--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Momo would have been delighted, except…" description: "\"“Momo would have been delighted, except that most of the newcomers had no idea how to play. All they did was sit around looking bored and sullen and wa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/michael-ende-momo-55668_bright-ideas_momo-would-have-been-delighted-except-th_1505583.jpg" --- # Momo would have been delighted, except that most of the… ![“Momo would have been delighted, except that most of the newcomers had no idea how to play. All they did was sit around looking bored and sullen and watching Momo and her friends. Sometimes they deliberately broke up the other children's games and spoiled everything. Squabbles and scuffles were…” quote by Michael Ende, Momo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/michael-ende-momo-55668_bright-ideas_momo-would-have-been-delighted-except-th_1505583.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/michael-ende-momo-55668_bright-ideas_momo-would-have-been-delighted-except-th_1505583.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/michael-ende-momo-55668_bright-ideas_momo-would-have-been-delighted-except-th_1505583.jpg) > ““Momo would have been delighted, except that most of the newcomers had no idea how to play. All they did was sit around looking bored and sullen and watching Momo and her friends. Sometimes they deliberately broke up the other children's games and spoiled everything. Squabbles and scuffles were frequent, though these never lasted long because Momo's presence had its usual effect on the newcomers, too, so they soon started having bright ideas themselves and joining in with a will. The trouble was, new children turned up nearly every day, some of them from distant parts of the city, and one spoilsport was enough to ruin the game for everyone else. But there was another thing that Momo couldn't quite understand - a thing that hadn't happened until very recently. More and more often these days, children turned up with all kind of toys you couldn't really play with: remote-controlled tanks that trundled to and fro but did little else, or space rockets that whizzed around on strings but got nowhere, or model robots that waddled along with eyes flashing and heads swiveling but that was all. They were highly expensive toys such as Momo's friends had never owned, still less than Momo herself. Most noticeable of all, they were so complete, down to the tiniest detail, that they left nothing at all to the imagination. Their owners would spend hours watching them, mesmerized but bored, as they trundled, whizzed, and waddled along. Finally, when that palled, they would go back to the familiar old games in which a couple of cardboard boxes, a torn tablecloth, a molehill or a handful of pebbles were quite sufficient to conjure up a whole world of make believe.”” Michael Ende, Momo ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Overly complex toys stifle imagination, while simple play fosters creativity and community. **In simple terms:** Simple toys spark imagination; fancy toys can limit it. Key Takeaway Value simple, imaginative play. Themes imagination play community technology creativity Mood reflective nostalgic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - playgrounds - classrooms - family game night - digital age - toy stores Key Concepts developmental psychology media influence Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance tech and imagination? - What simple activities spark creativity today? A Different Perspective Children may still enjoy high-tech toys if guided. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bright ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bright-ideas/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Toys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toys/) [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) ## Related quotes > [“But there was another thing Momo couldn't quite understand - a thing that hadn't happened until very recently. More and more often these days,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/but-there-was-another-thing-momo-couldn-t-quite-understand-a-thing/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [“Make your silence violent to the dark part of the soul. Invade the dimension of bright ideas. 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It's the help you receive when you have no bright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/it-is-unearned-love-the-love-that-goes-before-that-greets-us-on-the/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Ours is the age of substitutes: instead of language, we have jargon: instead of principles, slogans: and, instead of genuine ideas, bright ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bentley/ours-is-the-age-of-substitutes-instead-of-language-we-have-jargon/) [Eric Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bentley/) > [It's difficult for a company to be anywhere interesting in a world that is so dominated by prototypes and great and bright ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-wanders/it-s-difficult-for-a-company-to-be-anywhere-interesting-in-a-world/) [Marcel Wanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-wanders/) > [You have to listen to your own voice. Not your heart, not your instincts, not any of that self-permissive psycho-babble stuff. No, none of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fleur-adcock/you-have-to-listen-to-your-own-voice-not-your-heart-not-your/) [Fleur Adcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fleur-adcock/) > [Whoever had the bright idea of putting Indiana Jones in a leather jacket and a fedora in the jungle ought to be dragged into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/whoever-had-the-bright-idea-of-putting-indiana-jones-in-a-leather/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [Design and technology should be the subject where mathematical brainboxes and science whizzkids turn their bright ideas into useful products.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dyson/design-and-technology-should-be-the-subject-where-mathematical/) [James Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dyson/) > [If he ever had a bright idea it would be beginner's luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lashner/if-he-ever-had-a-bright-idea-it-would-be-beginner-s-luck/) [William Lashner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lashner/) > [Even students from rural India may have bright ideas. They need to be tapped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/even-students-from-rural-india-may-have-bright-ideas-they-need-to-be/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [We want young people to come forward with bright ideas; we want the women and men in our country to have jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-ramaphosa/we-want-young-people-to-come-forward-with-bright-ideas-we-want-the/) [Cyril Ramaphosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-ramaphosa/) > [I am interested in a constructive approach, which looks at how wealth can be created using bright ideas that will help India prosper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-agnihotri/i-am-interested-in-a-constructive-approach-which-looks-at-how-wealth/) [Vivek Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-agnihotri/) ## More by Michael Ende, Momo > [“Many other inhabitants of the city were similarly afflicted. Every day, more and more people took to saving time, and the more they did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende-momo/many-other-inhabitants-of-the-city-were-similarly-afflicted-every-day/) Michael Ende, Momo > [“The men in grey were powerless to meet this challenge head-on. Unable to detach the children from Momo by bringing them under their direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende-momo/the-men-in-grey-were-powerless-to-meet-this-challenge-head-on-unable/) Michael Ende, Momo Explore all 3 Michael Ende, Momo quotes ## More Bright ideas quotes > [I am interested in a constructive approach, which looks at how wealth can be created using bright ideas that will help India prosper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-agnihotri/i-am-interested-in-a-constructive-approach-which-looks-at-how-wealth/) [Vivek Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-agnihotri/) > [We want young people to come forward with bright ideas; we want the women and men in our country to have jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-ramaphosa/we-want-young-people-to-come-forward-with-bright-ideas-we-want-the/) [Cyril Ramaphosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-ramaphosa/) > [Even students from rural India may have bright ideas. 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Not your heart, not your instincts, not any of that self-permissive psycho-babble stuff. No, none of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fleur-adcock/you-have-to-listen-to-your-own-voice-not-your-heart-not-your/) [Fleur Adcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fleur-adcock/) > [It's difficult for a company to be anywhere interesting in a world that is so dominated by prototypes and great and bright ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-wanders/it-s-difficult-for-a-company-to-be-anywhere-interesting-in-a-world/) [Marcel Wanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-wanders/) > [Ours is the age of substitutes: instead of language, we have jargon: instead of principles, slogans: and, instead of genuine ideas, bright ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bentley/ours-is-the-age-of-substitutes-instead-of-language-we-have-jargon/) [Eric Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bentley/) > [It is unearned love--the love that goes before, that greets us on the way. 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Enforce your brilliant thoughts with greater actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/klaudio-marashi/make-your-silence-violent-to-the-dark-part-of-the-soul-invade-the/) [Klaudio Marashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/klaudio-marashi/) > [My concepts are never bright ideas; they're never notions I think will sell or be trendy or attract new fans. I don't think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/my-concepts-are-never-bright-ideas-they-re-never-notions-i-think-will/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) [Browse all 37 Bright ideas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bright-ideas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Momo would have been delighted, except that most of the newcomers had no idea how to play. All they did was sit around looking bored and sullen and watching Momo and her friends. 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