I grew up playing games at home, with my cousins, my grandparents and friends. To this day some of my best memories involved playing.
When I was in school I had the opportunity to be in a special group of students that got exposed to these games and products that challenged our minds. I always felt a little a guilty that not all the students in my class were exposed to these same opportunities. I decided when I had children I would expose them to this world. I had no desire to wait for a standardized test to tell me that my child was “worthy”. (By the way the first time I was flagged for further testing, it was determined I was not eligible for this group, after another year of testing I scored the magic number to be eligible.)
As an Activities Director in a nursing home I got exposed to how the therapists used different products to help strengthen the functioning skills of the elderly. I have always been on the hunt for great learning tools to have in my home. One day while discussing educational toys my neighbor mentioned she had Discovery Toys as a kid. A few months later I could not get this discussion out of my mind and I went online to check out the catalog. Once I saw the catalog I fell in love with the products. (http://www.discoverytoys.com/pws/amandalarson/tabs/view-catalog.aspx) These were the types of tools I had been hunting for in stores and online.
Previously, I had no desire to get involved in direct-sales and typically tried to avoid every party I could, even though I love Tupperware, Pampered Chef, Thirty-One, Usborne Books, etc. But, despite my fears I took the leap and signed up to join Discovery Toys. I discussed it with my husband and we decided worst case scenario I added to our stash of great educational products for our kids. It is now a year later, and I am so thankful for my decision. I had frequent flyer miles, so I decided to attend the Discovery Toy Convention in Dallas. When I looked at the catalog I fell in love with the products, after I went to convention I fell in love with the company. It was amazing to be surrounded by people that wanted to share the mission and vision of Discovery Toys. The co-owners of our company have an amazing story and you can tell their ownership is not just about making money. They believe in the products and understand the value the products have in the development of children of all ages. (You are never too old to stop learning and challenging your mind).
In the past year, I have learned more about playing with my children, what I see when I am watching them play, and how to identify their strengths and weaknesses as well as strategies to help them overcome the challenges they face. I have watched my skeptical husband grow in understanding of the importance of play and I have watched the way he interacts with our children evolve over the past year. In short, Discovery Toys gave me the tools, I chose to use them to be a better mother, family educator, and role-model for my family. Sometimes I get a little lazy and having the Discovery Toys around and being a part of the Discovery Toys community serves as a reminder/refresher of how to use the toys in my house.
This is my “why” if you would like to know more about Discovery Toys I would love to visit with you. Find my Discovery Toys website at www.discoverytoys.com/amandalarson or find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/toysteachkids