Editing Toy

{{Short description|Entertaining object primarily used by children}}
{{other uses}}
{{Redirect|Toymaker}}
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[[File:King Scooter, STS Japan 1955 (32799156708).jpg|thumb|A toy motor scooter from 1955]]
A '''toy''' or '''plaything''' is an object that is used primarily to provide [[entertainment]]. Simple examples include [[toy block]]s, [[board game]]s, and [[doll]]s. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pets. Toys can provide utilitarian benefits, including physical exercise, cultural awareness, or academic education. Additionally, utilitarian objects, especially those which are no longer needed for their original purpose, can be used as toys. Examples include children building a fort with empty cereal boxes and tissue paper spools, or a toddler playing with a broken TV remote. The term "toy" can also be used to refer to utilitarian objects purchased for enjoyment rather than need, or for expensive necessities for which a large fraction of the cost represents its ability to provide enjoyment to the owner, such as luxury cars, high-end motorcycles, gaming computers, and flagship smartphones.

Playing with toys can be an enjoyable way of training young children for life experiences. Different materials like wood, clay, paper, and plastic are used to make toys. Newer forms of toys include [[Video game|interactive digital entertainment]] and [[smart toy]]s. Some toys are produced primarily as collectors' items and are intended for display only.

The origin of toys is [[prehistoric]]; dolls representing infants, animals, and soldiers, as well as representations of tools used by adults, are readily found at archaeological sites. The origin of the word "toy" is unknown, but it is believed that it was first used in the 14th century. Toys are mainly made for children.<ref name=etymonline>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=toy|title=toy – Origin and meaning of toy by Online Etymology Dictionary|website=etymonline.com}}</ref> The oldest known doll toy is thought to be 4,000 years old.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-01/what-oldest-toy-world|title=FYI: What Is the Oldest Toy in the World?|date=18 March 2019|work=Popular Science}}</ref>

Playing with toys is an important part of aging. Younger children use toys to discover their identity, help with [[cognition]], learn cause and effect, explore relationships, become stronger physically, and practice skills needed in adulthood. Adults on occasion use toys to form and strengthen social bonds, teach, help in therapy, and to remember and reinforce lessons from their youth.

A '''toymaker''' is someone who makes toys.

==History==
=== Antiquity ===
[[File:Little horse on wheels (Ancient greek child's Toy).jpg|thumb|Little horse on wheels, [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] children's toy. From a tomb dating 950–900 BCE, [[Kerameikos]] Archaeological Museum, Athens]]

Toys and [[game]]s have been retrieved from the sites of ancient civilizations, and have been mentioned in ancient literature. Toys excavated from the [[Indus valley civilization]] (3010–1500 BCE) include small carts, whistles shaped like birds, and toy monkeys that could slide down a string.<ref name=Indialife>{{Cite web|url=http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/Indialife.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919170202/http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/Indialife.html|url-status= unfit|title=MrDonn.org Free Lesson Plans & Activities for K-12 teachers & students|archivedate=19 September 2008|website=}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=March 2022}} One of the earliest examples of children's toys is a set of three stone balls found in the tomb of a four-year-old girl at Xi'an [[Banpo]] Neolithic site.<ref name="GuoEymanSun3">{{Cite book |last1=Guo |first1=Li |title=Games & Play in Chinese & Sinophone Cultures |last2=Eyman |first2=Douglas |last3=Sun |first3=Hongmei |date=2024 |publisher=[[University of Washington Press]] |isbn=9780295752402 |editor-last=Guo |editor-first=Li |location=Seattle, WA |pages=6 |chapter=Introduction |editor-last2=Eyman |editor-first2=Douglas |editor-last3=Sun |editor-first3=Hongmei}}</ref>

The earliest toys were made from natural materials, such as rocks, sticks, and [[clay]]. Thousands of years ago, [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] children played with [[doll]]s that had wigs and movable limbs, which were made from stone, pottery, and wood.<ref name=Maspero>{{cite book|last=Maspero|first=Gaston Camille Charles|author-link=Gaston Maspero|title=Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to the Study of Antiquities in Egypt|publisher=Project Gutenberg|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14400}}</ref> However, evidence of toys in ancient Egypt is exceptionally difficult to identify with certainty in the archaeological record. Small figurines and models found in tombs are usually interpreted as ritual objects; those from settlement sites are more easily labelled as toys. These include spinning tops, balls of spring, and wooden models of animals with movable parts.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wilkinson|first1=Toby|title=Dictionary of Ancient Egypt|date=2008|publisher=Thames & Hudson|isbn=978-0-500-20396-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/thameshudsondict00wilk/page/251 251]|url=https://archive.org/details/thameshudsondict00wilk|url-access=limited|language=en}}</ref>

