1

DRAMA AND THEATRE PRACTICE AS EFFECTIVE MEANS FOR

CHILDREN DEVELOPMENT A CASE STUDY OF UNIVERSITY

DEMONSTRATION SECONDARY SCHOOL

THE IMPACT OF TOYS IN CHILDREN THEATRE

ABSTRACT

Learning can be greatly improved by making a thoughtful choice of

toys for each stage of a child's growth. Particularly useful for

promoting mental activity are books, games, puzzles, and toys in a

variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. Playing with toys can lay the

groundwork for literacy, writing, mathematical reasoning, social

interaction, and creativity. It also promotes a sense of competence,

teaches collaboration and respect for others' efforts, and fosters

independence and initiative. The subject of the finest toys for

Children has generated a lot of discussion. While some contend

that complex toys offer the best educational opportunities, others

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assert that more straightforward toys that call for imagination and

ingenuity allow Children to think for themselves. The core of the

study focuses on the impact of toys in children theatre.

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Research shows that learning through play is an important part of

a child’s development. Though ensuring your child has enough play

time is a great benefit to families to allow their children to release

some extra energy, a child begins to find out who they are through

play, even during infancy. Even early in development, a child’s

mind is expanding just by looking at their environment and taking

in their surroundings.

The use of educational toys can help children learn many different

skills they will need in their life such as:

1. Problem solving and learning cause and effect

2. Learning how to play with others through compromise,

conflict resolution and sharing

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3. Development of fine and gross motor skills

4. Nurturing their creativity and imagination

5. Discovering their independence and positive self-esteem

Children can start benefiting from educational toys as early as one

month old. Here are some great ideas for educational toys based on

age range and an explanation of their benefits.

1-12 months old: At an early age, sensory play helps stimulate your

child’s senses. Mobiles, soothers and infant play gyms are great

first toys for children as they focus on sensory play through sound,

sight and touch. As your child continues to grow and develops

hand-eye coordination, families can begin introducing toys that

encourage more interaction such as portable toys which will

continue to inspire visual and hearing senses with flashing lights

and different sounds.

As your child becomes more active, we suggest introducing problem

solving toys such as stackers or blocks. These toys will help

children work through conflicts and become familiar with cause

and effect such as “If I do this than that will happen”. They will also

build up their confidence once they’ve been able to figure out how a

toy works after trial and error and guidance. Other great toys to

introduce would be ones that promote movement such as crawl-

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around learning centers or light up dance mats. These types of toys

get children excited and wanting to move around through the use of

lights and sounds.

12-24 months old: As your child reaches the one-year mark or

older, they will soon become very mobile. Push cars, stride and ride

toys and walkers are great to teach balance and coordination and

will increase your child’s curiosity with their new found mobility. As

your child begins to learn to walk, you can also incorporate learning

numbers by counting their steps which will help them become more

familiar with the terms and meaning even if they do not quite

understand at this age.

Themed playsets are great educational toys to introduce between

the ages of 12-18 months because they will help develop your

child’s recognition skills. For example, if you have a theme playset

that involves animals, practice what sound each animal makes.

This will also help with language development by reinforcing the

names of colors and shapes. Ride-on toys continue to spark

creativity and imagination but also will help refine their

coordination skills. When they are using their ride-on toys, set up

detours and paths that pushes them to solve problems and follow

directions. You can also role play with them by telling them they are

going to visit a family member or going on a field trip.

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2+ years: As your children become a bit older and more active, you

can also introduce toys that promote more physical play such as

tricycles or basketball hoops. When showing them how to use these

toys, always make sure they are aware of safety concerns such as

wearing a helmet and incorporate in the process of using the toy so

they know that if they ride their tricycle, they must have their

helmet on as well.

This is also a great age to introduce toys that incorporate cognitive

skill building. Kinetic sand is a great sensory activity that helps

children practice writing by forming shapes or letters in the sand.

They can practice drawing or writing their names. Introducing your

child to an easel can help develop their small motor control by

allowing them to practice how to hold chalk, a paint brush, etc. An

easel will also promote creativity by letting your child use their

imagination to create beautiful art.

“See and Say” games and books will help your child to develop

name recognition and emergent literacy skills. These types of toys

will show your child a visual version of what they are hearing and

vice versa. For example, the repetition of the toy will allow your

child to begin to associate a picture of a dog with the sound a dog

makes. Reading books that have color pictures and a few words on
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each page with your child will begin to familiarize them with how

words they hear look on the pages.

More complex building sets such as those that are magnetic are a

great way to promote creativity and problem solving, whether it’s

trying to build the same structure that’s pictured on the box or

creating their own masterpiece. If the set comes with differently

colored blocks, you can also practice counting and sorting each

color.

Counting toys are also great for helping your child continue to learn

about numbers. These toys can range from simple stacking sets to

indoor bowling sets. Toys that encourage children to play with

others also help them to build social skills.

Incorporating play in your child’s day can be both fun and

beneficial to their growth. What toys do your children love that help

promote learning and growth?

Statement of the problem

The developmental pattern of the social domain of the child has a

close link with the availability and utilization of play materials at

the primary level of education. It has been observed that shortage of

play materials in primary school has caused a deficit in the

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developmental process (Jones. 2002). As a result, most primary

school pupils exhibit unacceptable internalized and externalized

behaviours such as aggression, defiance, non-compliance,

disobedience, fighting, greed, bullying, using abusive words on each

other, pushing and tantrum. These behaviours exhibited by pupils

at this if not given adequate attention, they can grow up to become

harden in heart which lead them into cultism, smoking, drug

abuse, unwanted pregnancy, stealing, Childrennapping, pre-marital

sex and waywardness.

Most parents and caregivers often give-in to the demands of their

children especially when theyask for any sort of toy they have seen

on the television, among their peers even when the request is for

the latest fad or a child’s whim of the moment. This has no doubt

resulted to either wrong effects or unintended consequences. This

lack of attention and indiscriminate provision of toys often for the

fun of it without achieving the much desired skills and

proportionate results while at the same time overburdening

children with too many toys is often the case in preschools in Ondo

state of Nigeria.

Hence, it is in this regard that parents and caregivers should

become acquainted with the specific developmental outcomes

associated with the use of various types of toys for children of

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different age groups. Introducing educational tools that send

positive messages and that are purposeful and fun, is one step to

take in providing children with the best opportunities for

development-even from birth. A good toy, game, book or software

has multiple benefits and, as stated, can be a valuable tool in

learning and development from birth through the school years.

The problem of the study therefore is: could the impact of toys in

children theatre.

Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study:

1. What is the influence of toys on children participation in

play activities?

2. What are the influence of toys in overall development of

children?

Objective of the Study:

The main Objective of the study is to determine the impact of toys

in children theatre.

Specifically the study will determine the:

1. Determine the influence of toys on children participation in

play activities.
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2. Determine the influence of toys in overall development of

children.

Significance of the study

Toys play important roles in the education of a child. As a matter of

fact, preschool children need a variety of toys that challenge them to

use their minds, bodies and feelings. Through its findings,

therefore, it is expected that this study will be of immense benefit to

preschoolers, parents, teachers of early childhood education,

caregivers, motherless babies’ homes, day-care centres, early

childhood curriculum planners, home economists, and

entrepreneurs and policy makers as this will also provide them with

information on toys suitable for children at various stages of

development to enhance balanced cognitive development.

This study will present readers with enough information, details,

procedural and historical contexts to increase their knowledge,

understanding, application, analysis and evaluation of toys.

Suggestions from this study are bound to be useful to policy

makers.

Finally, the findings of this study will serve as database for future

studies in the area.

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Scope of the study

This study is restricted to the impact of toys on children theatre.

The work is restricted to an experimental study hence the few

number of children sampled.

CHAPTER II
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REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter deals with the review of related literature. This review

has been organized under the following sub- headings:

1. Conceptual Framework

• Children’s Theatre Practice

• Aims and Objectives of Children’s Theatre

• The concept of play/toys

• Toys and their characteristics

• Toy-types, categories and functions

• The role of play and use of toys in child development

• Consequences of wrong choice/use of toys

2. Theoretical Framework

• The Recreation/Relaxation Theory of Play

1. Related Empirical studies

2. Summary of Literature Review

Conceptual Framework

Children’s Theatre Practice

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Children’s theatre practice is a dramatic activity in which young

people acquire knowledge and skill through drama. According to

Stanley Obuh (2001) ‘’children’s theatre or drama are those

categories of plays, performances and related literatures that caters

for the interests, instincts, emotional and psychological needs of

children’’.

Children theatre is a diluted version of theatre which is prepared

mainly for youngsters between the ages of five to twelve years, it can

continue also till adult life. In this categories of plays children

perform for children, or adult for children to watch. Children’s drama

or theatre are meant for children’s cognitive development. When

drama is introduced in those formative years, it serves as a

foundation for future development.

Play acts as an important element for a young child. It is from play

that drama takes it’s roots. Through play children develop their

physical and mental skills. It is therefore important to note that the

instinct to play is inborn in man and so remains well after childhood.

Although, most people still hold the view that play is not useful in life

but educationist are beginning to appreciate the special advantages

of learning and teaching through play way method. Such approaches

have been adopted by modern day nursery schools. That means

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learning is fostered through fun. The playing method is usually

explored in dramatic activities.

Child play begins early, if we observe a baby toddler and the

activities he or she engaged with, we find that many of the earliest

experiments of the baby are evolving forms of drama. All the child’s

activities are fluid through which he/she explores the world. Early

creative movement of the hands and feet, kicking, spreading out of

fingers and the beat of the hands and nodding head to different

beats, when a sound is cherished it will last at length and this may

be accompanied by cheerful laughter. Making faces for likes and

dislikes, all these activities of a child are embryonic forms of drama.

‘Dramatic play is fragmentary, existing only for the moment it may

last for a few minutes or go on for some time. It may even be played

repeatedly, if the child’s interest is sufficiently strong; but when this

occurs the repetition is in no sense a rehearsal. It is, rather, the

repetition of a creative experience for the pure joy of doing it. It has

no beginning and no end and no development in the dramatic

sense’ (McCaslin, 1990:4). Thus, it can be said that child play is the

free play of the young children through which they explore their

surroundings, observe and imitate others around them and it is a

natural manifestation of human growth.

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Drama for the young peoples is classified into four major areas.

These four areas involves children dramatic activities and each of

the different forms has its own methodology. The forms are as

follows:

1) Creative dramatics: it is an activity that is concerned with the

child’s imaginative and creative development, through the use of

various physical and improvise drama exercise; creative dramatic

aspires to promote the child’s ability at self expression.

2) Children’s Theatre: This area of drama is an organized theatre for

children, in which adults or adult and children perform for children’s

audience. In children’s theatre, an audience is always required

whereby children enact stories learnt through rehearsal with a script,

co-ordinated by a leader.

3) Recreational Drama: Recreational drama like children’s theatre is

performed for an audience, but unlike children’s theatre it involves

children performing for their fellow children and adult audience

emphasis is on both the process and their product. The actors in

recreational drama know that there is an audience to please.

4) Educational Drama: Also known as curricular drama is designed

around educational institution, which is in two dimension.

(1) Drama as a method: Is creative dramatics, being the

use of drama as a method to stimulate education or knowledge.

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(2) Drama as a curriculum subject or discipline: This

dimension of drama is considered as a discipline (curriculum

subject) of its own, with its own academic content to be student like

other subjects.

Drama as a method has to do with the use of drama as a method to

stimulate education or knowledge. While drama as a curricular

subject or discipline is a drama considered as a discipline on its own

and not as a means to an end. That is to say, drama treated as a

curricular subject with its own academic content.

Aims and objectives of Children’s Theatre

The theatre happens to be one of the most powerful and direct means

of strengthening human reason and enlightening the nation. By

extension, children’s drama/theatre serves as an educational

instrument for children’s upbringing. The ultimate aim is to inculcate

in the child, the habit of play-consumption, construction and

appreciation from early childhood. If this is achieved, the theatre will

then have a responsive and responsible adult audience in the future.

The theatre places children in a condition in which they can recall

and interpret past experiences and apply them to present realities.

Essentially, early children’s theatre experiences or experiments in at

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creating the necessary awareness that would enable them to

understand the true potentials of the theatre. When the necessary

awareness is created during these formative years, then one can

claim that the foundation for sustainable growth has been laid,

thereby reducing the prejudices and skepticism which often stifle

theatre development.

Drama has power and can positively influence children. In

recognition of the positive effects of drama, S. C. Evernden (1977)

explain that “in areas and schools where drama has had a fair trial,

it has in fact helped children to become articulate and self-reliant,

move at peace with themselves and better adjusted to society’”.

Children by nature are initiative and playful and they learn a lot

through play and imitation at home and elsewhere. There, they

assume the roles of parents, teacher, leaders etc. The theatre serves

as an avenue for the actualization of the and playful tendencies. It

has also been established that children assimilate more through

drama than formal method of teaching, because the dramatic

approach is more concrete, immediate, economical and has a way of

arresting the five senses (touch, smell, taste, hearing and sight).

