Traditional toys and games have been a part of society and culture throughout the world for thousands of centuries, possibly since the dawn of time. As early as 6000 BC, we know of the existence of games similar to modern chess. The Babylonians in the year 4000 a. C. also played a board game similar to the traditional games of checkers and chess.
The earliest backgammon games date back to ancient Samaria in 3000 BC. C. In Egypt, toy marbles were first made from stone. For the year 2000 a. C., the Egyptians made and played with various toys and games for children. Dolls were made from yarn, paper, and other readily available materials, and board games were played much like our traditional game of checkers. At the same time, the first skates, made of iron, were in use in Scandinavia.
Traditional toys like kites and yo-yos were first introduced in 1000 BC. Although kites probably existed much earlier, their first recorded appearance was in China during this time period. Greek children begin to play with yo-yos made of stone. Shortly after, the first cards were dealt in Asia.
Over the next thousand years, many of the children’s toys we know today were designed in their earliest forms from raw materials. Most traditional toy inventions did not become part of recorded history until the 18th and 19th centuries. The first roller skates were invented in 1759 by a man named Joseph Merlin and, like many traditional toys, they are still being refined and modified to fit modern society.
The 19th century saw the introduction of many traditional toys in America and throughout Europe. Dolls were already being made in several European countries, but in 1840 an American doll maker began the first mass production of this still popular traditional toy. Just three years later, the first American board game was produced, called ‘The Mansion of Happiness’.
Board games continued to be popular children’s toys throughout the years. The Indian game, Parcheesi, is one of the oldest toys still in production today and was introduced to England in 1867 as Ludo. As the 19th century drew to a close, more and more innovative traditional toys began to be produced. Traditional toys, such as alphabet blocks, stuffed animals, and wagons and sleighs, were made commercially.
The late 1800’s saw the introduction of pistols and toy pistols, as well as the BB gun. The concept of talking toy dolls was perfected and high-quality wooden toys were created. [http://www.monkeyshine.co.uk/traditional-toys-21/wooden-toys-22] they were produced in a number of traditional toy styles, including train sets. Radio Flyer developed the traditional toy sled for outdoor winter fun and musical toys and plush toys were being mass-produced.
The beginning of the 20th century marked the invention of many traditional toys that children still love during playtime today. Battery-powered train sets and the famous Lionel trains were invented in the early 20th century, and the beloved teddy bear became increasingly popular in the United States. During the early part of the 20th century, other traditional toys were also introduced, such as rag dolls, stacking rings, and all sorts of varieties of blocks.
Today, video games and electronic toys have gained a good share of the toy market, but classic and traditional toys still continue to warm the hearts of children around the world. Traditional toys like dolls, blocks, and board games have been around for thousands of years and will likely remain an important part of childhood for thousands more.