| A toy is an object meant to be played | | | | civilization (3000-1500 BCE) include |
| with. Toys are usually associated with | | | | small carts, whistles shaped like birds, |
| children and pets, but it is not unusual | | | | and toy monkeys which could slide down a |
| for adult humans and some | | | | string. |
| non-domesticated animals to play with | | | | The earliest toys were made from |
| toys. Many items are manufactured to | | | | materials found in nature, such as |
| serve as toys, but items produced for | | | | rocks, sticks, and clay. Dolls are some |
| other purposes can also be used as toys. | | | | of the oldest types of toy[citation |
| A child may pick up a household item and | | | | needed]. Thousands of years ago, |
| 'fly' it around pretending that it is an | | | | Egyptian children played with dolls with |
| airplane, or an animal might play with a | | | | wigs and movable limbs which were made |
| pinecone by batting at it, chasing it, | | | | from stone, pottery, and wood. In |
| and throwing it up in the air. Some toys | | | | Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, |
| are intended primarily as Collector's | | | | children played with dolls made of wax |
| items and are not to be played with. | | | | or terra cotta, sticks, bows and arrows, |
| The origin of toys is prehistoric; dolls | | | | and yo-yos. When Greek children came of |
| of infants, animals, or soldiers, and | | | | age it was customary for them to |
| miniature representations of the tools | | | | sacrifice the toys of their childhood to |
| of adults are readily found at | | | | the gods. |
| archaeological sites. The origin of the | | | | Hoops have long been a popular toy |
| word is unknown, but it is believed to | | | | across a variety of cultures.As |
| have been first used in the 14th | | | | technology changed and civilization |
| century. | | | | progressed to what it is today, toys |
| Toys and play in general are an | | | | also changed. Whereas ancient toys were |
| important part of the process of | | | | made from materials found in nature like |
| learning about the world and growing up. | | | | stone, wood, and grass modern toys are |
| The young use toys and play to discover | | | | often made from plastic, cloth, and |
| their identity, help their bodies grow | | | | synthentic materials. Ancient toys were |
| strong, learn cause and effect, explore | | | | often made by the parents and family of |
| relationships, and practice skills they | | | | the children who used them, or by the |
| will need as adults. Adults use toys and | | | | children themselves, nowadays modern |
| play to form and strengthen social | | | | toys are often mass-produced and sold in |
| bonds, teach the young, remember and | | | | stores. |
| reinforce lessons from their own youth, | | | | One example of this change in the nature |
| exercise their minds and bodies, | | | | of toys is embodied by the changes that |
| practice skills they may not use every | | | | have taken place in one of the oldest |
| day, and decorate their living spaces. | | | | and most universal of human toys; dolls. |
| Toys are more than simple amusement, and | | | | The earliest dolls were simple wooden |
| they and the way they are used | | | | carvings and bundles of grass; Egyptian |
| profoundly influence most aspects of | | | | dolls were sometimes jointed so that |
| life. | | | | their limbs could move realistically; |
| Most young mammals play, and will play | | | | dolls that could say "mama" were around |
| with whatever they can find, turning | | | | in the early 1800s; and today there are |
| such things as pinecones or rocks into | | | | dolls that can recognize and identify |
| toys. It simply makes sense then that | | | | objects, the voice of their owner, and |
| toys have a history as old as human | | | | choose among hundreds of pre-programed |
| civilization itself. Toys and games have | | | | phrases with which to respond. The |
| been unearthed from the sites of ancient | | | | materials that toys are made from have |
| civilizations. They have been written | | | | changed, what toys can do has changed, |
| about in some of our oldest literature. | | | | but the fact that children play with |
| Toys excavated from the Indus valley | | | | toys has not changed. |