Drama also exposes children to such values as honesty, hard work,

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and respect for elders, obedience, self-discipline and allegiance to

societal norms.

Children’s theatre aims at developing the young ones physically,

intellectually, psychologically, emotionally and culturally. These

noble ideals are achieved by installing confidence, discipline and

respect in the younger ones. The theatre also helps to increase

children’s vocabulary and gives them self-confidence and improves

their self-expression.

Creative drama plays an important role in a healthy development for

children of all ages. Creative drama for young children inherently

offers effective means for enhancing all areas of children's

development. Interaction, cooperation, and negotiation during drama

time support social and language development (Szecsi, 2012). Early

childhood education is one platform where children are able to

develop their physical, social, intellectual, emotional, and creative

abilities. Through creative drama, children at this age are more

receptive to explore their ideas through colors and shapes, and feed

their curiosity and feelings towards arts, movement, music, and

imaginative play. When a creative drama activity are put in place,

children learn to interact with their peers, discussing their

imagination with one another, express their ideas and feelings

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towards each other. All of this will then lead to children’s social and

emotional, physical, and creative development – which is important

for children to understand once they grow up and be one with the

community.

Evidently, children will learn the non-verbal and verbal

communication through creative drama. Smilansky and Shefatya

mentioned (as cited in Isenberg & Jalongo, 2017), school success

largely depends on children’s ability to interact positively with their

peers and adults. With the help of creative drama activity, children

are able to communicate better not only to their parents but to their

peers. For example, when they are in doing a play, the need for them

to discuss their ideas of a certain scenario (given) with their peers

are necessary. How the scenario is going to be, the roles for each

member in the group, the storyline of the play itself, and the process

throughout with their teacher, these are all important for language

development. In her conference paper (Dahlgren, 2008), oral

language are important for children in terms of information sharing,

expressing feelings, advices, persuading other, sharing ideas,

remembering and for special situations. She also mentioned that it is

important for children to develop their language to enrich their

vocabulary in later years. Gestures, facial expressions, body contact,

eye contact, personal space, and tone of voice are all example of
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nonverbal communication (Biringen, 2017). The use of toys in

preschool will teach children not only to communicate better with

their family but teaches them how to get along with other people. As

creative drama encourage children to express themselves in a safe

environment, they learn to negotiate with others, appreciating other

people’s feelings, listening to other people’s ideas, and imitating

different characters. For example, when children play doctors, they

are able to negotiate who becomes the patients, doctors and nurses,

mimicking the feelings of a sick patient, serious doctors and nurses.

Inside this circle of play, children take authorisations with what and

how the real scenario is and this can lead to a better understanding

of what happens in the real world. Furthermore, through creative

drama, children are able to resolve conflicts, enhancing their

problem solving skills.

By being able to communicate through verbal and nonverbal

manner, children can then be able to express their emotions easily.

In their article, Isenberg & Jalongo (2017) quoted Piaget on the four

ways play helps with children’s emotional development;

1) simplifying events by creating an imaginary character, plot, or

setting to match children’s emotional state, 2) compensating for

situations by adding forbidden acts to pretend play, 3) Controlling

emotional expression by repeatedly re-enacting unpleasant

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experiences, and 4) avoiding adverse consequences by pretending

that another character, real or imaginary, commits inappropriate

acts and suffers the consequences. From that, children are not only

able to put their feelings in motion according to the situations but

they are able to differentiate types of feelings by experiencing it

themselves. And because some feelings are not express-able verbally,

children can use the space, time, and tools to make others

understand what they are going through. Even if children are not

able to express it through their gestures, activities such as drawing

or painting can help children express their emotions in a different

platform. This not only boost their self-esteem through achievements

but can boost their confidence through their art piece.

Creative drama also emphasize on the physical need of a child. At

the preschool level, children need activities that can strengthen their

muscles. Aspects of physical development is very important in

preschool because without strong physical development, children

will have problems in doing activities such as holding a pencil or a

brush to write and draw, involvement in sports, play, handle musical

instruments as well as handling equipment. Preschool education

also provides learning opportunities to enhance their motor skills

and hand-eye coordination among these children. Besides that, it

also element emphasize on building physical self-care practices,

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environmental sanitation and nutrition as well as personal safety as

some situation may cause accidents and harm to the children

(Darling-Churchill & Lippman, 2016). Through play, children are

naturally able to use and learn to refine their gross and fine motor

skills and coordination According to Heineger “As children get older,

they use their muscles in continually more complex ways,

integrating large and fine muscle movements with visual perception

(Gordon Biddle, Garcia-Nevarez, Roundtree Henderson, & Valero-

Kerrick, 2014).

The usage of creative drama can be beneficial if it used to its

maximum capacity. It’s a tool that can build a child’s social and

emotion, physical, and creative and intellectual development. But

having said that, children’s environment plays a big role as well in

the child’s development. Without the support of teachers and

families, creative drama will not be delivered well into the children’s

life (T. Bertrand, 2006)

The concept of Play/Toys

A toy is an item that is used in play, especially one designed for

such use. Playing with toys can be an enjoyable means of training

young children for life in society. Different materials like wood, clay,

paper, and plastic are used to make toys. Many items are designed
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to serve as toys, but goods produced for other purposes can also be

used. For instance, a small child may fold an ordinary piece of

paper into an airplane shape and “fly it”. Newer forms of toys

include interactive digital entertainment. Some toys are produced

primarily as collectors’ items and are intended for display only.

The origin of toys is prehistoric; dolls representing infants, animals,

and soldiers, as well as representations of tools used by adults are

readily found at archaeological sites. The origin of the word “toy” is

unknown, but it is believed that it was first used in the 14th

century. Toys are mainly made for children. Playing with toys is

considered to be important when it comes to growing up and

learning about the world around us. Younger children use toys to

discover their identity, help their bodies grow strong, learn cause

and effect, explore relationships, and practice skills they will need

as adults. Adults on occasion use toys to form and strengthen

social bonds, teach, help in therapy, and to remember and reinforce

lessons from their youth.

Play is important to the healthy growth and development of

children. Allen (2007) stated that as children play, they learn to

solve problems, to get along with others, and to develop the fine and

gross motor skills needed to enhance and master life skills.

Children also learn to identify colours, numbers, size, and shapes.

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These have the ability to enhance their memory skills as well as

their attention span. Language develops as a child plays and

interacts with others. Children move on to higher levels of thought

as they play with toys. Preschool Children’s play materials are

predominantly toys.

