Toy

A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pets. Toys can also help with learning and can be made from everyday things that are no longer needed, like empty cereal boxes or broken remote controls.

Playing with toys can be a fun way to help young children learn about the world. Toys are made from many materials, such as wood, clay, paper, and plastic. Today, there are also new kinds of toys like interactive digital entertainment and smart toys. Some toys are made just to be collected and shown off.

The history of toys goes back to prehistoric times. Dolls that look like babies, animals, and soldiers have been found by archaeologists. The word “toy” may have been first used in the 14th century. Playing with toys helps children learn to solve problems, remember things, and understand how things work together. It also helps them learn to get along with others and manage their feelings. Even adults sometimes use toys to make friends, teach, or remember things from when they were young. A toymaker is a person or company that creates toys.

History

Antiquity

Toys and games have been found from ancient civilizations and are mentioned in old stories. Toys from the Indus Valley Civilization (3010–1500 BCE) include small carts, bird-shaped whistles, and toy monkeys that could slide down a string. One of the earliest toys was a set of three stone balls found in the tomb of a four-year-old girl at Xi'an Banpo.

The earliest toys were made from natural materials like rocks, sticks, and clay. Thousands of years ago, Egyptian children played with dolls made from stone, pottery, and wood. In ancient Greece and ancient Rome, children played with dolls made of wax or terracotta, along with sticks, bows and arrows, and yo-yos. The oldest known mechanical puzzle, the Ostomachion, came from ancient Greece in the 3rd century BCE.

Enlightenment Era

Toys became more common as ideas about children changed during the Enlightenment Era. Before this, children were often seen as small adults who needed to work. Blowing bubbles became a popular activity, and other toys like hoops, toy wagons, kites, spinning wheels, and puppets were enjoyed. Many board games were made by John Jefferys in the 1750s.

In the nineteenth century, toys with educational purposes, such as puzzles, books, and cards, became popular. Religion-themed toys, like a model Noah's Ark, were also common. With more money and free time, children had more toys, and new ways to make toys were developed.

Industrial Era and mass-marketed toys

The Industrial Era brought many new toys. As families had more money, they could buy toys for their children. New ways to make toys allowed many to be produced quickly. Toys like plasticine, Meccano, Hornby Model Railways, and Dinky Toys became very popular. Puzzles also grew in popularity, with books full of challenging games.

After World War II, new toys like Silly Putty, Play-Doh, and the Slinky were created by accident. As society became wealthier and new materials like plastic were used, toys became cheaper and more common. Well-known toys from the 1950s include Lego's building blocks, Mr. Potato Head, the Barbie doll, and Action Man. The Rubik's Cube became a big hit in the 1980s, and today, there are smart dolls that can talk and recognize objects.

Culture

When children play with toys, they often reflect the values and ideas of the adults around them, but in a way that makes sense to the child. Toys can help children learn and grow in many ways, such as thinking, talking, and working with others.

In some places, like the Saharan and North African areas, toys help children practice skills they might use as adults, like hunting or caring for animals. This helps them understand what they might do when they grow up. In other places, such as many Western countries, toys like Barbie and Action-Man let children imagine exciting and different lives that are not quite like the world around them. These toys let children create their own stories and dreams.

How children treat their toys can also depend on where they live and what their families believe. Some children might keep their toys close and not share them much, while others might share easily with friends. This shows how children learn from the world around them.

Child development

Toys are important for children because they help them learn and grow. They can be fun and also teach kids new things. Playing with toys can help children think, solve problems, and use their imagination. Simple toys like wooden blocks can help kids learn about shapes, colors, and how things fit together. Other toys, such as marbles or balls, help children learn about how things move and work.

Some toys are especially good for helping children develop. For example, playing with clay or Play-Doh can help with a child's physical skills, thinking, feelings, and how they get along with others. Toys for very young children often have bright colors and different textures to help them learn about the world. As children get older, they might play with puzzles or toys that show more advanced ideas. Not all toys are right for every age, and sometimes too many toys can make it harder for children to focus and play creatively.

