The Etch-A-Sketch and the Magna Doodle

I had grand designs of recreating Edward Lear’s The Owl and the Pussy-cat, recasting the titular anthropomorphic characters as children’s toys, but that seemed complicated, much like the phrase “titular anthropomorphic characters”.

Instead, I’m pleased to report that seeing a child play with a creative, artistic toy is an amazing experience. Raelyn is so overjoyed at the simple act of creation that the results don’t matter. She is solely concerned with the act of expression, which consists mainly of flailing about hurriedly (Magna Doodle) or twisting knobs back and forth vigorously (Etch-A-Sketch).

Obviously the impermanence of these mediums procludes us from displaying her “art” on the refrigerator, but this is so much better. To know that just playing with a simple toy can make her this happy and fulfilled is every parents dream. If only adults could find that kind of joy so readily.

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