Toys are among a child’s first possessions. A toy is any object that

can be used for play. Toys are usually associated with children and

pets; hence, early experiences with toys can have lasting effects on

a child. According to Product Standard (2004), a toy is any product

or material designed or clearly intended for use in play by children

of less than 14 years of age. Goodson (2005) stated that, if play is

the child’s work, then, toys are the child’s tools, and appropriate

toys can help children do their work well. Toy is an object or thing

that can be used or manipulated to amuse and encourage

playfulness. Reiber, Luke, and Smith (1988) noted that toys as

instruments of play make learning fun and more effective especially

if the toy is voluntarily chosen, involves active engagement, and is

pleasurable.

Toys appeal to children of all ages across the globe. Abrams and

Kaufmann (1990) opined that toys are intrinsically motivating. The

right toys available at the right time can spontaneously guide

children to greater heights of accomplishments. Toys enhance

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cognitive behaviour and stimulate creativity. They aid in the

development of physical and mental skills which are necessary in

later life. Toys that have the right degree of novelty can ignite

creativity, stimulate imagination, awaken wonder, and bring

enjoyment to children. They should have both familiar and

unexplored features to make them attractive and challenging.

Insightful teachers can utilize the natural appeal of toys to

understand and capture a child’s perception of the world and of

himself. In the same vein, parents and caregivers should therefore

make deliberate effort to provide their children with quality play-

time and appropriate toys (Anyakoha and Eluwa, 1995).

Wise selection of toys for every developmental stage of a child will go

a long way in enhancing learning. Books, games, puzzles and toys

with various shapes, colours and sizes can be especially helpful in

encouraging mental activity (Ken, 2007). Playing with toys can set

the foundation for reading, writing, mathematical reasoning, social

interaction, and creativity while at the same time fostering a feeling

of competence, teaches cooperation and respect for the work of

others, encourages autonomy and initiative. There has been much

debate about which toys are the best for children. Some argue that

high-tech toys provide the best educational opportunities, while

others say that simpler toys that require imagination and creativity
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teach a child to think for herself. Nevertheless, to properly address

four components of skills development among preschool children

namely; language, social, problem solving and creative skills,

construction and toy categories would be used. As opined by Ken

(2007), toys are sets of standardized pieces that allow for the

construction of a variety of different models or buildings. The pieces

avoid the lead time of manufacturing custom pieces, and of

requiring special training or design time to construct complex

systems. This makes them suitable for temporary structures or for

use as children’s toys. Toys include among others; lego bricks,

patterned blocks, game of scrabble, magnetic boards and stakes.

Toys which require some kind of manipulation with fingers and

hands are categorized as toys. This category of toys include among

others; pegboards, clay-dough, small blocks, puzzles, board games,

table toys, writing accessories, drawing/ painting books and

musical toys (Marotz, 2006). Goodson (2005) opines that male and

female preschoolers play with different toy categories at varied

levels. Goodson further observed that in preschool toy-corner, boys

are more preoccupied with toys than toys.

The use of toys in play helps children develop physically, socially,

intellectually and creatively (Dike 2007). Fond memories of

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childhood Nancy (2010) noticed usually bring to mind a favourite

toy. A cuddly doll, colourful crayons, or a special wagon are all

childhood favourites.

Toys are fun and they help children learn about themselves, their

environment and the people around them (American Consumer

Affairs Division (ACA) Year D, 1998). Anyanwu (2004) observed that

children have general tendency to play, therefore suggested that

child-care-givers should provide them with toys and other materials

which they can manipulate and play with. On the other hand, the

national policy on education (Federal Govt. of Nigeria, 2004),

recognized the importance of toys, hence one of the objectives of

pre-primary education is to inculcate in the child the spirit of

inquiry and creativity through the exploration of nature and the

local environment.

Minett (1994) noted that children play happily with different

objects which they find around the house and garden, and that

these objects are used as toys and that toys which are specialty

made for children will also give then much pleasure and help to

increase the variety and interest of their games. This has always

been an important part of their lives whether disabled or otherwise.

Oppenheim (1997) however noted that a walk through any toy store

shows the huge variety of toys that are available today. Among them
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are puzzles, pegboards and coloured blacks. He goes on to remark

that shelves are stacked high with electronic games and toys that

mirror all the inventions of the modern world. Nevertheless, he

argued that old favourites such as kites, wagons, and roller skates

are still in existence.

Hiller (2000) states that toys can be seen as the tools of human

child, training him in physical skills, developing his inauguration,

and stimulating his thinking. He further pointed out that toys

imitate in a miniature way the world familiar to children. Toys differ

according to the part of the world where the children who use them

live, the nature of the society, the period of time in which they grew

up and the materials available. He further remarked that toys are

valuable as a record of social history. while the World Book

Encyclopaedia (1995) states that a toy is an object children can use

as a plaything. Children throughout the world play with similar

toys, such as balls, dolls, games, and puzzles. Toys can often be the

stimulus to ―enhance communication and cooperation between

children, between children and parents and also between families‖.

Since ancient times, toys have played an important role in

children’s lives. Toys are like tools for learning. The New

Encyclopaedia Americana (2000) sees toys as a plaything for an

infant or child. It is often an instrument used in a game. When

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children are provided with safe and appropriate toys and materials,

as they watch them their abilities and talents unfold, Anyanwu

(2004) concluded.

As far as children are concerned, toys for plays are like tools for

learning. When they are provided with safe and appropriate toys

and materials, one will be thrilled at the abilities and talents these

may evoke in them. Parents of preschoolers are therefore advised to

budget for toys and playthings as they do for clothes and food.

According to Dike (2007), parents and teachers should be

acknowledgeable about the toys and playthings children are playing

with. If toys show signs of wear or have broken parts, they should

be discarded.

Toys bring a great deal of joy to children, but they also can be

valuable learning tools. Exploring, pretending, and sharing are just

a few of the important skills children develop when they play. Toys

don't have to be expensive and come in different forms, shapes and

colours. Cardboard boxes in the backyard and measuring cups in

the bathtub are favourite standards. But parents who do wish to

purchase toys may find it helpful to know what toys to choose and

which to avoid for children of different ages.

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Toy characteristics

There are several overlapping characteristics of worthwhile toys that

can be considered before purchases are made. Some of in the words

of Nancy (2010) include:

Sturdy, durable and safe:

The most basic criterion, of course, is that toys are safe. A loved toy

in the hands of a three to five year old will undoubtedly be

subjected to a lot of tear and wear. Loose parts, sharp edges, and

broken bits can obviously be unsafe.