Gender

Main articles: Girls' toys and games and Boys' toys and games

Some toys, like Barbie dolls and toy soldiers, are often thought to be better for one gender than the other. This idea became more common in the 1960s and 1970s. Before 1975, only a small part of toys were labeled for boys or girls, but today many toys are labeled this way.

Studies show that even very young children start to show preferences for toys that are usually linked to their gender. For example, girls might prefer dolls, while boys might prefer trucks. Researchers believe that allowing children to play with a mix of toys helps them develop better. Some toy companies are now making more toys that are for both boys and girls. Stores like Target have even stopped labeling toys by gender. However, some toys still show old ideas about what boys and girls should like.

Different cultures also have traditions about the toys they give to boys and girls based on their roles in those communities.

Economics

Toys are a big part of our lives and have a major impact on the economy. Sales of toys often go up around special holidays like Christmas, Easter, Saint Nicholas Day, and Three Kings Day.

In 2005, people in the United States spent about $22.9 billion on toys. A lot of this money was spent on children aged 8 to 12, with about $221 million spent just on them each year in the U.S. Most toy sales—about 88% in 2011—were for children aged 0 to 11.

Toy companies work hard to create new and exciting toys that children will love. Many modern toys have lights and sounds to appeal to kids who grow up watching TV and using the internet. To save money, many big toy companies make their products in places where wages are lower. China makes around 70% of the world's toys.

Traditional toy makers have faced competition from video game makers. Some have started making electronic games and even turning audio games into toys. With new technology like 3-D printing, people can now make their own toys at home using designs from places like MyMiniFactory.

Types

Construction sets

Main article: Construction set

Long ago, a wise person named Plato said that children should play with building blocks to learn about building. A construction set is a group of pieces that you can connect to make models like cars, spaceships, and houses. When kids finish building, they might play with their creations, but often they take the pieces apart to build something new.

Simple wooden blocks are a classic toy for young children, often painted in bright colors. More complex sets like Lego bricks and Lincoln Logs are popular with older kids. These toys are great for children who enjoy using their hands, solving puzzles, and using their imagination.

Some other examples include Bayko, Konstruk-Tubes, K'Nex, Erector Sets, Tinkertoys, and Meccano, and generic construction toys such as Neodymium magnet toys.

Dolls and miniatures

Main article: Doll

A doll is a small model of a person (often a baby), a character like Bert and Ernie, or an animal. Today, dolls are usually made from cloth or plastic, but they have also been made from materials like cornhusks, bone, stone, wood, porcelain, bisque, celluloid, wax, and even apples. People have made dolls from whatever they could find.

Dolls are often kept as decorations or collected, but most are toys for children, especially girls, to play with. Dolls have been found in very old Egyptian tombs.

Dolls are usually smaller than real life, but baby dolls can be the same size and weight. Soft toys made from materials like fabric are called plush toys or plushies. A well-known example is the Teddy Bear.

Dolls are different from action figures, which are usually made of plastic and can move in different ways. Action figures often come from TV shows or movies. Modern action figures, such as Action Man, are usually aimed at boys, while dolls are often aimed at girls.

Toy soldiers, which came before action figures, have been popular toys for many years. They let children pretend to be in battles, often with toy military gear and a castle or fort. Small animal figures are also common, and kids might play out farm scenes with them and toy farm equipment.

Vehicles

Kids have enjoyed playing with tiny versions of vehicles for a very long time. Ancient pictures show toy two-wheeled carts. Wind-up toys helped make toy vehicles even more fun. Today, popular toys include cars from brands like Matchbox and Hot Wheels, as well as tiny airplanes, boats, military vehicles, and trains. Some train sets, like those from BRIO, are made for younger children, while others, such as from Lionel, Doepke, and Hornby, are more detailed for older kids. Larger, very detailed die-cast vehicles, like 1:18 scale models, are also popular.

