All Children Are Not Created Equal!

OK, so the title was meant to be provocative, but it's actually something I believe in. It just may not be what you think. I purchased PlayFair Toys in 2004, and at that time they had just shut down their long-time, successful catalog division. On the cover of each catalog, mailed out to hundreds of thousands of US households twice a year, was the tagline, "All Children Are Created Equal."

I began reinventing the business, and we are still working on that reinvention. Hopefully we'll never stop working on it. And here's where we are today - I strongly disagree with that statement. Yes, all children definitely deserve an equal chance. They do not get it, but I know that we all believe strongly that they deserve it. But deserving a fair chance and actually being created equal are different things. What would a world with all equal children look like? Presumably we'd just flip a coin to see who played football this year, because they'd all be about the same. Class valedictorian? We'll draw a name out of a hat.

To be fair, I should explain that this tagline and this company were both developed on a principle that I do hold dearly, so I am picking on semantics a bit when I make the bold statement that I disagree with it! PlayFair Toys was the nation's first toy store founded on the principle that toys should be independent of gender bias or ethnic/racial stereotypes, and that they should be completely non-violent. This was groundbreaking, and it set the tone for the business for decades to come.

We have evolved to meet the extraordinary need for exceptional children to find playthings as special as they are. Whatever age, gender, ethnic or racial background they come from, exceptional children need exceptional playthings. Some of these children are intellectually gifted, even highly or profoundly gifted. Some of them have very special needs. Others have a special talent, a great sensitivity, a strong creative streak, or other way of being different. Some of them are what's called "twice exceptional", with a combination of profound gifts and learning differences that are hard to comprehend. These may be some of the planet's most misunderstood and overlooked kids.

We are not an ordinary toy store! Our customers are truly extraordinary people looking for extraordinary things. Our toys, books, and games are an exceptional mix from around the world, designed to stimulate, educate, challenge, and be enjoyed. Our sales staff is exceptional - they understand these thousands of products and can explain their features and benefits to you, and how these features will benefit your exceptional child. They won't let you leave with the wrong item. Even our silly owner, the writer of this piece, is not an ordinary toy store owner. How many toy store owners have published dozens of scientific articles on global change and ecosystems, or have had a species named after them? How many toy store owners have explored the far reaches of northern Siberia during the Gorbachev era of the USSR? How many toy store owners have chapters in books on High IQ children?

If you have an ordinary child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or young friend, I think you'll greatly enjoy shopping at PlayFair Toys. Our incredibly well-trained sales staff will be there to help you pick out some things that will be enjoyed for months or years. But if you have an extraordinary child in your life, then you will love PlayFair Toys. You will feel believed here. You will feel that finally, someone understands you, understands that your needs and your child are beyond the ordinary.

PlayFair Toys is the store where all the babies are strong, all the grandparents are fabulously good-looking, and all the children are anything but average!

Here's to a world where all children get an equal chance. While we're waiting for that world, let's raise the next generation of leaders to be the best they can be, so they can help us meet this essential goal.

Authors of High IQ Kids, Free Spirit Publishing, to sign at PlayFair Toys

Contact: Marilyn Walker FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tel: 303-440-7229Email: boulder@playfairtoys.com

PLAYFAIR TOYS HOSTS AUTHOR SIGNING OF HIGH IQ KIDS
It’s Smart to Have Fun – It’s Fun to be Smart Event

Boulder, CO – 15 Nov 2007 – Deborah Robson and Judy Fort Brenneman, co-authors (along with Kiesa Kaye) of High IQ Kids (Free Spirit Publishing, Oct 2007) will be reading from and signing copies of the book at PlayFair Toys, on November 23, 2007, from 5-6:30 PM. Both Ms. Robson and Ms. Brenneman are parents of the profoundly gifted children described within the books pages. Dr. Marilyn Walker, owner of PlayFair Toys, also contributed a chapter to the book. Other contributing authors include Dr. Linda Silverman, director of Denver’s Gifted Development Center and the nation’s leading expert on gifted children.

According to the publisher, “Profoundly gifted kids often get the least help in school. It’s assumed they’re smart enough to succeed on their own, plus teachers (and parents) feel out of their depth with these unique kids. A blend of personal stories and practical strategies, scholarly articles and entertaining essays from a community of voices—parents, educators, authors, researchers, and other experts—this book addresses the joys and challenges of raising and teaching, living with and understanding exceptionally gifted kids of all ages. Recommended for any adult who wants to know more (and may be desperate to know more) about high-IQ kids and how to support them, advocate for them, and meet their social, emotional, and learning needs.”

PlayFair has always been a different sort of toy and book store. It was started as a social experiment on gender bias in toys, and it was the nation’s first toy store that focused exclusively on gender-neutral, nonviolent toys. “We have always focused on customers looking for particular help with their toy buying – whether it was for special needs children, smart children, homeschool families, or just those wanting ‘something different’. This book signing kicks off our “It’s Smart to Have Fun – It’s Fun to Be Smart!” event. This event will focus on the educational and developmental benefits of play for all kids,” says Marilyn Walker, PlayFair Toys’ owner. “We are introducing our new mascot, Professor PlayFair, who’s a smart person who loves to have fun.”

The Front Range region of Colorado has been one of the nation’s focal points for the support of gifted kids for decades now. Having so many of the authors and contributors from this region highlights this. Ms. Robson and Ms. Brenneman will be available to answer questions from parents about the book and about their own experiences working with and raising gifted children. Copies of the book will be available for sale before, during, and after the event.

###
For more information about this book signing, or to schedule an interview with Marilyn Walker, please call her at 720-261-5793, or email her boulder@playfairtoys.com.