In [[ancient Greece]] and [[ancient Rome]], children played with dolls made of [[wax]] or [[terracotta]]: sticks, [[bow and arrow|bows and arrows]], and [[yo-yo]]s. When Greek children, especially girls, came of age, it was customary for them to sacrifice the toys of their childhood to the [[Greek mythology|gods]]. On the eve of their wedding, young girls around fourteen would offer their dolls in a temple as a [[rite of passage]] into adulthood.<ref name=Powell>{{cite book|last=Powell|first=Barry B.|title=Classical Myth; Third Edition|publisher=Prentice Hall|year=2001|location=Upper Saddle River, NJ|pages=[https://archive.org/details/classicalmyth00powe/page/33 33–34]|isbn=978-0-13-088442-8|url=https://archive.org/details/classicalmyth00powe/page/33}}</ref><ref name="Oliver">{{cite web|title=History of the Yo-Yo|url=http://www.spintastics.com/HistoryOfYoYo.asp|last=Oliver|first=Valerie|year=1996|publisher=Spintastics Skill Toys, Inc.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060809224918/http://www.spintastics.com/HistoryOfYoYo.asp <!-- Bot retrieved archive -->|archive-date=9 August 2006|access-date=30 October 2006}}</ref>

The oldest known [[mechanical puzzle]] also comes from ancient Greece and appeared in the 3rd century BCE. The game consisted of a square divided into 14 parts, and the aim was to create different shapes from the pieces. In [[Iran]], "puzzle-locks" were made as early as the 17th century (CE).{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

===Enlightenment Era===
Toys became more widespread with changing Western attitudes towards children and childhood brought about by the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]]. Previously, children had often been thought of as small adults, who were expected to work in order to produce the goods that the family needed to survive. As children's culture scholar Stephen Kline has argued, [[Middle Ages|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."<ref>{{cite book |author1=Klein, Stephen |author1-link=The making of children's culture |editor1-last=Jenkins |editor1-first=Henry |title=The Children's Culture Reader |date=1998 |publisher=New York University Press |pages=95–109}}</ref>

[[File:Reif Spielzeug.jpg|thumb|upright|A boy with a [[Hoop rolling|hoop]]. Hoops have long been a popular toy across a variety of cultures.]]
As these ideas began changing during the Enlightenment Era, blowing bubbles from leftover washing up soap became a popular pastime, as shown in the painting ''The Soap Bubble'' (1739) by [[Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin]], and other popular toys included [[hoop rolling|hoops]], [[toy wagon]]s, [[kite]]s, [[spinning wheel]]s and [[puppet]]s. Many [[board game]]s were produced by [[John Jefferys]] in the 1750s, including ''A Journey Through Europe''.<ref>FRB Whitehouse (Table Games of Georgian and Victorian Days, Priory House, Herfortshire, UK, 1951)</ref> The game was very similar to modern board games; players moved along a track with the throw of a [[dice|die]] (a [[teetotum]] was actually used) and landing on different spaces would either help or hinder the player.<ref name="everydaytoys">{{cite web|url=http://everydaytoys.com/collectible-toys/history-of-toys/|title=History of Toys|website=everydaytoys.com|access-date=17 December 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220111708/http://everydaytoys.com/collectible-toys/history-of-toys/|archive-date=20 December 2013}}</ref>

In the nineteenth century, Western values prioritized toys with an educational purpose, such as puzzles, books, cards and board games. Religion-themed toys were also popular, including a model [[Noah's Ark]] with miniature animals and objects from other [[Bible]] scenes. With growing prosperity among the [[middle class]], children had more [[leisure]] time on their hands, which led to the application of industrial methods to the manufacture of toys.<ref name="everydaytoys" />

More complex mechanical and [[Optics|optical]]-based toys were also invented during the nineteenth century. [[Carpenter and Westley]] began to mass-produce the [[kaleidoscope]], invented by Sir [[David Brewster]] in 1817, and had sold over 200,000 items within three months in London and Paris. The company was also able to mass-produce [[magic lantern]]s for use in [[phantasmagoria]] and galanty shows, by developing a method of [[mass production]] using a copper plate printing process. Popular imagery on the lanterns included [[royal family|royalty]], [[flora]] and [[fauna]], and geographical/man-made structures from around the world.<ref name="Heard">[http://www.heard.supanet.com/html/lantern_history.html Shedding some light on the magic lantern] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221231502/http://www.heard.supanet.com/html/lantern_history.html |date=21 December 2013 }}.  Mervyn Heard. Retrieved 1 August 2011.</ref> The modern [[zoetrope]] was invented in 1833 by British mathematician [[William George Horner]] and was popularized in the 1860s.<ref>Bordwell, David and Kristin Thompson, ''Film History: An Introduction'', 3rd ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010), 4. {{ISBN|978-0-07-338613-3}}</ref> Wood and [[porcelain]] [[doll]]s in miniature [[doll house]]s were popular with middle-class girls, while boys played with marbles and toy trains.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

===Industrial Era and mass-marketed toys===
[[File:Hornby pt1901.jpg|thumb|Frank Hornby's 1901 patent number GB190100587A for what later became known as [[Meccano]]]]

The golden age of toy development occurred during the [[Industrial Revolution|Industrial Era]]. [[Real wage]]s were rising steadily in the Western world, allowing even working-class families to afford toys for their children, and industrial techniques of precision engineering and mass production were able to provide the supply to meet this rising demand. Intellectual emphasis was also increasingly being placed on the importance of a wholesome and happy childhood for the future development of children. [[Franz Kolb]], a German pharmacist, invented [[plasticine]] in 1880, and in 1900 commercial production of the material as a children's toy began. [[Frank Hornby]] was a visionary in toy development and manufacture and was responsible for the invention and production of three of the most popular lines of toys based on [[Engineering mechanics|engineering principles]] in the twentieth century: [[Meccano]], [[Hornby Railways|Hornby Model Railways]] and [[Dinky Toys]].

