OPINION Stop phygiting at the back David Smith ponders the name given to the newest toy category


THE WORLD can’t exist (apparently) without labels. Writers, actors and musicians know this all too well – try to release a book/film/album that strays too far from an established identity and the respective industries (not to mention fans) have a difficult time accepting it. This is partly why comedians like Russ Abbott find it difficult to break into straight acting (an inability to act doesn’t help, either). Creative types find this kind of thing frustrating and work hard to avoid becoming pigeon-holed. Authors sometimes take on a pseudonym so they can write something different for a change and, perhaps, retain their sanity. It is also possible to use the


phenomenon to your own advantage - Hollywood actors are always looking for that role that plays against their usual screen persona, in the hope that Oscar nominations will follow as the industry swoons at their range and versatility. But who comes up with these labels in the first place? Whoever it is, I have a bone to pick with the creator of the latest I’ve encountered.


Skylanders and Disney Infinity have opened up a new territory in the toy industry, one combining real-world toys with onscreen play. They are original, imaginative and kids instinctively ‘get’ the concept right away.


energy trying to get their children to stop doing it. There has been


‘Phygital is an ugly word and it also has distinctly negative connotations.


You wouldn’t think something as elegant as this would need a label, but it’s been given one. Skylandersand Disney Infinityare, I recently learned, ‘phygital’ toys, because they combine


elements of the physical and digital worlds. It’s not only that ‘phygital’ is an ugly word, it also has distinctly negative connotations. We all know that fidgeting is a bad thing and parents expend a lot of


David Smith runs the consumer-focused toy news site ToyTalk (www.toytalk.co.uk) and is the author of the book 100 Classic Toys. “It’s just a toy, it’s just a toy!” Or is it? Dr Louise Bunce discovers a novel use for toys in children’s education


AS ADULTS, we know that children’s toys are ‘just pretend’ but what do children know about the difference between reality and pretense? Children can become absorbed in imaginary worlds and we may worry about their ability to distinguish between these and the real world. My research, however,


shows that young children seem to have a precocious understanding of the difference between real and pretend worlds, particularly when it comes to toys. Consider the following


examples of children’s speech I collected while children were playing at home with their toys. One four year old girl, while


playing with her toy dog, explained to her Mother: “He’s not a real doggy; real doggies can’t talk!” and a six year old boy, who was told to stop ‘shooting’ his brother with a toy gun explained: “It’s just a toy. It’s not real!” These examples serve to


illustrate that children spontaneously demonstrate a sophisticated ability to navigate between their pretend world and the real world, while at the same time enjoying pretending. My analysis of


children’s questions to their parents further revealed that if children are uncertain about real or pretend status, they seek clarification. Some questions children asked were: “Is this (toy


phone) a pretend phone? It’s not working” and “Is that the real queen (in a pantomime)?” This suggests children


are aware of the importance of categorising


comprised children asking whether taxidermy or ‘stuffed’ animals on display were real. Children’s confusion seemed to stem from the fact that the animals


Children seem to have a precocious understanding of the difference between real and pretend worlds, particularly when it comes to toys.


things correctly according to their real/pretend status. During a visit to the


Oxford University Museum of Natural History, I tuned in to conversations between primary school children and their parents. These conversations often


looked realistic, but weren’t moving. Parents gave a variety of answers ranging from ‘yes’ (owing to real fur, real size and shape) to ‘no’ (owing to the fact the animal was no longer alive). No wonder children were confused.


I discussed these issues with the museum education team and we embarked upon a project to investigate how to support children’s understanding of the ‘real’ nature of what they see on display in museums with the help of toys. Preliminary findings


suggest that comparing taxidermy animals to toy animals helps children appreciate the special nature of the museum taxidermy. However, the findings are


preliminary and we are seeking sponsorship to complete a full-scale project to understand fully how children’s understanding of toys can be used to support their learning about science and natural history.


Dr Louise Bunce is a senior lecturer in Psychology at London Metropolitan University. To support the project or to find out more. Message her at l.bunce2803@gmail.com. www.toynews-online.biz March 19


controversy for years about the labelling of toys (the splitting up into boys’ and girls’ categories has been the cause of much debate) but they serve a purpose, if only to help us know which toys to put on the same page in a catalogue. When something comes out that doesn’t quite fit into any of our existing labels, I suppose it is inevitable that someone will try to come up with a new one. They’re not always bad (I had no issues with ‘chick lit’ and ‘Brit Pop’), but when it comes to ‘phygital’ I think the industry owes it to itself to come up with something better.


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