SoundStang wrote:I dunno about improving memory, but I will say that playing with Transformers helped me in regaining my fine motor skills in my hands. About 6 yrs ago, I was diagnosed with Guillian Barre' Syndrome, a neurological disorder where you basically "short out" The DR said it was like little "Pac-Men" eating my nerve endings. I was unable to use my hands and legs. After receiving the treatments in the hospital I was discharged and was sent home to start the long journey of regaining the use of my hands. The DR had given me putty to play with as a way of making my hands move, but it grew boring and kinda depressing. Right before I came down with GBS I had purchased some "Beast Wars" toys at K-mart before they closed up shop. I had them unboxed and I very slowly re-learned how to use my hands by Transforming the toys from bot to beast mode and back again. It was after I began to get better that my love of the toys grew, not just by the enjoyment they gave me but because it was the best form of Therapy I could ever ask for.
Thats one hell of a story man, very inspirational.
If Transformers make me more intelligent, than I'm sold into the hobby fully and completely, lol.
But seriously, I do think there is some merit to playing with them. Taking things apart and putting things back better can help children learn patience and learn a new of solving a problem, how to get from point a (alt mode) to point b (bot mode). I guess it's an out of the box way to problem solving or whatever, but some kids learn better from actually doing things rather than reading.
So in essence: transformers > books. and learning. and school.
=)
SB