Meccano was a [[Scale model|model]] construction system that consisted of re-usable metal strips, plates, [[Angle iron|angle]] [[girder]]s, wheels, axles and [[gear]]s, with [[Nut (hardware)|nuts]] and [[screw#bolt|bolts]] to connect the pieces and enabled the building of working models and mechanical devices. [[Dinky Toys]] pioneered the manufacture of [[die-cast toy]]s with the production of toy cars, trains and ships and model train sets became popular in the 1920s. The [[Britains (toy brand)|Britains company]] revolutionized the production of [[toy soldiers]] with the invention of the process of [[hollow casting]] in lead in 1893<ref>Joplin, N. (1996). ''Toy Soldiers''. London: Quintet Publishing, Ltd.</ref> – the company's products remained the industry standard for many years.

Puzzles became popular as well. In 1893, the English lawyer [[s:Author:Angelo John Lewis|Angelo John Lewis]], writing under the pseudonym of Professor Hoffman, wrote a book called ''Puzzles Old and New''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://puzzlemuseum.com/library/hoffm/hoff-bk.htm|title=''Puzzles Old and New'' by Professor Hoffmann|website=puzzlemuseum.com}}</ref> It contained, among other things, more than 40 descriptions of puzzles with secret opening mechanisms. This book grew into a reference work for puzzle games and was very popular at the time. The [[Tangram]] puzzle, originally from China, spread to Europe and America in the 19th century.

In 1903, a year after publishing ''[[The Tale of Peter Rabbit]]'', English author [[Beatrix Potter]] created the first [[Peter Rabbit]] [[soft toy]] and registered him at the [[Intellectual Property Office (United Kingdom)|Patent Office]] in London, making Peter the oldest licensed character.<ref>{{cite news |title=Peter Rabbit blazed a trail still well trod |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/peter-rabbit-blazed-a-trail-still-well-trod-c9zdfx2c6nk |access-date=6 October 2022 |work=The Times}}</ref> It was followed by other "spin-off" merchandise over the years, including painting books and board games. The  ''[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]]'' magazine stated,  "Potter was also an entrepreneur and a pioneer in licensing and merchandising literary characters. Potter built a retail empire out of her "bunny book" that is worth $500 million today. In the process, she created a system that continues to benefit all licensed characters, from [[Mickey Mouse]] to [[Harry Potter (character)|Harry Potter]]."<ref>{{cite news |title=How Beatrix Potter Invented Character Merchandising |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-beatrix-potter-invented-character-merchandising-180961979/ |access-date=6 October 2022 |work=Smithsonian}}</ref>

In tandem with the development of mass-produced toys, Enlightenment ideals about children's rights to education and leisure time came to fruition. During the late 18th and early 19th century, many families needed to send their children to work in factories and other sites to make ends meet—just as their predecessors had required their labor producing household goods in the medieval era.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reed |first1=Lawrence W. |title=Child Labor and the British Industrial Revolution |url=https://www.mackinac.org/3879 |website=Mackinac Center for Public Policy |access-date=10 April 2022}}</ref> Business owners' exploitation and abuse of child laborers during this period differed from how children had been treated as workers within a family unit, though. Thanks to advocacy including photographic documentation of children's exploitation and abuse by business owners, Western nations enacted a series of child labor laws, putting an end to child labor in nations such as the U.S. (1949).<ref>{{cite web |title=National Child Labor Committee |url=https://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/nclc/ |website=Library of Congress |access-date=10 April 2022}}</ref> This fully entrenched, through law, the Western idea that childhood is a time for ''leisure'', not work—and with leisure time comes more space for consumer goods such as toys.<ref name="The Marketing of Children's Toys">{{cite book |last1=Hains |first1=Rebecca C. |last2=Jennings |first2=Nancy A. |title=The Marketing of Children's Toys |date=2021 |publisher=Palgrave |page=2}}</ref>

During the [[Second World War]], some new types of toys were created through accidental innovation. After trying to create a replacement for [[synthetic rubber]], the American [[Earl L. Warrick]] inadvertently invented "nutty putty" during [[World War II]]. Later, Peter Hodgson recognized the potential as a childhood plaything and packaged it as [[Silly Putty]]. Similarly, [[Play-Doh]] was originally created as a wallpaper cleaner.<ref name="mit">{{cite web|title=On the invention of silly putty, from Lemelson-MIT Program|url=http://web.mit.edu/Invent/iow/sillyputty.html|website=web.mit.edu|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030216041436/http://web.mit.edu/Invent/iow/sillyputty.html|archive-date=16 February 2003}}</ref> In 1943 [[Richard T. James|Richard James]] was experimenting with springs as part of his military research when he saw one come loose and fall to the floor. He was intrigued by the way it flopped around on the floor. He spent two years fine-tuning the design to find the best gauge of steel and coil; the result was the [[Slinky]], which went on to sell in stores throughout the United States.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

