Wooden Toys

Toys are important as they help children to learn explore the world around them. Toys and play are used to help learn cause and effect and to practice the skills that they will need as adults. The first toys were made out of natural materials such as grass, wood and stone. Archaeologists have found wooden pull toys from Egypt from as far back as 4000 years ago. Ancient toys were mostly made by the parents or family of the children who used them, or by the children themselves. Children in ancient Greece played with wooden spinning tops, hoops and rocking horses. Girls are noted as offering their toys to the gods as a rite of passage into adulthood. The children of ancient Rome played with wooden dolls, hoops, horses and chariots.

Wooden puppets have been popular since the Middle Ages. They were brought to life by ventriloquists in the streets. The most famous wooden puppet is of course Pinnocchio from the children's story. In the sixteenth century children still liked to play with wooden dolls. The dolls commonly available were known as Bartholomew babies because they were sold at St Batholomew's fair, London.

In 1760, the first (wooden) puzzle was created by John Spilsbury, a mapmaker, who glued one of his maps to a thin wooden board and cut it into pieces, initially as an idea to teach geography. Before the twentieth century children didn't have many toys and the ones they did have were treasured. Poorer children had no choice but to build their own toys. The Industrial Revolution allowed toys to be manufactured in bulk and they also became cheaper. New materials such as plastic were available to toy manufacturers and new toys came onto the market. Wooden toys endure though because they are made from natural materials. Great workmanship on handmade pieces make each toy unique. Even mass produced wooden toys such as a wooden baby walker or fire engine range have a natural beauty, smell and texture that makes them special, and the grain of the wood only adds to their beauty. Wood is also a naturally germ-free material, therefore safe for teething babies to chew on.