My family of three visited the Tokyo Toy Museum, a facility in Shinjuku City that was built in an abandoned school. This was our second visit.
Click here to read about our last visit.
Revisiting the same facility after a period of time can yield a number of interesting discoveries. It is a good way to see how the children have grown.
They are interested in things they were not interested in last time, and they are more proficient with tools than last time.
As a parent, there are many things that make me realize, “Oh, he’s at this stage now. Seeing them play at these facilities is a discovery that I would not have noticed if I had just let them play with the toys their parents gave them at home.
So, I know there are those who say, “Children should be allowed to play outside as much as possible. I know there are those who say, “Why not let them play at indoor children’s amusement facilities?” But I think it’s fine once in a while, and in fact, it’s good for them to go to more than one facility on a regular basis.
It is for the child, rather than for the parent. I appreciate the opportunity to learn a sense of the level at which to treat children.
Of course, it would be fine if the activity were held outdoors, but in the case of outdoor one-on-one sessions between parents and children, the children would be affected by the poor vocabulary and narrow viewpoints of the parents. In this respect, an indoor facility like this will stimulate the child’s spirit of challenge, and it will be easier for the accompanying parent to work with the child.
The Tokyo Toy Museum has time limits for admission, and it is difficult to get a ticket (for reservations for children up to 2 years old). This time, we managed to get a reservation for a slot before closing time, so we visited the museum, but when it was time to close, Takeh, who had been playing with it like crazy, started crying because he didn’t want to play with it anymore. He wanted to play more.
At almost 2 years old, he is able to pick up and handle a variety of toys. There are still many toys he has not played with, so I plan to visit again in the not too distant future.
(2023.01.14)
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