After the [[Second World War]], as Western society became ever more affluent and new technology and materials (plastics) for toy manufacture became available, toys became cheaper and more ubiquitous in households across the Western World. At this point, [[Brand|name-brand]] toys became widespread in the U.S.–a new phenomenon that helped market mass-produce toys to audiences of children growing up with ample leisure time and during a period of relative prosperity.<ref name="The Marketing of Children's Toys"/>

Among the more well-known products of the 1950s there was the Danish company [[Lego]]'s line of colourful interlocking plastic brick construction sets (based on [[Hilary Page]]'s [[Kiddicraft]] Self-Locking Bricks, described by London's [[V&A Museum of Childhood]] as among the "must-have toys" of the 1940s<ref>{{cite web |title=Must Have Toys 1940s – V&A Museum of Childhood |url=https://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/collections/must-toys-1940s/ |website=V&A Museum of Childhood |publisher=Victoria and Albert Museum, London |accessdate=11 October 2018}}</ref>), [[Mr. Potato Head]], the [[Barbie doll]] (inspired by the [[Bild Lilli doll]] from Germany), and [[Action Man]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.localhistories.org/toys.html|title=A Brief History of Toys|website=localhistories.org|access-date=17 December 2012}}</ref> The [[Rubik's Cube]] became an enormous seller in the 1980s. In modern times, there are computerized dolls that can recognize and identify objects, the voice of their owner, and choose among hundreds of pre-programmed phrases with which to respond.<ref name=VanPatten>{{cite web|last=Van Patten|first=Denise|title=A Brief History of Talking Dolls – From Bebe Phonographe to Amazing Amanda|publisher=About.com|url=http://collectdolls.about.com/od/dollsbymaterial/a/talkingdolls.htm|access-date=30 October 2006|archive-date=12 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512191251/http://collectdolls.about.com/od/dollsbymaterial/a/talkingdolls.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Culture==
The act of children's play with toys embodies the values set forth by the adults of their specific community, but through the lens of the child's perspective. Within cultural societies, toys are a medium to enhance a child's cognitive, social, and linguistic learning.<ref name="Smith2010">{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=Peter K|title=Children and Play:Understanding Children's Worlds|date=2010|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|location=West Sussex, UK|isbn=978-0-631-23521-7|pages=89–94|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MLLhoS7LDEkC&q=toys+symbolism+of+other+cultures&pg=PA94|access-date=5 December 2016}}</ref>

In some cultures, toys are used as a way to enhance a child's skillset within the traditional boundaries of their future roles in the community. In [[Sahara]]n and [[North Africa]]n cultures, play is facilitated by children through the use of toys to enact scenes recognizable in their community such as hunting and herding. The value is placed in a realistic version of development in preparing a child for the future they are likely to grow up into. This allows the child to imagine and create a personal interpretation of how they view the adult world.<ref name="Rossie2005">{{cite book|last1=Rossie|first1=Jean-Pierre|title=Toys, Play, Culture, and Society. An anthrological approach with reference to North Africa and the Sahara|date=2005|publisher=SITREC|location=Stockholm|isbn=978-91-974811-3-7|pages=88–91|url=https://www.academia.edu/5180690|access-date=5 December 2016}}</ref>

However, in other cultures, toys are used to expand the development of a child's cognition in an idealistic fashion. In these communities, adults place the value of play with toys to be on the aspirations they set forth for their child. In the Western culture, the Barbie and Action-Man represent lifelike figures but in an imaginative state out of reach from the society of these children and adults. These toys give way to a unique world in which children's play is isolated and independent of the social constraints placed on society leaving the children free to delve into the imaginary and idealized version of what their development in life could be.<ref name="Rossie2005" />

In addition, children from differing communities may treat their toys in different ways based on their cultural practices. Children in more affluent communities may tend to be possessive of their toys, while children from poorer communities may be more willing to share and interact more with other children. The importance the child places on possession is dictated by the values in place within the community that the children observe on a daily basis.<ref name="Starr2013">{{cite news|last1=Starr|first1=Benjamin|title=Toy Stories: Children's Favorite Toys Around the World|url=https://www.visualnews.com/2013/03/13/toy-stories-childrens-favorite-toys-around-the-world/|access-date=5 December 2016|publisher=Visual News|date=13 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106104131/https://www.visualnews.com/2013/03/13/toy-stories-childrens-favorite-toys-around-the-world/|archive-date=6 January 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Child development==
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2022}}
[[File:Child playing with a toy cart and horse. -front- (9726037522).jpg|thumb|19th century illustration of a child playing with a toy [[Horse-drawn vehicle|horse and cart]]]]
Toys, like play itself, serve multiple purposes in both humans and animals. They provide entertainment while fulfilling an educational role. Toys enhance [[cognition|cognitive behavior]] and stimulate creativity. They aid in the development of physical and mental skills which are necessary in later life.

