Toys aren’t toys unless they are fun. Anthropologists have found
evidence of people having fun with toys as far back as there is recorded
history. As early as 4000 B.C., for example, the people of Babylon
played a game that preceded the present day games of chess and
checkers.
Just as play is an essential component in life, toys are an important
ingredient of play. In fact, toys might be considered the tools of
play—basic instruments for the development of a child’s fantasy,
imagination and creativity.
Almost everyone has had a special toy as a child. As adults, we can
revisit our childhood, if only for a little while, by once again
holding, feeling, and seeing a favorite plaything – whether it’s a
Raggedy Ann doll, a toy truck, or a glob of Silly Putty.
TIA celebrates the wonder of play and the enduring value of toys –
from all-time favorites to today’s classics in the making. View
a historic
timeline of toy development through the ages… or view
the listing
of classic toys from the late 1800s to the present.
And if you’d like to hear what some New Yorkers said were their
favorite toys, check out the video below!
