History
The history of wooden toys
Wooden toys are almost as old as human. They always accompany the child and help him develop and prepare for life in society. It is amazing that from antiquity to the present day a small man has always been accompanied by wooden toys. How did it happen that natural toys are such a temporary phenomenon?
Wooden toys in Egypt.
Some of the nasty toys were discovered by archaeologists in Egypt. They were toys made of natural materials made of stone, wood and grass. Wooden toys were made by qualified Egyptian craftsmen. The children in Egypt started with rattles and bells. Later on, when they got on walking, there were toys on wheels and wooden figures of animals. Not much has changed in this matter to this day. Tots from the lower social layers played with clay toys, but this is of little importance given the fact that imagination is the most important when playing.
Wooden toys from the Greeks.
Ideas for eco toys from Greeks have survived in European culture to the present. Wooden horses on wheels, games, wooden puzzles, figures of people, dogs, foxes, rams, bulls, goats, cats have survived and can be admired in European museums. The wooden dolls equipped with movable hands and legs are exceptional for this culture. The young Greek women, before marriage, handed their doll over to the goddess Artemis in gratitude for childcare and asking for fertility. The gift of such a doll was a symbol of the transition from the child's role to the role of wife and mother. The boys were prepared for the role of a citizen and a warrior, so there were plenty of wooden swords and shields like Greek hoplites.
Wooden toys at the Romans.
Here also a certain timeless pattern is repeated. Wooden figures of people, puppets with moving ponds, animal figures, toys on wheels, wooden counterparts of Roman legionnaires' armor for boys. The toy called Crepundia is unique to this culture. It was a leather belt on which the Romans had small ornaments flowers, axes, swords, symbols that bring luck, such as the crescent. It's all painted in colorful patterns so that the child's curiosity or the child's cot will satisfy the curiosity of the world.
Wooden toys behind the Atlantic.
The unique thing is that long before the discovery of the new world, the indigenous people knew games, wooden puzzles and wooden toys, and ideas were similar to those mentioned above. Without contact with each other, people came up with exactly the same ideas. Playing with wooden figures simply lies in the nature of man. A beautiful toy is Jaguar on wheels found in the area of Veracruz in Mexico. Proof that the Native Americans found the practical application of the wheel.
Wooden toys in the Middle Ages.
During this period, the phenomenon of wooden toys continues. Wooden marionettes have become very popular. They were used in street ventriloquist shows. There were small craft workshops in the cities, wooden figurines, wooden dolls and boxes.
Time for a wooden puzzle ...
Few people know that in 1766, John Spilsbury, a British cartographer and engraver, created wooden puzzles in his studio to help teach geography. Who imagines childhood without a puzzle? We also do not. That's why in our offer you will find imaginative wooden puzzles at low prices.
What place in our culture do wooden toys occupy today?
For millennia, ideas for games and toys have been passed down from generation to generation. Ancient civilizations have significantly influenced how toys look today.
New materials have emerged now: plastic and cheap electronics that have flooded the global market. Fortunately, in all this variety of cheap and artificial materials, wooden toys have survived and we can use the achievements of our ancestors.
You can wonder whether robots, game consoles, plastic colored toys that have mastered the shelves of stores allow children to be creative, develop their skills and imagination.
The wooden toy has survived many turbulent events in the history of man. Many things are changing and the world is accelerating but we are convinced that a wooden toy will always accompany a young man in its development. Today, the wooden toy is gradually regaining the hearts of children and parents. The Mizoko company strives to make wooden figurines available to every child and parent.
All the best
