Adventures in Toyland

Target or Walmart shopping is a staple in Bloomington. You go in for cotton balls and come out with two bags of pretzels, pajama pants, a stapler and soap. Grand total: much more money than you originally anticipated.\nBut I've found the cure for this needless spending. Check out the toy section. In these isles you will be able to busy yourself with things you know you don't need to buy. While your friends cruise the store for practical, but unnecessary, expenses, you can play with a Furbie, a See n' Say or the talking Malibu schoolteacher Barbie.\nIf this sounds juvenile to you, you've been in college for too long. Not only do adventures in Toyland prevent you from spending lots of money, but more importantly playing with toys can be a cathartic experience. As your fingers graze over the miniature keyboard that lights up with each note, or as you listen carefully to the instructions of Simon, you are temporarily a child again, untouched by the complications of everyday college life. \nMy favorite toys were the ones I could interact with. I found a large plastic frog with a British accent who taught me how to spell "table." A cartoon-like telephone played the classic "Twinkle twinkle little star" every time I pushed the three button. But the highlight of these talking toys was a soft, plush dog that indicated I should squeeze his right paw, which resulted in a beautiful rendition of "Who Let the Dogs Out," complete with choreography from the puppy. I found it so entertaining I then pressed two paws at the same time so I could see an entire doggy chorus.\nBut even the silent toys held my attention. Not to sound like my 80-year-old grandmother, but it truly is amazing the toys that decorate the shelves today. I grew up with simple games like UNO and Sorry!, so for me to see a Palm Pilot and a laptop for children, walkie talkies in the shape of watches, all 20 characters in Harry Potter and a battery-operated miniature Volkswagen Beetle is truly incredible. Though I can't go back in time and trade in my Garbage Pail Kids cards for a singing dog, I can pretend the world still revolves around toys by simply perusing the isles and discovering that Mattel now makes Ken dolls with hair. Astounding, isn't it?\nBefore you think I'm off my rocker, let me just clarify that I don't go to Target everyday for hours and hours. In fact, I hadn't been anywhere near the toy aisles until just a few short weeks ago when I accidentally discovered this life-altering pastime.\nBefore leaving Cleveland to return to Bloomington, I went with my younger sister and a friend to Target with the sole intention of buying a new bulletin board and shampoo and conditioner. But before leaving the store, my friend convinced me that there are hidden treasures in the toy isles that we should definitely take advantage of. For the next 45 minutes, I felt young and full of wonderment, looking at things I hadn't touched in years. Laughing together at the wonderful things we had just experimented with, my sister, friend and myself all left the store feeling a little bit lighter.\nAnd as for that saving money thing … well, I came really close to contradicting myself when I almost bought the watch walkie talkies. Have no fear, I put them back on the shelf. Maybe I'll get them next time I explore the toy aisle.