To tackle the amount of time children spend on their phones now - instead of playing outside or with traditional toys and games - Argos is giving away £20,000 worth of toys in celebration of its 50th anniversary. Almost half of parents say they would like their children to play more traditional games as they help spark children’s imaginations and have tried to engage them in the games they used to play as a child.
Until July 13, customers can enter the competition to receive a £20 Argos voucher to buy a toy for themselves or their children. Argos has also teamed up with Comic Relief who will split a donation of £10,000 evenly between two of its key projects - Feeding Britain and The Bread and Butter Thing. This donation will go towards providing toys to families in need of support.
Fay Williams, Head of Toy Buying for Argos, said: “ Argos has been passionate about play since we opened our first store in 1973; fifty years later, our ambition to champion the power of play remains just as strong, with a new toy sold on average every two seconds.
“Being at the forefront of children’s toys for 50 years has shown us that the way we play as kids has a big impact on our adult life. It’s wonderful to know that role-playing doctors and nurses using one of our playsets or cooking up a storm in a toy kitchen might spark a passion that lasts a lifetime. That’s why we’re so proud to be launching our biggest-ever toy giveaway and reigniting a life-long love of play in the next generation.”
Psychologist Dr Elizabeth Kilbey said: “As a parent and specialist in child development, I cannot state the importance of play enough. It can help children hone their imagination skills, has been proven to develop social skills, and promotes independence. I hope this research makes us reminisce back to our childhoods and how play was a key part of our every day and, in some cases, has gone on to influence our present day via our choice of hobbies and even our careers."
THE 30 TRADITIONAL CHILDHOOD GAMES THAT ARE FALLING BY THE WAYSIDE
1. Cribbage – 38%
2. Grandmother's footsteps – 36%
3. Yahtzee – 35%
4. Sardines – 35%
5. Cat’s cradle – 34%
6. Risk – 32%
7. Building a treehouse – 32%
8. Capture the flag – 31%
9. British bulldog – 30%
10. Trivial Pursuit – 30%
11. Game of Life – 30%
12. Blind man’s bluff – 28%
13. Battleships – 28%
14. Checkers – 27%
15. Chess – 27%
16. Poohsticks – 27%
17. Cluedo – 25%
18. Patience – 25%
19. Conkers – 24%
20. Stuck in the mud – 24%
21. Charades – 24%
22. Scrabble – 23%
23. Building a den in the woods – 23%
24. Making mud pies – 23%
25. Uno – 22%
26. Monopoly – 22%
27. Rounders – 21%
28. Swingball – 20%
29. Leapfrog – 19%
30. Twister – 19%
