Toy

A toy, also called a plaything, is an object whose main purpose is to amuse. Common examples are building blocks, board games, and dolls. While toys are typically made for children, many are created for adults or pets. They can also serve practical functions, like promoting physical activity, teaching about culture, or supporting education. Ordinary items that are no longer needed for their original use—such as empty cereal boxes used to build a fort or a broken TV remote a toddler plays with—can become toys. The word "toy" may also describe functional objects bought mainly for enjoyment, like luxury cars, high-end motorcycles, gaming computers, or flagship smartphones, where much of the cost reflects the pleasure they provide.

Playing with toys helps train young children for real-life experiences. Toys are made from materials like wood, clay, paper, and plastic. Newer types include interactive digital games and smart toys. Some toys are created as collector's items meant only for display. The origin of toys is prehistoric; archaeologists have found dolls representing babies, animals, and soldiers, as well as miniature adult tools, at ancient sites. The word "toy" first appeared in the 14th century, though its origin is unknown. The oldest known doll toy is about 4,000 years old.

Play with toys supports early cognitive development, including problem-solving, memory, symbolic thinking, and understanding cause and effect. It also helps young children learn social skills and manage emotions. Adults sometimes use toys to build social bonds, teach, aid therapy, or recall lessons from their youth. For older adults or those recovering from trauma or cognitive decline, toys and structured play can support memory, emotional well-being, social connections, and mental function. A toymaker is a person or company that designs, produces, or manufactures toys.

**History**

**Antiquity**

Toys and games have been found at ancient civilization sites and mentioned in ancient texts. Excavations from the Indus Valley Civilization (3010–1500 BCE) uncovered small carts, bird-shaped whistles, and toy monkeys that could slide down a string. One of the earliest known children's toys is a set of three stone balls from the tomb of a four-year-old girl at the Xi'an Banpo Neolithic site. Early toys were made from natural materials like rocks, sticks, and clay. Thousands of years ago, Egyptian children played with dolls that had wigs and movable limbs, made from stone, pottery, and wood. However, identifying toys in ancient Egyptian archaeology is difficult: small figurines and models found in tombs are often seen as ritual objects, while those from settlement sites are more clearly toys. These include spinning tops, balls of spring, and wooden animal models with moving parts.

In ancient Greece and Rome, children played with dolls made of wax or terracotta, as well as sticks, bows and arrows, and yo-yos. Greek children, especially girls, would sacrifice their childhood toys to the gods when they came of age. On the eve of their wedding, girls around fourteen offered their dolls in a temple as a rite of passage into adulthood. The oldest known put-together mechanical puzzle, the Ostomachion or loculus of Archimedes, comes from ancient Greece and dates to the 3rd century BCE. It consisted of a square divided into 14 parts, and players aimed to create different shapes from the pieces. In Iran, "puzzle-locks" were made as early as the 17th century CE.

**Enlightenment Era**

Toys became more common as Western attitudes toward children and childhood shifted during the Enlightenment. Previously, children were often seen as small adults expected to work to help the family survive. As scholar Stephen Kline notes, medieval children were "more fully integrated into the daily flux of making and consuming, of getting along. They had no autonomy, separate statuses, privileges, special rights, or forms of social comportment that were entirely their own." As these ideas changed, blowing bubbles from leftover washing soap became a popular pastime, as shown in Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin's painting *The Soap Bubble* (1739). Other popular toys included hoops, toy wagons, kites, spinning wheels, and puppets. In the 1750s, John Jefferys produced many board games, including *A Journey Through Europe*, which was similar to modern board games: players moved along a track by throwing a die (actually a teetotum), and landing on different spaces helped or hindered them.

In the nineteenth century, Western values favored toys with an educational purpose, such as puzzles, books, cards, and board games. Religion-themed toys were also popular, including model Noah's Arks with miniature animals and objects from other Bible scenes. As the middle class grew wealthier, children had more leisure time, leading to the use of industrial methods for toy manufacturing. More complex mechanical and optical toys were invented during this period.