to the plethora of accumulated eyes, and mouths, hats, and accessories.
We love Disneyland.
Yes, Disneyland grew our rather large collection as we went often and would inevitably end up at the toy shop. Tucked into one whole corner of that shop was the largest array of Potato Head accessories you could imagine. From Princess Leia hair to Darth Vader body armor to Goofy, Minnie, Mickey, Donald and the usual array of eyes, arms, and mouths. My daughter loved the perfectly sized and shaped pieces that fit so well into her young toddler hands, and the bright colors, variety of shapes, and characters she was starting to know kept her attention.
On top of that it was the best deal in the park!
You could stuff as much in a small cardboard box as could fit but still close.. or almost close if looking helpless and struggling, you set the box by the cash register while pleasantly smiling with a squirmy baby on one hip. For your effort you would take home a bulging box of great parts all for the mere price of $19.95. A steal by Disney standards, one that no longer exists, and a great deal even when eyeing the shelves of Target.
There is nothing better than a great deal to get you hooked on a toy from your childhood. And though the deal is gone the fact remains~ getting hooked on Mr. Potato Head was one of the best things we did!
Why you ask?
Because children are inundated with toys
Have you ever gone into your closet and proclaimed… I have nothing to wear. Or had so many shows to choose from you end up watching nothing at all. It happens so much that psychologist have started studying this phenomenon and have given it a name. It’s called the choice overload phenomenon. When there are so many things to focus on that you can’t focus on anything at all. This phenomenon happens in an array of situations from picking our wardrobe, to picking our food, to which movie we are going to watch Saturday night.
But it happens for kids too.
Psychologists recommend limiting the number of choices you give young children to just two in order to give them autonomy without overloading their options. Research actually shows that too many choices lead to decreased satisfaction and constantly changing selection, or a lack of making any choice at all.
And that is where Mr. Potato Head comes in.
He was “the toy” in our house, because he was a great toy from young toddlerhood until about the age of four. Without even thinking about it we didn’t buy a plethora of toys.Without meaning to we didn’t have choice overload. That mistake turned into a concentrated effort to not have choice overload, to not inundate ourselves with stuff helped my daughter have real focused play time with the select toys she did have…
Stuffed animals that were for cozying up to, and those that sang the abc’s, a plush ring toss, and building blocks. As she grew older we added play-doh, a train set, music instruments and a pretend kitchen, which doubled as an accessory, snuggly fitting all her toys amidst its shelves and compartments. Every evening everything fit neatly into baskets that all fit into that pretend kitchen. Mr. Potato head was one of those baskets. He was Barbie, Batman, puzzles, pretend play, and everything else rolled into one with his accessories and special hidden compartment. Her choices were limited but not limiting!
Because developmental milestones are covered
“Hey Hamm, look I’m Picasso!” (Mr. Potato Head Toy Story)
By their first year children work on gross and fine motor skills, cause and effect, peekaboo, and social interaction. By year two their skills have grown dramatically to include a new depth of fine motor skills, vocabulary usage like naming the parts of their body, pretend play, and by the time they are three or four they have elaborate and extensive pretend play games, cooperative play, shape identification abilities and correct and incorrect concepts as well as growth through creative play.
Mr. Potato Head is a great toy for all of those milestones with his hidden compartment, big bright pieces, assortment of accessories and ability to spark imagination a la Picasso.
My daughter loved to hide the extra pieces in his back compartment and play peekaboo, as she grew I used him to teach her everything from new words like body parts and everyday accessories (I can’t help but think of Mrs. Potato Heads brightly colored hat and purse without cracking a smile) to social interactions during tea parties for four of us… she, I , and Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head of course!
She cracked up at the silly faces she could pose him in and relished in doing things with her friends Mickey and Minnie.
From year one through year four Mr. Potato Head did exactly what he was meant to.. he helped her with social interactions, fine and gross motor skills, defining words and word development, shapes, abstract thought all while having fun and engaging learning through the concept of play.
Because it’s a great gift this holiday season
Whether you get the standard set, the Disney set, the Harry Potter set, or the Batman set, whether you are a parent a grandparent or someone special who spends time with that little someone in your life Mr. Potato Head is just a great gift.
It is simple with no need for fancy gadgets, or batteries, or plugs. It is compact, easily stored and put away. It is not easily damaged and there is no concern that it will stop working.
Best of all it is hours and hours of fun.
A simple, time tested toy for young minds and little hands to treasure in today’s fast paced, high tech world. A cherished moment of simplicity during times of togetherness and play.
So if you’re looking for a great toy look no further… it’s Mr. Potato Head to the rescue!
Thanks to Bobby Kountz for the suggestion. I hope you enjoyed the article!
“You’re not turning me into a mashed potato!” (Toy Story)
—
Previously published on medium
***
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project and want a deeper connection with our community, please join us as a Premium Member today.
Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
—
Photo credit: on iStock
The post Mr. Potato Head Is One-Stop Shopping for Early Development appeared first on The Good Men Project.
Why Mr. Potato Head you ask? What is so special about a big brown piece of plastic with removable eyes that has no bright lights or gadgets and doesn’t even talk?