Wooden [[Block (toy)|blocks]], though simple, are regarded by early childhood education experts such as Sally Cartwright (1974) as an excellent toy for young children; she praised the fact that they are relatively easy to engage with, can be used in repeatable and predictable ways, and are versatile and open-ended, allowing for a wide variety of developmentally appropriate play.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cartwright |first1=Sally |title=Blocks and learning |journal=Young Children |date=March 1974 |volume=29 |issue=3 |pages=141–146 |jstor=42657609 }}</ref> Andrew Witkin, director of marketing for [[Mega Brands]], told ''[[Investor's Business Daily]]'' that "They help develop hand-eye coordination, math and science skills and also let kids be creative."<ref name=Tsuruoka>{{cite journal|last=Tsuruoka |first=Doug |title=Toys: Not All Fun And Games |journal=Investor's Business Daily |date=5 January 2007 |url=http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=23&issue=20070105 |access-date=8 January 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091009073731/http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=23&issue=20070105 |archive-date=9 October 2009 }}</ref> Other toys like [[marbles]], [[jackstones]], and [[ball]]s serve similar functions in child development, allowing children to use their minds and bodies to learn about [[spatial relationships]], [[cause and effect]], and a wide range of other skills.

[[File:Hitting the Ball in the Shadow of the Banana Leaves.jpg|thumb|Two children playing with [[paddle ball]]s in ''Hitting the Ball in the Shadow of the Banana'', a painting by the [[History of Chinese art|Chinese artist]] Su Hanchen (苏汉臣, active 1130s–1160s AD), [[Song dynasty]]]]
One example of the dramatic ways that toys can influence child development involves clay sculpting toys such as [[Play-Doh]] and [[Silly Putty]] and their home-made counterparts. Mary Ucci, Educational Director of the Child Study Center of [[Wellesley College]], has demonstrated how such toys positively impact the [[physical development]], [[cognitive development]], [[Child development#Social-emotional|emotional development]], and [[Social change|social development]] of children.<ref name=Ucci>{{cite journal | last =Ucci | first =Mary | title =Playdough: 50 Years' Old, And Still Gooey, Fun, And Educational | journal =Child Health Alert | volume =24 | date =April 2006 | url =http://web110.epnet.com/citation.asp?tb=1&_ug=sid+50E579A7%2D22F7%2D4ED5%2DADF6%2DF699A2D5EB3B%40sessionmgr2+dbs+afh+cp+1+B804&_us=mh+1+sl+%2D1+hs+False+or+Date+ss+SO+sm+KS+mdbs+afh+ri+KAAAGEIB00091355+dstb+KS+sel+False+frn+1+1CD0&_uso=tg%5B0+%2D+db%5B0+%2Dafh+hd+False+op%5B0+%2D+st%5B0+%2DToys++in++Child++development++AND++DE++%22TOYS%22+ex%5B0+%2Dproximity+mdb%5B0+%2Dimh+A6B6&cf=1&fn=1&rn=2& | access-date =17 February 2007 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }} (Note that the full-text online version requires login.)</ref>

Toys for infants often make use of distinctive sounds, bright colors, and unique [[Texture (visual arts)|textures]]. Through repetition of play with toys, infants begin to recognize shapes and colors. [[Play-Doh]], [[Silly Putty]] and other hands-on materials allow the child to make toys of their own.

[[Educational toy]]s for school age children of often contain a [[puzzle]], problem-solving technique, or mathematical proposition. Often toys designed for older audiences, such as teenagers or adults, demonstrate advanced concepts. [[Newton's cradle]], a desk toy designed by [[Simon Prebble]], demonstrates the [[Conservation law|conservation of momentum and energy]].

Not all toys are appropriate for all ages of children.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cffd4f9HBL0C&q=Not+all+toys+are+appropriate+for+all+ages+of+children|title=The Mommy Guide: Real-life Advice and Tips from Over 250 Moms and Other Experts|last=Bernard|first=Susan|date=1994|publisher=Contemporary Books|isbn=978-0-8092-3797-5|language=en}}</ref> Even some toys which are marketed for a specific age range can even harm the development of children in that range, such as when for example toys meant for young girls contribute to the ongoing problem of girls' sexualization in Western culture.<ref>{{cite web |title=Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls |url=https://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report |website=American Psychological Association |access-date=10 April 2022}}</ref>

A study suggested that supplying fewer toys in the environment allows toddlers to better focus to explore and play more creatively. The provision of four rather than sixteen toys is thus suggested to promote children's development and healthy play.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Dauch|first1=Carly|last2=Imwalle|first2=Michelle|last3=Ocasio|first3=Brooke|last4=Metz|first4=Alexia E.|date=February 2018|title=The influence of the number of toys in the environment on toddlers' play |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0163638317301613|journal=Infant Behavior and Development|language=en|volume=50|pages=78–87 |doi=10.1016/j.infbeh.2017.11.005|pmid=29190457|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

===Age compression===
Age compression is the modern trend of children moving through play stages faster than was the case in the past. Children have a desire to progress to more complex toys at a faster pace, girls in particular. Barbie dolls, for example, were once marketed to girls around 8 years old but have been found to be more popular in recent years with girls around 3 years old,<ref name="Pressler">{{cite news|last=Pressler|first=Margaret Webb|title=Bored with her toys|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/01/AR2006040100186.html|access-date=2 April 2006|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=29 October 2011}}</ref> with most girls outgrowing the brand by about age 7.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hains |first1=Rebecca |title=A Barbie with curves is still all about looks |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/02/01/a-barbie-with-curves-is-still-all-about-looks/ |access-date=10 April 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=1 February 2016}}</ref> The packaging for the dolls labels them appropriate for ages 3 and up. Boys, in contrast, apparently enjoy toys and games over a longer timespan, gravitating towards toys that meet their interest in assembling and disassembling mechanical toys, and toys that "move fast and things that fight". An industry executive points out that girls have entered the "[[Preadolescence|tween]]" phase by the time they are 8 years old and want non-traditional toys, whereas boys have been maintaining an interest in traditional toys until they are 12 years old, meaning the traditional toy industry holds onto their boy customers for 50% longer than their girl customers.<ref name="Pressler"/>