Puzzles

Main article: Puzzle

A puzzle is a fun challenge that makes you think. Solving puzzles might need you to see patterns and put things in the right order. Some puzzles are easier for people who are good at figuring things out.

A famous puzzle toy is the Rubik's Cube, created by Ernő Rubik in 1974. It became very popular in the 1980s and needs planning and problem-solving skills.

There are many kinds of puzzles. Some are mazes, others are about putting pieces together, and some need you to move parts to solve them. Puzzles can also be about logic, pictures, locks, or mechanical tricks.

Collectibles

Main article: Collectible

Some toys, like Beanie Babies, become very popular and are collected by many people. Other toys, such as Boyds Bears, are made just for collectors. Some people spend a lot of money to get big collections. For example, one Pez dispenser sold for $1100 at an auction.

Promotional merchandise

Many popular movies, TV shows, books, and sports teams have official toys. For example, Star Wars and Arsenal, an English football team, have many related toys.

Sometimes, restaurants like McDonald's include small toys in their kids' meals, like their Happy Meal. These toys are often characters or symbols from movies or TV shows.

Promotional toys can be any kind of toy, such as dolls, action figures, balls, or lunch boxes with logos. They might be given away for free to advertise something. Airlines might give out model aircraft as toys, and truck companies might give out toy cars and trucks. Food companies sometimes include a toy as a prize with their products. Some toys are premiums, where people send in proofs from products and pay for shipping to get the toy. Some people love to collect these promotional toys.

Digital toys

Digital toys are toys that use some kind of digital technology to interact. Examples include virtual pets and handheld electronic games. Some of the earliest digital toys were Mattel Auto Race and the Little Professor, both made in 1976. These toys mix the digital world with the physical world to create special experiences for the user, sometimes called phygital.

Physical activity

Main article: Physical activity

Many toys are used for active play. Traditional toys like hoops, tops, jump ropes, and balls are still popular. Modern toys like Frisbees, foot bags, fidget toys, astrojax, and Myachi are also fun.

Playing with these toys helps children stay active, build strong bodies, and improve skills like throwing and catching. Jumping rope and playing with foot bags can help with balance.

Safety regulations

Many countries have rules to keep toys safe for children. These rules help stop toys from causing harm, like choking or catching fire. Young children often put toys in their mouths, so the materials used in toys are checked to make sure they are not poisonous. This helps protect kids who might not know what is safe.

Each country has its own rules about toy safety. Because toys are sold all over the world, many countries try to make their rules similar. One big danger for young children is putting toys in their mouths, so the paint and other parts of toys are carefully checked to keep harmful chemicals out of them. As toys are made and sold worldwide, this can sometimes change how toys are made in different places and make it harder for families to know which toys are safe.

There have also been problems with toys having unsafe paint. Sometimes, big toy companies ask smaller factories to help make toys, and these smaller factories might not follow the same safety rules. This can lead to toys that are not safe being sold. Now, the U.S. government and big stores are making sure toys are tested before they go on store shelves.

Disposal

When toys are no longer needed or wanted, they can be given to charity, sold at garage sales, auctioned, or even donated to museums. If a toy is broken or not safe to use, it is important to dispose of it properly. Toys with batteries should have the batteries removed and recycled, as some places require this.

In 2007, many toys made in China were recalled, so some charities in the United States stopped accepting used toys except for stuffed animals. The WEEE directive (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) in the United Kingdom helps make sure electronic toys are reused, reduced, or recycled.

Some toys are made from recycled materials. In India, a teacher named Arvind Gupta created many toys from everyday items to help teach science in schools.

Toy use in animals

Some animals enjoy playing with toys, just like people do. For example, dolphins can be taught to push a ball through a hoop. Young chimpanzees sometimes use sticks like dolls. They carry these sticks and put them in their nests. This behavior is more common in young female chimpanzees than in young males. Even some grown-up female chimpanzees do this, but they usually stop once they become mothers.