Toy

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This article is about playthings. For other uses of the term, see toy (disambiguation).
A teddy bear

A toy is something used in play by children, adults or pets. A toy differs from a game in that toy play does not have clearly defined goals. Many items are manufactured to serve as toys, but items produced for other purposes can also be used as toys. For example, a child may pick up a household item and 'fly' it around, imagining it as an airplane. Other items, marketed as toys, are intended primarily as collector's items and are unlikely to be played with.

The origin of toys is prehistoric; dolls of infants, animals, or soldiers, and miniature representations of the tools of adults are readily found at archaeological sites. The origin of the word is unknown, but it is believed to have been first used in the 14th century.[1]

History

Toys have a history as old as civilizations itself. Toys have been unearthed from the sites of ancient civilizations. Some of the types of toys excavated at the Indus valley civilization (3000-1500 BCE) includes small carts, whistles shaped like birds, and toy monkeys, which could slide down a string.[2]

Types of toys

Construction toys

A construction set is a toy that is a collection of separate pieces that can be joined together in many different ways, for example to create model cars, spaceships or houses. The things that are built are sometimes used as toys once completed, but for many players the most fun is to be had from building things of their own designs, so that old models often get broken up in order to reuse pieces for new models.

Construction sets such as the all time classic LEGO building blocks and Lincoln Logs have long been an appreciable child's pastime. Indeed, the ancient Greek philosopher Plato wrote that the future architect should play at building houses as a child. [3] Anatomically correct models could also be considered construction sets, the hobby of constructing these models is shared by boys and girls, men and women, of all ages. If one were to extend the definition of construction sets even further it might also include Build it Yourself houses, or any number of sets sold to be assembled into useful shelters or furniture. Construction sets appeal to people who like working with their hands, puzzle solvers, and imaginative sorts.

Other examples:

Dolls

A doll is a model of a human (often a baby), a humanoid (like Bert and Ernie), or an animal, usually made of cloth or plastic. Sometimes, intended as keepsakes or collections for older children and adults, it could be made in wood, porcelain, bisque, celluloid or wax. Some dolls are intended as toys for children, usually girls, to play with. Others are for decoration or have some cultural significance, possibly for use in some ceremony or ritual, or as a physical representation of a deity. Archaeological evidence places dolls as foremost candidate for oldest known toy, having been found in Egyptian tombs which date to as early as 2000 BC.

The model is often a miniature, but a baby doll may be of true size. A large model of hard material is called a statue. A doll or animal model of soft material is also called a plush toy or plushie, or simply a stuffed animal. The most popular toy of this type is the familiar Teddy Bear.

Dolls are distinguished from action figures, which are generally of plastic or semi metallic construction and poseable to some extent, and often are merchandising from television shows or films which feature the characters. Modern action figures, such as Action Man, are often marketing towards boys, and dolls towards girls.

Wooden toys of Channapatna

Also common are various types of miniature figures. Toy soldiers have been a popular toy for centuries, allowing children to act out battles, often with toy military equipment and a castle or fort. Miniature animal figures are also widespread, with children perhaps acting out farm activities with animals and equipment centered around a toy farm.

Toy vehicles

Children have played with miniature versions of vehicles since ancient times, with toy two-wheeled carts being depicted on ancient Greek vases.[4] Modern equivalents include toy motor vehicles such as those produced by Matchbox or Hot Wheels, as well as miniature aircraft. Also common are a variety of toy trains, ranging from wooden sets for younger children such as BRIO to more realistic train models as produced by Lionel and Hornby.

Mechanical puzzles

A mechanical puzzle is a puzzle presented as a set of mechanically interlinked pieces.

Notable mechanical puzzles include:

General categories are:

  • Assembly puzzles
  • Disassembly puzzles
  • Interlocking puzzles
  • Disentanglement Puzzles
  • Fold Puzzles
  • Lock puzzle
  • Trick vessels
  • Impossible Objects
  • Dexterity puzzles
  • Sequential movement puzzle
  • Simulated mechanical puzzles

History of mechanical puzzles

The oldest known mechanical puzzle comes from Greece and appeared in the 3rd century BC. The game consists of a square divided into 14 parts, and the aim was to create different shapes from these pieces.

In Iran “puzzle-locks” were made as early as the 17th century AD.

The next known occurrence of puzzles is in Japan. In 1742 there is a mention of a game called “Sei Shona-gon Chie No-Ita” in a book. Around the year 1800 the Tangram puzzle from China became popular, and 20 years later it had spread through Europe and America.

The company Richter from Rudolstadt began producing large amounts of Tangram-like puzzles of different shapes, the so-called “Anker-puzzles”.

Puzzle design by W.Altekruse

In 1893 professor Hoffman wrote a book called “Puzzles Old and New”. It contained, amongst other things, more than 40 descriptions of puzzles with secret opening mechanisms. This book grew into a reference work for puzzle games and modern copies exist for those interested.

