By Swain Thorne
Introduction
The history of wooden toys goes back hundreds of years. This is the age of plastic and digital toys, but wooden toys have not lost their appeal. And they are still quite popular among both parents and children. In this article, Mark Roemer Oakland shares the history of wooden toys. Let’s go back in time.
If you feel nostalgic when you find your kids playing with wooden toys, you are not alone. All of us have been there. Kids can choose from a wide range of wooden toys, like stacking toys, building blocks, dollhouses, and cars, to name a few.
You may get sentimental even if the toys are centuries old. So, there is something about these toys that makes them so special.
The History of Wooden Toys
Today, chariots, horses, and dolls are on the list of most common toys. Wooden toys were quite popular during the Greek and Roman era. Not long ago, historians came across an image of an ancient Greek toy horse made of wood. According to researchers, the toy horse was made between 900 and 950 BC. Interestingly, these types of pull-along wooden toys are all the rage even today.
So, you can see that our likes and dislikes have not changed much in the last 3000 years as far as toys are concerned.
Wooden toys of today
Around 400 years ago, many manufacturers entered the toy-making industry to cater to the needs of the public. With the passage of time, toymakers understood kids’ demands and started making toys that were evolved, intricate and elaborate when it comes to design and playability.
Some of the most common toys of the 17th century were wooden miniature theaters, dollhouses, and painted jack in the box, to name a few.
In the 1900s, there were some restrictions when it comes to playing with toys on Sundays. Although most manufacturers were making most types of toys like wooden trains, toy soldiers, rocking horses, dollhouses, and puzzles, the restrictions were still there.
After the Second World War, the popularity of wooden toys started dwindling due to the advent of plastic toys. These toys became more popular because of the low manufacturing costs and reasonable price tags. Today, the popularity of these toys is on the rise, partly because of public awareness regarding the harmful effects of plastic on the environment.
If you want your kids to learn many skills, you can buy wooden toys for them. For instance, building blocks of wood may help your kids improve their creativity, imagination, motor skills, and critical thinking.
Many wooden toys are designed in a way that they don’t look outdated. Therefore, they have a timeless appeal, and many parents and kids still prefer them over plastic toys.
Conclusion
So, if you want to buy toys for your kids, we suggest that you prefer wooden toys, says Mark Roemer Oakland. These toys are a bit more expensive but have no negative impact on the environment. After all, we should go green and play our part to protect our planet.