Multipurpose:

Toys are best if they that can be used in a variety of ways. Put quite

simply, ask if the toy is good for only one thing? If so, then you may

want to question its value. The term open play materials are often

used to describe the characteristic of multipurpose. These toys

usually allow for the child to apply some creativity and imagination.

Think, for example, of all the things a young child might do with a

doll, a wagon, or a set of blocks. Engaging:

Young children are driven to explore, experiment, and to discover.

Good toys allow the child articulate these curiosities and hence get

involved, to get engage and be an active participant, rather than

just be entertained.
 30

According to Roode (2010), there is an ever-increasing variety of

commercially available toys (often battery operated) that basically

requires no more from the child than that he/she presses a button

or to turn a dial, sit back and watch. While these often capture the

child’s interest intensely initially, with its bells and whistles, lights,

and perhaps movement, this interest soon wanes. These toys are

often expensive, and do have appeal to adults; this therefore calls

for caution and care to determine whether or not they are worth the

investment. In general, the more a toy allows a child to do, the

better it is.

Added value:

There are many toys available for purchase that are no more than

substitutes, and sometimes less desirable substitutes at that, for

items around the house. Some of these are imitations of the real

thing (for example, handbags, dinner sets, sieves and other kitchen

utensils); while others are items that can be very adequately

substituted for by household objects (for example, containers,

stacking sets, tubes, small tents and cubbies). Other commercial

toys are things that can be easily improvised.

Again, when considering investing in toys, as stated by Ken (2007),

it is advisable that parents try to be sure it is going to add

 31

possibilities and opportunities to children’s experience that are in

addition to the ones offered by what is already there. Efforts should

be made to ensure that the toy offers opportunities different from

those offered by real objects. Three to five year olds like to use real

objects, so whenever possible they should be provided with them

instead of toy improvising.

Encouraging of collaboration and communication:

While selecting toys for three to five year olds one thing to be borne

in mind is to encourage them to learn to be with other children in a

healthy way. There is no doubt also, children need to learn to be

comfortable with their peers, to enjoy their company and to avoid

being overly reliant on others. Toys and other play materials can

enhance the realization of this goal. In making and or purchasing

toys, one should as well consider the importance of having a

balance of both opportunities for a child to engage by himself and

for working with others.

Acknowledging diversity:

Children can learn to appreciate differences at a surprisingly early

age. Giving a child toys from a variety of cultures enriches the

child’s experience and can strengthen understanding of difference.

Aesthetically pleasing:
 32

One of the values that most parents would want to nurture in

children is a sense of beauty; they should think about this when

purchasing toys. Children can learn to appreciate the smoothness

of wood, the beauty of natural colours, and the texture of soft,

smooth fabric. Their world according to Groman (1995) needs to be

much more than a sea of plastic primary colours.

Toy-Types, categories and functions

Toys have always been children’s constant companions. Small

colourful toys help children discover the different colours and

shapes. It also introduces them to the different sounds of their

surroundings and allows them to distinguish the different textures.

Through toys children discover the fun of using their senses.

According to Allen (2007),Toys and Games categories includes and

toys; puzzles, collectibles, matching games, magnetic blocks clay-

dough ,dolls, scrabble, picture books drawing/painting materials

and other games that children can play at a table, on the floor, or

on top of a divider shelf. These materials she further submitted,

offer children a quiet activity that they can do alone, with a friend,

with a teacher or a parent volunteer, or with a small group.

Children strengthen all areas of their development as they play with

toys and games.

 33

In the words of Roode (2010), the main purpose of toys is to bring

joy to children. It adds more fun to their games. But one can never

underestimate the power of toys he submitted. Roode further stated

that toys are very helpful in preparing your child to learn bigger

things. Although it may only seem that they are just playing and

having fun he highlighted , there are a lot of things that children

can learn by the use of toys since certain toys give your child the

fun of playing and learning at the same time.

The Role of Toys and play in Child Development

In the words of Roode (2010), toy-play nourishes every aspect of

children’s development–physical, social, emotional, intellectual, and

creative. Play has an intrinsic value in childhood and long-term

developmental benefits. According to Papalia (2009), play develops

the foundation of intellectual, social, physical, and emotional skills

necessary for success in school and in life. It paves the way for

learning

Playing pretend can help children work out their fears and worries.

When children role-play about the big bad monster under the bed,

they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn't seem quite so

big or so bad. Imaginative play also helps Children vent confusing

 34

feelings they might have, such as anger toward a parent or rivalry

with a new sibling. Play, on the other hand, is described by the

National Literary Trust, NLT (2005) as the work of childhood;

experts agree that play is vitally important to healthy child

development. NLT maintains that play helps children understand

and gain mastery over their universe. Also, plays helps build self-

esteem, social skills, fosters language development, simulates

creativity and imagination and develops fine and large motor skills.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC (1998) sees

play as a natural activity for every young child; it maintains that

play provides many opportunities for children to learn and grow

physically, mentally and socially. CPSC maintain that if play is the

child’s work then toys are the child’s tools and appropriate toys can

help children to do their work well.

According to Olds (2009), there is considerable fascination among

play researchers and theorists with the correlations between

children’s pretend play and cognitive development. He further

stated that the capacity for pretence, developed so elaborately in

socio-dramatic play, is inextricably intertwined with the

development of the capacity for abstract, representational thinking.

We marvel at the developmental progression in thinking as the child

gives up the need for a realistic object in pretend play – a banana,

 35

shoe, or simple hand gesture replaces the telephone toy (Morgan,

King, Weisz, Scholper, 2002).

Toys are intrinsically linked with play. In other words, they are the

main materials of play used by children. According to the U.S.

Consumer Affairs Division (1998), a child’s development during the

first five years is more dependent on available play materials than at

any other age period. Myoungson (2002) notes that all play

materials influence children’s development positively. The use of

toys in play helps children develop in their physical nature, in their

personality, in social development, in their intellectual development

and creativity

Consequences of wrong choice/use of toys

Dike (2007) noted that for several reasons choosing toys for three to

five year olds is not easy for parents. Children themselves are

vulnerable to marketing; the latest thing or what their friends have

is yet another factor; and finally, children can put enormous

pressure on their parents. Other reasons include that there is an

incredible array of things to spend money on, especially when you

add electronic equipment, computer games, videos and DVDs.

Parents are also vulnerable to the variety of pressures placed by

society. An additional complexity is the ―novelty and gimmickry

 36

factor‖ to which adults are often more vulnerable than children.