Girls gravitate towards "music, clothes, make-up, television talent shows and celebrities". As young children are more exposed to and drawn to music intended for older children and teens, companies are having to rethink how they develop and market their products.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6xMEAAAAMBAJ&q=KID+RHINO+ADDRESSES+AGE+COMPRESSION+BY+TWEAKING+PRODUCTS,+STRATEGIES&pg=PA69|title=Kid Rhino Addresses Age Compression By Tweaking Products, Strategies|date=10 March 2001|magazine=Billboard|via=Google Books|language=en-US|access-date=15 February 2018}}</ref> Girls also demonstrate a longer loyalty to characters in toys and games marketed towards them.<ref name="Tansel">{{cite web|last=Tansel|first=Utku|title=Effects of age compression on traditional toys and games|url=http://blog.euromonitor.com/2010/10/effects-of-age-compression-on-traditional-toys-and-games.html|publisher=Euromonitor International|access-date=29 October 2011|date=19 October 2010|archive-date=5 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405114828/http://blog.euromonitor.com/2010/10/effects-of-age-compression-on-traditional-toys-and-games.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> A variety of global toy companies have marketed themselves to this aspect of girls' development, for example, the [[Hello Kitty]] brand and the [[Disney Princess]] franchise.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hains |first1=Rebecca |title=The Princess Problem |date=2014 |publisher=Sourcebooks |isbn=978-1402294037}}</ref> Boys have shown an interest in computer games at an ever-younger age in recent years.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

==Gender==
[[File:Tank toy radio.JPG|thumb|right|A toy tank with a remote control. Such toys are generally thought of as boys' toys.]]
{{main|Girls' toys and games|Boys' toys and games}}

Certain toys, such as [[Barbie]] dolls and toy soldiers, are often perceived as being more acceptable for one gender than the other. The turning point for the addition of gender to toys came about in the 1960s and 1970s. Before 1975, only about two percent of toys were labeled by gender, whereas today on the Disney store's website, considered a dominating global force for toys by researcher Claire Miller, all toys are labeled by gender.<ref name=Miller2015/> The journal [[Sex Roles (journal)|''Sex Roles'']] began publishing research on this topic in 1975, focusing on the effects of gender in youth. Too, many psychological textbooks began to address this new issue. Along with these publications, researchers also started to challenge the ideas of male and female as being opposites, even going as far as to claim toys which have characteristics of both genders are preferable.<ref name=pmid21747580>{{cite journal |last1=Zosuls |first1=Kristina M. |last2=Miller |first2=Cindy Faith |last3=Ruble |first3=Diane N. |last4=Martin |first4=Carol Lynn |last5=Fabes |first5=Richard A. |title=Gender Development Research in Sex Roles: Historical Trends and Future Directions |journal=Sex Roles |date=June 2011 |volume=64 |issue=11–12 |pages=826–842 |doi=10.1007/s11199-010-9902-3 |pmid=21747580 |pmc=3131694 }}</ref>

A milestone for research on gender is the use of [[meta-analysis]], which provides a way to assess patterns in a systematic way, especially relevant for a topic such as gender, which can be difficult to quantify.<ref name=pmid21747580/> [[Nature versus nurture|Nature and nurture]] have historically been analyzed when looking at gender in play, as well as reinforcement by peers and parents of typical [[gender role]]s and consequently, gender play.<ref name=pmid21747580/> Toy companies have often promoted the segregation by gender in toys because it enables them to customize the same toy for each gender, which ultimately doubles their revenue. For example, Legos added more colors to certain sets of toys in the 1990s, including colors commonly attributed to girls such as lavender.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

It has been noted by researchers that, "Children as young as 18 months display sex-stereotyped toy choices".<ref name=Caldera>{{cite journal|last1=Caldera|first1=Yvonne M. |last2=Huston|first2=Aletha C. |last3=O'Brien|first3=Marion |title=Social Interactions and Play Patterns of Parents and Toddlers with Feminine, Masculine, and Neutral Toys|journal=Child Development|volume=60|issue=1|pages=70–76|date=February 1989|doi=10.2307/1131072|pmid=2702876|jstor=1131072}}</ref> When eye movement is tracked in young infants, infant girls show a visual preference for a doll over a toy truck (d > 1.0). Boys showed no preference for the truck over the doll. However, they did fixate on the truck more than the girls (d = .78).<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Alexander | first1 = G. M. | last2 = Wilcox | first2 = T. | last3 = Woods | first3 = R. | year = 2009 | title = Sex differences in infants' visual interest in toys | journal = Archives of Sexual Behavior | volume = 38 | issue = 3| pages = 427–433 | doi = 10.1007/s10508-008-9430-1 | pmid = 19016318 | s2cid = 20435292 }}</ref> This small study suggests that even before any self-awareness of gender identity has emerged, children already prefer sex-typical toys. These differences in toy choice are well established within the child by the age of three.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Alexander | first1 = G. M. | last2 = Saenz | first2 = J. | year = 2012 | title = Early androgens, activity levels and toy choices of children in the second year of life | journal = Hormones and Behavior | volume = 62 | issue = 4| pages = 500–504 | doi = 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.08.008 | pmid = 22955184 | s2cid = 25564513 }}</ref>

