An action figure is a toy or model kit that pose able and made of plastic or other materials. Now, action figures become more popular thanks to the surge in popularity of Superhero movies, cosplay events, animation films, and Gunpla Builders World Cup (GBWC).
However, most people see action figure simply as a toy without any values or benefits. In fact, parents must purchase some action figures for their kids and play with their kids. Why do they need to purchase some action figures and play with their kids? Because kids are not only willing, but actively wishing to engage in playing with action figures. Besides that, action figures have many benefits for child development. So, this is an opportunity for parents to purchase action figures for their kids. Purchasing action figures for kids have three positive effects such as to build up their imagination, offer additional skills, and develop their creativity.
Action figures can help kids to build up their imagination. Kids can create any stories and situations for their action figures to take part in. For children under five year old, action figures can also help them to develop their speech ability as well. And for children over five years, they may be able to create a diorama for their action figures based on their imagination. Of course, to do that they need their parents to help them in order to make a diorama. Parents can also give them an idea for their stories or situations. So, parents can prevent or avoid any over violent stories in their imagination. Besides that, action figures also help them to know about difference between the good and the bad. As kids, they usually imagine stories where one of action figures is the hero and the others are the villains. In this case, parents can use action figures as a media to teach them about the good and the bad behavior. Consequently, this can help them to be more active and involved in any social scenarios and teach them to have great attitude as they grow older.
Learning additional skills is also one of positive effects for kids who play with their action figures. They can learn another language and identify specific colors. In fact, action figures not only produced by one country but also by several countries such as USA, Japan, China, Taiwan, and Indonesia. Because of that, there are differences in the language of action figure box. Kids may ask their parents about the language on action figure box or manual book for assembly. And parents can teach those languages to them. Well, not all parents can do that. Accordingly, sometimes the kids learn those other languages in their own way. Most action figures have been painted colorful parts with specific colors. There are many types of colors such as primary, secondary, tertiary, neutral, and metallic. As a result, parents can use action figures to teach their kids about specific colors. For example, by asking them to classify their action figures based on the same color or inviting them to customize their action figure’s color. By using that method, kids can learn the specific differences in the color.
When kids play with their action figures, they will be creative and encouraged to do the experiment. Daring to do the experiment is one of results from the positive development of children. In fact, there are a lot of creativities generated by the action figure as a baseline, for example, accessories, diorama, and custom repaint. Kids usually do experiment to change armor or clothes of action figure. Accordingly, they have to make accessories. It will encourage them to do experiment on their action figures. In general, to do so kids need guidance from their parents because there are many materials to use. Of course, parents need to select safe materials for kids. As a result, their potential can be developed and they are also safe. Besides that, their experiments can also be a more interesting creation. Of course, sometimes they want to capture the result in a photograph. Then, new creativity will appear in their imagination. Yes, that creativity called toy photography: a good art of photographing action figures in a diorama or in stories and special situations like in the animation or the game. As a result, children can learn how to shoot and edit photos. In addition, they can develop new techniques in toy photography. It is creativity without limits to those kids when they play with their action figures.
In conclusion, it is true that action figure is a toy. And most people see action figure simply as a toy without any benefits. But purchasing action figure for kids also have many benefits. The reason is that action figure help kids to build their imagination, offer many additional skills, and develop their creativity. It is time to change our mindset as parents and make our kids proud of the way we educate them with action figure as a basis.
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By : Fredy Sumasto
Image : http://alphaleo14.deviantart.com/
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