BrightKidz Library
Subjects
Four toys along a timeline, oldest first Four toys standing in a row on a timeline arrow that points to the right. First a doll carved from wood, then a board game with a checked board and two counters, then a tin train with a funnel and wheels, and last a handheld electronic game with a screen, a direction pad and two buttons.

Explore the History of Toys

About 3 minutes

Toys have been around for thousands of years, but what they are made of keeps changing — wood and clay gave way to metal, then plastic, then screens. This is a walk through that timeline, ending with a toy you design yourself.

What You'll Need

Toys Through Time

People in ancient times played with dolls, toy animals, and balls, made from wood, clay, or stone. Over time, toys became more colorful and complex.

Here's a simple timeline to get you started:

  1. Ancient Times: Simple toys like dolls and balls.
  2. Middle Ages: Wooden toys and board games became popular.
  3. 1800s: Metal and mass-produced toys appeared.
  4. 1900s and Beyond: Plastic toys, electronic games, and more.

Now cover that list with your hand and try it from memory.

Four toys, four different times. Drag them into order, oldest first.

  • A tin train, stamped out by a machine in a factory
  • A doll carved from a piece of wood
  • A handheld electronic game with a screen
  • A wooden board game played on a table

Make Your Own Toy

Design a toy inspired by what you just learned — something from the past, or something you think kids will be playing with a hundred years from now.

  1. Think about what kind of toy you want to create. A doll? A game? A vehicle?
  2. Decide which time it belongs to — long ago, today, or a hundred years from now — because that decides what it can be made of.
  3. Draw your toy on paper.
  4. Color it in and add the details.
  5. Write a short description of how to play with it.

Why Toys Matter

Toys help us learn and grow. They spark our imaginations, help us make friends, and teach us new skills.

The toy you just designed will one day look as dated as a stone ball once did — every toy on that timeline was, for a while, the newest one.