Another study done by Jeffrey Trawick-Smith took 60 different children ages three to four and observed them playing with nine different toys deemed best for development. They were allowed to play with the toys in a typical environment, a preschool classroom, which allowed for the results to be more authentic compared to research done in a lab. The researchers then quantified play quality of the children with each toy based on factors such as learning, problem solving, curiosity, creativity, imagination, and peer interaction. The results revealed that boys generally received higher scores for overall play quality than girls, and the toys with the best play quality were those identified as the most gender neutral, such as building blocks and bricks along with pieces modeling people. Trawick-Smith then concluded that the study encourages a focus on toys which are beneficial to both genders in order to create a better balance.<ref name="Trawick-Smith et al. 2015">{{cite journal |last1=Trawick-Smith |first1=Jeffrey |last2=Wolff |first2=Jennifer |last3=Koschel |first3=Marley |last4=Vallarelli |first4=Jamie |title=Effects of Toys on the Play Quality of Preschool Children: Influence of Gender, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status |journal=Early Childhood Education Journal |date=July 2015 |volume=43 |issue=4 |pages=249–256 |doi=10.1007/s10643-014-0644-7 |s2cid=145171764 }}</ref>

While some parents promote gender neutral play, many parents encourage their children to participate in sex-typed activities, including doll-playing and engaging in housekeeping activities for girls and playing with trucks and engaging in sports activities for boys.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Eccles |first1=Jacquelynne S. |last2=Jacobs |first2=Janis E. |last3=Harold |first3=Rena D. |title=Gender Role Stereotypes, Expectancy Effects, and Parents' Socialization of Gender Differences |journal=Journal of Social Issues |date=July 1990 |volume=46 |issue=2 |pages=183–201 |doi=10.1111/j.1540-4560.1990.tb01929.x }}</ref> Researcher Susan Witt said that parents are the primary influencer on the gender roles of their children.<ref name=pmid9179321>{{cite journal |last1=Witt |first1=Susan D |title=Parental influence on children's socialization to gender roles |journal=Adolescence |year=1997 |volume=32 |issue=126 |pages=253–259 |id={{ProQuest|195928943}} |pmid=9179321 }}</ref> Parents, siblings, peers, and even teachers have been shown to react more positively to children engaging in sex-typical behavior and playing with sex-typical toys.<ref name="Servin, A. 1999">{{cite journal | last1 = Servin | first1 = A. | last2 = Bohlin | first2 = G. | last3 = Berlin | first3 = L. | year = 1999 | title = Sex differences in 1-, 3-, and 5-year olds' toy-choice in a structured play-session | journal = [[Scandinavian Journal of Psychology]] | volume = 40 | issue = 1| pages = 43–48 | doi = 10.1111/1467-9450.00096 | pmid = 10216463 }}</ref> This is often done through encouragement or discouragement, as well as suggestions<ref name=pmid9179321/> and imitation.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} Additionally, sons are more likely to be reinforced for sex-typical play and discouraged from atypical play.<ref name="Servin, A. 1999" /> However, it is generally not as looked down upon for girls to play with toys designed "for boys", an activity which has also become more common in recent years.<ref>{{cite web|title=Toys for Girls and Boys|url=http://www.toy-testing.org/contents/whatbuzz/bz_gbfil/bz_gb.htm|publisher=[[Canadian Toy Testing Council]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000304154641/http://www.toy-testing.org/contents/whatbuzz/bz_gbfil/bz_gb.htm|archive-date=4 March 2000}}</ref> Fathers are also more likely to reinforce typical play and discourage atypical play than mothers are.<ref>Berenbaum, S. A., Martin, C. L., Hanish, L. D., Briggs, P. T., & Fabes, R. A. (2008). Sex differences in children's play. In J. Becker, K. Berkley, N. Geary, E. Hampson, J.Herman, & Young, E.A. (Eds.), Sex Differences in the Brain from Genes to Behavior (1ed., pp. 275–290).New York, NY: Oxford University Press.</ref> A study done by researcher Susan Witt suggests that stereotypes are oftentimes only strengthened by the environment, which perpetuates them to linger in older life.<ref name=pmid9179321/>