Something new or novel is sometimes attractive to adults who

justify it by saying the child needs it or is bored with what he/she

already has.

Lack of success with toys can have a negative effect on a child

(Olivry, 2002). Choose toys that will actively involve children. Toys

should move children to explore, manipulate and create. In this

way, children do and learn for themselves. They learn to share and

use their imagination. Spectator toys such as battery-powered cars

and talking dolls requires little action on the child’s parts. Avoid

purchasing these types of toys. Besides being costly their appeal

with children is quite often brief children will leave these toys for

others that involves more imagination. Too much details limits

imagination. The limits of such toys are endless. Children learn very

little from toys that are violent such as monster toys, toys guns, and

war games. The play revolving around such toys is most often

aggressive and destructive. Children who use violent toys frequently

are much likely to act out violently when they are angered by

children who do not (Bonel, P & Lindon, J 2000).

Theoretical Review

The Recreation/Relaxation Theory of Play

 37

The recreation/relaxation theory of play was put forward by the

German educationalist Lazarus (1883), and has been endorsed by

several other writers. According to this theory, the origins of play lie

in the need for mental and physical recuperation from the stresses

and strains imposed on the individual in other kinds of activity. The

psychological function of play is to restore the physically and

mentally fatigued individual through participation in activity which

is pleasurable and relaxing. In one way this theory is the opposite of

the notion of play as deriving from the expenditure of surplus

energy. The latter theory sees play as behaviour which consumes

'left over' energy, while the recreation theory considers play to be

activity through which the individual recuperates his exhausted

energies. The weakness of the recreation theory is obvious enough.

No indication is given of the mechanisms through which play

restores, and there would appear to be many examples of play

leading to mental and physical exhaustion rather than to

recuperation

Review of Related Empirical Studies

Myoungsoon (2000) in a related study conducted a research on

Parent’s Perceptions and Behaviours regarding toys for young

 38

children’s play in Korea. The population of the study was 415

mothers with three-to five year-old children in Seoul. , Korea, 128

mothers had children of three years old (mean age = 42.7 months,

77 boys and 55 girls), 138 had children at age of four (means age

=54.4 months, 70 girls). The instrument for data collection was a

questionnaire, which contained a total of 42 questions, was

developed by the researcher based on a literature review. The

researcher sent as many as 600 questionnaires to 12 early

childhood education centre in Seoul and 421 questionnaires were

collected. A total number of 409 questionnaires were statistically

analyzed by means, frequencies, t-test. Pearson correlation n and

two-way ANOVA.

Findings of the research showed that the mothers considered

buying toys, for their children with child-oriented criteria rather

than with quality of the toys. About 90% of the mother chose toys

for their children based on the child’s sex. Surprisingly enough,

20% of the mothers responded that they considered their child’s sex

every time they purchased toys. The finding pointed that most of

the mothers tended to buy toys as a gift for their children instead of

as play materials that were required on a regular basis as the

development task of the child were changed. This however, differs

 39

from the current work which goes on to determine the influence

these toys have on the child.

Caldera and Sciaraffa (1998) investigated What Parents and

Toddler Initially Say and Do When Playing with ―Dolls‖. The

population of the study was 42 parent-toddlers (11 mothers with

daughters, and 12 mothers with sons, 9 fathers with daughters,

and 10 fathers with sons). The children ranged in age from 18 to 23

months with a mean age of 20 months.

The data analysis employed analysis of variance, (ANOVA), the

findings of this study suggest that providing soft toys to boys is not

the same as providing sons with baby dolls. These toys elicit

different types of play behaviours in both mothers and fathers and

girls and boys. The findings, however, imply that fathers can be

important socializing agents for their sons, especially when it comes

to feminine play. It was recommended that parents who provide

their children especially sons, with soft stuffed toys rather than

traditional baby dolls are not encouraging traditional feminine sex-

typed play and children might not be learning the activities

associated with the feminine role. This differs from the current

study that discourages gender stereo-type-toys as a determining

influence on the cognitive development of preschool.

 40

Nelson and Nilsson (2002), in a recent related study, conducted a

research on Children’s Toy Collections in Sweden- A Less Gender-

Typed Country. This study of the Swedish children’s toy collection,

3-and -5- year old children were found to have an average number

of 536 toys in their bedrooms. The population of the study was a

random sample of 152 families with children age 3 and 5 years in a

middle sized Swedish city. The 152 families comprises of 75 girls

and 77 boys. The variables for which information was made

available to them were sex, age and where the family lived (in the

city, in a suburb, or in the country side). The Socio-demographic

information about the sample was gathered through questionnaire.

Most of the children in the sample (89%) lived in families with two

or more adults, 9% lived with their mother only, and 2% lived with

father only. About two-third (66%) lived in houses, and the rest

(34%) lived in apartments. The average age of the children’s

mothers was 3.3. 1 years, and their father’s average age was 35.8

years.

In the most cases, (66%), both parents were employed. In 8% of the

cases neither of the parents was employed. Income and educational

level, as well as the presence of siblings were relevant in

interpreting children’s toy collections. The families’ income levels

were measured using a three-grade scale. A chi-square test showed

 41

no significant difference in income level between the girl’s and the

boys’ families, (chi-square) (2) =. 79, p>. 05. The educational level of

parents was calculated using a three-grade scale for the mothers

and fathers separately.

The classification scheme used in this study consists of 28 items,

based on what toys resemble or represent in the ―real world‖ (i.e.

world outside the toy themselves). The children’s bedrooms was

decided to be the primary area to be studied, since most children in

Sweden have their own bedroom where they store most of their

possessions.

Findings of the study showed that the total number of toys in girls’

rooms were 40, 673, M = 542, SD = 295, and the total in the boys’

rooms was 40, 891, M = 531, SD = 305. An ANOVA on the mean

numbers showed no significant effect of sex. Toys that represent

primary activities were analyzed separately by (ANOVA). All 4 items

showed significant differences. The boys’ in the study showed that

the gender-typed toy preference of both girls and boys tend to

increase with age. This study did not however show the relationship

sex and age brackets have in relation to cognitive development.

Dike (2007) carried out a recent study on ―strategies for enhancing

the practices adopted by parents in provision of safe toys for

 42

children in Anambra state. Three hundred and twenty (320) parents

who were teachers from the six educational zones in the state were

used as sample for the study. Questionnaire was used for data

collection. The researcher used both descriptive and inferential

statistical tools to analyse the data.

Among the findings are:

• Parents are not aware of the factors to consider in the

provision of safe toys for their children.