The beginning of the 20th century was a time in which puzzles were greatly fashionable. The first patents for puzzles were recorded. The puzzle shown in the picture, made of 12 identical pieces by W. Altekruse in the year 1890, was an example of this.

With the invention of materials such as plastic, which were easy to shape, the range of puzzle possibilities grew. Arguably the most famous puzzle worldwide, Rubik's Cube, would not be possible without modern polymers.

Software toys

Most computer games are usually considered to be games, but some are in fact toys as defined by Chris Crawford since they lack clear goals or an explicit end state. Examples include the popular SimCity and its spinoffs, and some other simulation games.

Action toys

A variety of toys are meant to be played with as part of active play. These include many traditional toys such as the hoop, the top and the yo-yo.

Toys for commercial promotion

File:Sculpture to toy of Dora the Explorer.JPG
Dora the Explorer sculpture, and the finished painted toy based on it.

Many successful films, television programs, books and sport teams have official merchandise, which often includes related toys. Some notable examples are Star Wars, a science fiction film series, and Manchester United, an English football club.

Unintended toys

Play-Doh, originally intended as a wallpaper cleaner.

After trying to create a replacement for synthetic rubber, Earl Warrick inadvertently invented "nutty putty" during World War II. Later, Peter Hodgson recognized the potential as a childhood plaything and packaged it as Silly Putty. Similarly, Play-Doh was created as a wallpaper cleaner.[5] In 1943 Richard James was experimenting with Torsion springs as part of his military research when he saw one come loose and fall to the floor. He was intrigued by the way it flopped around on the floor. He spent two years fine-tuning the design to find the best gauge of steel and coil. After a name change, the Slinky was sold as a toy for both genders in stores throughout the United States.

LEGO
qfix robot "crash-bobby"


Regulations

Many countries have passed laws regarding the types of toys that can be sold. Most of these seek to limit potential hazards, for example, the types of materials that go into making a toy. Such regulations are especially necessary for toys, since most toys will be used by children, who may not be able to judge what is safe and what is dangerous.

Europian: The most common regulation is the Toys Directive of EU (Council Directive 83/189/EEC). The directive gives a list of essential requirements to comply with. Compliance leads to a CE Mark, which is a mandatory requirement for selling the toy in the EU market. The directive also gives a list of items usually not considered as toys, eg fashion jewellery for children, Christmas decorations, Air guns etc, under the scope of this directive. Also from a safety perspective the directive lists the essential requirements on Physical & Mechanical properties, Flammability, Chemical properties, Electrical properties, Hygiene, and Radioactivity.


Examples

This is not intended to be a complete list. For a list of all toys on which there are currently articles, see Category:Toys.

Toys in child development

Rubik's Cube

Often toys serve a dual purpose. Besides entertainment, toys also serve to enhance cognitive behavior and to stimulate creativity. Toys for infants include those with distinguishable sounds, bright colors, and a unique feel. During this time, infants begin to recognize shapes, colors and after repetitive use, the nascent person attains familiarity with object reinforcing memory recollection. Coordination and other manual skills develop from subsequent childhood activities of interaction with toys. Marbles, jackstones, and stackable blocks requiring use of hands and bodies. Mental agility, beginning with childhood, is challenged by toyish puzzle of spatial relationships. Play-Doh, Silly Putty and other hands-on materials allow the child to make toys of their own.[6]

Educational toys for children of a greater age often contain some puzzle, problem-solving technique, or mathematical proposition. A popular toy for this age group was the Rubik's Cube. Popularized in the 1980s, solving the cube requires some planning and problem-solving skills. Newton's cradle, a desk toy designed by Simon Prebble, demonstrates the conservation of momentum and energy.

Economics

According to about.com, traditional toy sales totaled about $21.3 billion for 2005 in the United States.

References

  1. ^ Definition of "toy" from etymonline.com
  2. ^ http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/Indialife.html
  3. ^ Karl Hils, The Toy - Its Value, Construction and Use, Edmund Ward Ltd., London, 1959.
  4. ^ Karl Hils, The Toy - Its Value, Construction and Use, Edmund Ward Ltd., London, 1959.
  5. ^ On the invention of silly putty, from web.mit.edu
  6. ^ Toys for young infants, from keepkidshealthy.com

Further reading

  • Kline, Stephen. 1995. Out of the Garden: Toys, Tv, and Children's Culture in the Age of Marketing. Verso Books; ISBN 1859840590.
  • Walsh, Tim. 2005. Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers Who Created Them. Andrews McMeel Publishing; ISBN 0740755714.
  • Wulffson, Don L. Toys! Henry Holt and Company; ISBN 0805061967

External links

Construction Toys:

See also

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