Toy

This article is about things that people play with. See also Toys for the 1992 film of that name starring Robin Williams; or toy dog, referring to one of many very small breeds of dog.

A toy is something to play with, for children, adults or both. They may either be the sole device used in an enjoyable activity or one of many. Toys have been in existence for thousands of years; dolls either of infants, animals, or soldiers, and miniature representations of the tools of adults are readily found at archaeological sites. The Inca, for example, had a rolling toy even though their adult culture did not employ the wheel. Two comparatively recent developments of toys have been their mass production and copyrighting. A number of these copyrighted, mass-produced toys are associated with particular decades in the twentieth century.

Many successful films, television programs, books and sport teams have official merchandise, quite often toys will be made and sold. Some notable examples are Star Wars and Manchester United. The haulage company owned by Eddie Stobart produced model lorries, which now subsidise the business.

Toys sold primarily as entertainment for adults are termed executive toys as some were originally marketed as a way to reduce executive stress. The term also avoids 'adult toy' which has connotations of sex toys used to enhance sexual excitement.

Some things usually thought to be games are actually toys, such as the computer game Sim City and its spinoffs, which are called software toys. As a rule, if something game-like lacks an explicit end state, it is a toy, not a game.