• Parents encounter many problems in the provision of safe

toys for their children

• Hence, the researcher suggested ways to enhance the

practices parents adopt in the provision of safe toys for their

children. Among suggestions were:

• Parents should follow the age grading guidelines of

consumer product safety commission in providing toys for

children.

• Toys should be used maintained and stored correctly.

• Parents should keep older children’s toys out of the reach of

the younger ones particularly when safety is an issue.

This study exposes insecurity in the choice and use of certain toys

while the current study seeks to present to parents and care givers
 43

a major strategy to be considered in the selection of preschool toys,

namely; cognitive development.

Dike and Anyakoha (2009), investigated children’s toy selection

practices of parents in Anambra state, with a view of evolving the

different types of toys parents select for their children of different

age groups. The population was comprised of nursery and primary

school married female teachers who are parents in the area of the

study. Multistage random sampling technique was adopted.

Questionnaire was used for data collection and data were analyzed

using means and t-test.

Findings include among others;19 different types of toys for

different age groups, in this order:-babies(up to I year) -4 toys,

toddlers (1-2 years)-5 toys, preschoolers (3-5years) -7 toys and early

primary school children (6-8 years) -7 toys.

Based on the findings, the researchers conclude that provision of

right toys for children involves parents’ knowledge of appropriate

age –grading for children, in order to make informed decision in

selecting toys for their children. This will sustain and enhance

global family perspective in the area of children’s toy selection

practices by parents and other caregivers.

 44

This study is related to the present study in the area of age isolation

in toy selection practices with reference to preschoolers. It however

differs in the design approach and in fact that the selected toys will

be subjected to experimental studies in a preschool environment to

determine a number of effects.

It is obvious that review of the related empirical studies on toy-

related literatures had given awareness or clues on the influence of

toys on children. However, there is paucity of research on the

influence of toys on the cognitive development of preschool children,

which will go a long way to making positive educational impact on

the children, parents, teachers and the society at large. The present

study therefore goes steps further to determine the influence of

construction and toys on language, social, problem-solving and

creative skills development of preschool children.

Summary of Reviewed Related Literature

The early years of life are crucial in the development of the child.

The brain grows rapidly during this period of life and as a matter of

fact, most of the growth of the brain occurs before the child is 18

months old. Together with the growth of the brain comes the

development of new skills. In general, much development takes

place in the first four years of life as in the following thirteen years.
 45

About 50% of all intellectual growth takes place between conception

and the fourth years, and a further 30% between the ages of four

and eight years. From these observations, it is easy to appreciate

the importance of the early years of life. The right type of

experiences provided at this time had been shown to have a vital

influence on later progress.

The improper toy provision practices also involve not having enough

of right play materials for children or exposure to dangerous toys

that can harm them physically or psychologically, lending them to

permanent changes in behaviour, tending towards volatile traits,

such as aggression, bullying, extortion, jealousy, cheating, lying,

stealing or even death.

 46

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter focuses on the procedures that were used for the

study. The procedures were discussed under the following sub-

headings: research design, population, sample and sampling

technique, instrument and method of data collection, validation of

the instrument and data analysis techniques.

Research Design
 47

The main objective of this study is to determine the impact of toys in

children theater. The study made use of a survey design to achieve

the study objective.

A survey is any activity that collects information in an organized and

methodical manner about characteristics of interest from some or all

units of a population using well-defined concepts, methods and

procedures, and compiles such information into a useful summary

form. Survey is very useful when human beings are the source or

custodians of the facts under investigation and the research hinges

on perception involving two or more issues (Senam and Akpan,

2014). Thus, this research method was used because it is the best

way to get the opinions of the respondents on their perceptions on

the use of use of toys in children theatre.

Study Population

The population for this study consists of selected primary school

children in Akwa Ibom State. The choice of this population was

guided by the belief that the pupils are part of the primary targets of

the selected play activities.

Sampling Technique
 48

Simple random sampling technique was used to select respondents

for the study. This technique was chosen because it’s afforded every

respondents equal opportunity of being part of the study population.

Sample Size

The sample size for this study was 250 pupils randomly selected

from the study area.. However, the target was to administer 230

copies of the questionnaire but 250 copies was administered to give

room for missing or botched copies.

Research Instrument

The research instruments which were used for this study is the

questionnaire. A questionnaire with both close-ended and open-

ended questions will be used. The questionnaire will be divided into

two sections. Section A is designed to elicit important information

and relevant data to answer the research questions of this study. The

section B will comprise of four questionnaire items on the

demographic data of the respondents, designed to elicit information

such as sex and age. This was aimed at determining whether the

respondents’ background had any significant effect on their

responses.

Validity and Reliability

 49

The researcher ensured the validity and reliability of the two research

methods. In order to achieve this, the researcher conducted a pilot

testing of the questionnaire with five copies apart from the original

sample size. Also, an inter-coder reliability test was conducted with

the coding sheet to ensure the content categories are mutually

exclusive and exhaustive.

Method Of Data Collection

The copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the pupils with

the aid of a research assistant who was trained on how to administer

the copies of the questionnaire and answer possible questions from

respondents. The questionnaire was distributed and retrieved

immediately to reduce the risk of misplaced copies.

Method Of Data Analysis

Responses to the questionnaire items were carefully analyzed with

the help of a data analyst. For clear and systematic presentation of

the findings, graphic aids such as tables were employed. The data

collected was presented through a frequency and percentage count.

CHAPTER IV

DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

Introduction
 50

This chapter is presented in two parts. First, the presentation of

results gathered through questionnaire and content analysis are

presented in tables and bar charts. These results are presented

through frequency counts and percentage counts. The second part is

the discussion of findings which will be linked to this study’s review

of literature.

Data Presentation

A total of 250 copies of questionnaire were administered to the

respondents, but 238 copied were retrieved, accounting for 95.2% of

the return rate. The demographic data enquired about the

respondents’ age and sex. The findings are presented in tables below.

TABLE 1: Respondents’ Sex and Age Range

Respondent’s Sex Respondent’s Age Range

Male Female Below 1 1-2 years 2+ Years

year

Freq. (%) Freq. (%) Freq. (%) Freq. (%) Freq. (%)

113 (47.3) 125 (52.7) 66 (27.7) 152 (63.8) 20 (8.5)

Total: 238 (100) Total: 238 (100)

Table 1 shows the male respondents accounted for 47.3% while the

female respondents represented 52.7%. The age range of the

 51

respondents is also presented in Table 1 which shows that

respondents were below 1 year represent the highest number of

respondents while respondents that are between 2+ years account

for the least number of respondents.