Mr. Potato Head not only helped my daughter through developmental milestones but also taught her so much about having toys and me about buying them for her.
Our collection, that now sits neatly in its own small bin in the garage, started many years ago due to one rather large advantage leading to the plethora of accumulated eyes, and mouths, hats, and accessories.
We love Disneyland.
Yes, Disneyland grew our rather large collection as we went often and would inevitably end up at the toy shop. Tucked into one whole corner of that shop was the largest array of Potato Head accessories you could imagine. From Princess Leia hair to Darth Vader body armor to Goofy, Minnie, Mickey, Donald and the usual array of eyes, arms, and mouths. My daughter loved the perfectly sized and shaped pieces that fit so well into her young toddler hands, and the bright colors, variety of shapes, and characters she was starting to know kept her attention.
On top of that it was the best deal in the park!
You could stuff as much in a small cardboard box as could fit but still close.. or almost close if looking helpless and struggling, you set the box by the cash register while pleasantly smiling with a squirmy baby on one hip. For your effort you would take home a bulging box of great parts all for the mere price of $19.95. A steal by Disney standards, one that no longer exists, and a great deal even when eyeing the shelves of Target.
There is nothing better than a great deal to get you hooked on a toy from your childhood. And though the deal is gone the fact remains~ getting hooked on Mr. Potato Head was one of the best things we did!
Why you ask?
Because children are inundated with toys
Have you ever gone into your closet and proclaimed… I have nothing to wear. Or had so many shows to choose from you end up watching nothing at all. It happens so much that psychologist have started studying this phenomenon and have given it a name. It’s called the choice overload phenomenon. When there are so many things to focus on that you can’t focus on anything at all. This phenomenon happens in an array of situations from picking our wardrobe, to picking our food, to which movie we are going to watch Saturday night.
But it happens for kids too.
Psychologists recommend limiting the number of choices you give young children to just two in order to give them autonomy without overloading their options. Research actually shows that too many choices lead to decreased satisfaction and constantly changing selection, or a lack of making any choice at all.
And that is where Mr. Potato Head comes in.
He was “the toy” in our house, because he was a great toy from young toddlerhood until about the age of four. Without even thinking about it we didn’t buy a plethora of toys.Without meaning to we didn’t have choice overload. That mistake turned into a concentrated effort to not have choice overload, to not inundate ourselves with stuff helped my daughter have real focused play time with the select toys she did have…
Stuffed animals that were for cozying up to, and those that sang the abc’s, a plush ring toss, and building blocks. As she grew older we added play-doh, a train set, music instruments and a pretend kitchen, which doubled as an accessory, snuggly fitting all her toys amidst its shelves and compartments. Every evening everything fit neatly into baskets that all fit into that pretend kitchen. Mr. Potato head was one of those baskets. He was Barbie, Batman, puzzles, pretend play, and everything else rolled into one with his accessories and special hidden compartment. Her choices were limited but not limiting!
Because developmental milestones are covered
“Hey Hamm, look I’m Picasso!” (Mr. Potato Head Toy Story)
By their first year children work on gross and fine motor skills, cause and effect, peekaboo, and social interaction. By year two their skills have grown dramatically to include a new depth of fine motor skills, vocabulary usage like naming the parts of their body, pretend play, and by the time they are three or four they have elaborate and extensive pretend play games, cooperative play, shape identification abilities and correct and incorrect concepts as well as growth through creative play.
Mr. Potato Head is a great toy for all of those milestones with his hidden compartment, big bright pieces, assortment of accessories and ability to spark imagination a la Picasso.
My daughter loved to hide the extra pieces in his back compartment and play peekaboo, as she grew I used him to teach her everything from new words like body parts and everyday accessories (I can’t help but think of Mrs. Potato Heads brightly colored hat and purse without cracking a smile) to social interactions during tea parties for four of us… she, I , and Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head of course!
She cracked up at the silly faces she could pose him in and relished in doing things with her friends Mickey and Minnie.
From year one through year four Mr. Potato Head did exactly what he was meant to.. he helped her with social interactions, fine and gross motor skills, defining words and word development, shapes, abstract thought all while having fun and engaging learning through the concept of play.
Because it’s a great gift this holiday season
Whether you get the standard set, the Disney set, the Harry Potter set, or the Batman set, whether you are a parent a grandparent or someone special who spends time with that little someone in your life Mr. Potato Head is just a great gift.
It is simple with no need for fancy gadgets, or batteries, or plugs. It is compact, easily stored and put away. It is not easily damaged and there is no concern that it will stop working.
Best of all it is hours and hours of fun.
A simple, time tested toy for young minds and little hands to treasure in today’s fast paced, high tech world. A cherished moment of simplicity during times of togetherness and play.
So if you’re looking for a great toy look no further… it’s Mr. Potato Head to the rescue!
Thanks to Bobby Kountz for the suggestion. I hope you enjoyed the article!
“You’re not turning me into a mashed potato!” (Toy Story)
—
Previously published on medium
***
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project and want a deeper connection with our community, please join us as a Premium Member today.
Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
—
Photo credit: on iStock
The post Mr. Potato Head Is One-Stop Shopping for Early Development appeared first on The Good Men Project.
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