Table 2: Extent of the Respondents Recall of play activities with the

use of toys in Children theatre

Responses Frequency Percentage

Very great 151 64.8

Great 46 19.7

Little 21 9.0

Very Little 7 3.0

No Extent 8 3.4

Total 233 100.0

Table 2 presents the level of recall children have regarding the use of

toys in children theatre. The table shows that 64.8% of the

respondents have a very great level of recall due to use of toys in

children theatre, 19.7% of the respondents’ also admitted that, to a

great extent they remember play activities due to the elements of use

of toys in children theatre, while only 3.4% of the respondents stated

 52

that use of toys in children theatre have no influence on their recall

ability.

Table 3: Reason(s) for the Extent of Respondents Recall of play

activities with Use of toys in children theatre

Reason(s) for answer Frequency Percentage

creativity 54 22.6

Celebrity usage 38 15.9

Music 45 19.1

Drama 101 42.4

Total 238 100.0

Table 3 above quantifies and presents the reasons given by the

respondents for their recall of the play activities which are; creativity,

celebrities, song, and drama. Hence, it is obvious that elements of

use of toys in children theatre influence children recall greatly when

it comes to play activities, as drama in play activities influence 42.4%

of respondents.

Table 4: Extent to Which Use of toys in children theatre Influence the

Respondents Ability to focus

Responses Frequency Percentage

Very Great 39 16.4

 53

Great 37 15.6

Little 21 8.8

Very Little 19 8.0

No Extent 121 51.0

Total 237 100.0

Table 4 above represents the influence dramatic play activities have

on consumer purchase choice. Most respondents admit that use of

toys in children theatre do not have an influence, on their ability to

focus ; while 51.0% state that dramatic play activities influence their

ability to focus greatly, 8.8% are uncertain if dramatic influence

their purchase choice. Only 16.4% say that use of toys in children

theatre affect their ability to focus to a large extent.

Table 5: How Often Do Respondents Participate in play activities

Responses Frequency Percentage

Often 96 40.5

Occasionally 95 40.1

Rarely 43 18.1

Not at all 3 1.3

Total 237 100.0

 54

Table 6 shows that most of the respondents participate in play

activities, as 40.1% and 40.5% watch play activities occasionally and

often respectively. Only 1.3% of the respondents do not watch play

activities at all.

Table 7: Respondents Awareness of the Use of Toys in children

theatre

Responses Frequency Percentage

Yes 215 90.3

No 15 6.3

Can’t say 8 3.4

Total 238 100.0

Table 7 illustrates that majority (90.3%) of the respondents are aware

of the use of toys in children theatre. However, only 6.3% of

respondents are not aware of the use of toys in children theatre.

Table 8: Respondents Eagerness to try new things due to the Use of

toys in children theatre

Responses Frequency Percentage

Very great 22 9.2

Great 94 39.5

Little 85 35.7

Very Little 18 7.6

 55

No Extent 19 8.0

Total 238 100.0

Table 8 shows that a great extent (39.5%) of respondents has

experienced increased eagerness to try new things while 8.0% have

undergone no attitude change due to the use of toys in children

theatre.

Table 9: Use of toys in children theatre influencing Respondents’

willingness to Participate in play activities

Responses Frequency Percentage

Yes 115 48.7

No 121 51.3

Total 236 100.0

Table 9 above indicates that 51.3% of the respondents have never

involved in activity they would naturally not like to involve in. This

corroborates Table 4 wherein it was revealed that use of toys in

children theatre do not persuade children to participate in certain

activities.
 56

.
 57

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the conclusions and recommendations.

Conclusion

All across the world, toys are popular with kids of all ages. Toys are

inherently motivating, according to Abrams and Kaufmann (1990).

Children can be naturally led to greater heights of achievement with

the correct toys at the right moment. Toys improve cognitive

function and foster creativity. They support the growth of the

intellectual and physical abilities needed in later life. The

appropriate kind of novelty in a toy can inspire kids' imaginations,

spark their creativity, arouse their sense of wonder, and make them

happy. In order to be intriguing and difficult, they should have both

well-known and undiscovered features. Teachers who are perceptive

can use children's natural attraction to toys to learn about and

 58

record a child's self-perception and understanding of the world. In

the same way, parents and other adults should deliberately work to

offer their kids time for quality play and age-appropriate toys.

Recommendations

Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations

were made:

1. The government should pay more attention to preschool

education especially with regards to supporting and providing

adequate play materials in preschools

2. Seminars and workshops should be organized for

preschool/motherless babies’ home managers/proprietors and

caregivers, on methods of instruction and how to manage toy-

rooms /observatories for effective teaching/ learning by

agencies incharge of preschools

3. Government should provide enlightenment programmes on

basic toy education by organising radio/television talk shows

and jingles among others.

4. Television/radio programmes focused on right attitude to

toys should be sponsored and promoted by NGOs.

 59

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as Media of Instructional Intervention for the Disabled Children in

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APPENDIX

QUESTIONNAIRE

IMPACT OF TOYS ON CHILDREN THEATRE

Dear respondent,

This questionnaire deals with inquiries relating to the aforementioned

topic. It is a strictly academic exercise; therefore all information

submitted will be treated with utmost confidentiality and discretion.

Please, feel free to respond.

Thank you for your cooperation.

SECTION A: DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

Please, tick or fill the appropriate answer as it applies to you.

1. SEX: Male [ ] Female [ ]

2. AGE RANGE: Below 1 year [ ] 1-2 years [ ] 2+ years [ ]

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SECTION B: Please tick (√) where necessary, and fill

in where appropriate

1. How often do you participate in play activities?

(1) Often [ ] (2) Occasionally [ ] (3) Rarely [ ] (4) Not at all [ ]

2. How much attention do you pay to the contents of play activities?

(1) No attention [ ] (2) Fairly great [ ] (3) Great [ ] (4) Very great

3. Are you aware of the use of use of toys in children theatre(e.g. use of

toy cars and guns) in play activities?

(1) Yes [ ] (2) No [ ] (3) Can’t say [ ]

5. Due to the use of toys in children theatre used in play activities,

have you ever purchased a product you naturally will not buy? (1)

Yes [ ] (2) No [ ]

6. If No, why?

_______________________________________________________

7. To what extent do use of toys in children theatre contribute to

your participation in play activities?

(1) Very great [ ] (2) Great [ ] (3) Little [ ] (4) Very little [ ] (5) No

15. I easily remember/recall play activities which makes use of toys.

(1) Definitely yes [] (2) Probably yes [ ] (3) Uncertain [ ] (4) Probably no [ ]

(5) Definitely no [ ]
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