This stereotypical attribution of sex-typical toys for girls and boys is gradually changing, with toys companies creating more gender neutral toys, as the benefits associated with allowing children to play with toys that appeal to them far outweighs controlling their individual preferences.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://toyreviewexperts.com/gender-neutral-toys-how-they-empower-our-kids/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815175833/https://toyreviewexperts.com/gender-neutral-toys-how-they-empower-our-kids/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 August 2017 |title=Gender Neutral Toys: How They Empower Our Kids |work=Toy Review Experts |date=22 June 2017 }}</ref> For example, many stores are beginning to change their gender labels on children's play items. [[Target Corporation|Target]] removed all identification related to gender from their toy aisles and Disney did the same for their costumes.<ref name=Miller2015>{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Claire Cain |title=Boys and Girls, Constrained by Toys and Costumes |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/31/upshot/boys-and-girls-constrained-by-toys-and-costumes.html |work=The New York Times |date=30 October 2015 }}</ref> The Disney store is an especially prevalent example of gender in play because they are a global identity in the toy world. A study done regarding their website found that though they have removed gender labels from their costumes, the toys online reflect more stereotypical gender identities. For example, toys depicting males were associated with physicality and females were associated with beauty, housing, and caring.<ref name=":5">{{cite journal |last1=Auster |first1=Carol J. |last2=Mansbach |first2=Claire S. |title=The Gender Marketing of Toys: An Analysis of Color and Type of Toy on the Disney Store Website |journal=Sex Roles |date=1 October 2012 |volume=67 |issue=7 |pages=375–388 |doi=10.1007/s11199-012-0177-8 |s2cid=143551702 }}</ref> Though Disney promotes their toys as being for both genders, there is no gender neutral section on their website. Those which are generally deemed for both genders more closely resemble what many would label "boy toys," as they relate closer to the stereotype of masculinity within play.<ref name=":5" />

Traditions within various cultures promote the passing down of certain toys to their children based on the child's gender. In [[Indigenous peoples of South America|Indigenous South American]] communities, boys receive a toy bow and arrow from their father while young girls receive a toy basket from their mother.<ref name="Smith2010" /> In North African and Saharan cultural communities, gender plays a role in the creation of self-made dolls. While female dolls are used to represent brides, mothers, and wives, male dolls are used to represent horsemen and warriors. This contrast stems from the various roles of men and women within the Saharan and North African communities. There are differences in the toys that are intended for girls and boys within various cultures, which is reflective of the differing roles of men and women within a specific cultural community.<ref name="Rossie2005" />

Research on the repercussions of gender in toys suggests that desegregation of the genders can be achieved by encouraging more gender-neutral play.<ref name="Trawick-Smith et al. 2015" /> Researchers Carol Auster and Claire Mansbach have argued that allowing children to play with toys which more closely fit their talents would help them to better develop their skills.<ref name=":5" /> In terms of parental influence, a study found that parents who demonstrated some androgynous behavior have higher scores in support, warmth, and self-worth in regards to the treatment of their children.<ref name=pmid9179321/> Even as this debate is evolving and children are becoming more inclined to cross barriers in terms of gender with their toys, girls are typically more encouraged to do so than boys because of the societal value of masculinity.<ref name=Miller2015/>

==Economics==
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2022}}

[[File:Making toys, Digby, Nova Scotia. 2008.jpg|thumb|Making toys, [[Digby, Nova Scotia]]. 2008]]
With toys comprising such a large and important part of human existence, the toy industry has a substantial economic impact. Sales of toys often increase around holidays where gift-giving is a tradition. Some of these holidays include Christmas, Easter, [[Saint Nicholas Day]], and [[Three Kings Day]].

In 2005, toy sales in the United States totaled about $22.9&nbsp;billion.<ref name="Tsuruoka" /> <!-- This reference has a slightly lower figure, but isn't from as reliable a source. I'm hesitant to delete it entirely at this point, so I'm hiding it in a comment until I know what to do with it.<ref name=Vargas>
{{cite web|last=Vargas|first=Melody|title=Annual Toy Industry Sales|work=About.com|url=http://retailindustry.about.com/od/seg_toys/a/toy_sales.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060313161559/http://retailindustry.about.com/od/seg_toys/a/toy_sales.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 March 2006|access-date=22 November 2006}}</ref>--> Money spent on children between the ages of 8 and twelve alone totals approximately $221&nbsp;million annually in the U.S.<ref name="tweens">{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|date=28 November 2006|title=Parents of tweens seek balance for fast-maturing kids|publisher=CNN|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/11/28/teen.tweens.ap/index.html|url-status=dead|access-date=16 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061201012535/http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/11/28/teen.tweens.ap/index.html|archive-date=1 December 2006}}</ref> It was estimated that in 2011, 88% of toy sales was in the age group 0–11 years.<ref name="NPD Group">{{cite web|last=Crupnick|first=Russ|title=Drilling to the Core in Toy Spending|url=https://www.npdgroupblog.com/drilling-to-the-core-in-toy-spending/#comment-4736|work=npdgroupblog.com|publisher=NPD Group|access-date=12 February 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312031305/https://www.npdgroupblog.com/drilling-to-the-core-in-toy-spending/#comment-4736|archive-date=12 March 2013}}</ref>

[[File:Toys R Us sg.JPG|thumb|[[Toys "R" Us]] operated over 1,500 stores in 30 countries and had an annual revenue of US$13.6&nbsp;billion]]
Toy companies change and adapt their toys to meet the changing demands of children thereby gaining a larger share of the substantial market. In recent years many toys have become more complicated with flashing lights and sounds in an effort to appeal to children raised around television and the internet. According to [[Mattel]]'s president, Neil Friedman, "Innovation is key in the toy industry and to succeed one must create a 'wow' moment for kids by designing toys that have fun, innovative features and include new technologies and engaging content."

In an effort to reduce costs, many mass-producers of toys locate their factories in areas where wages are lower. China manufactures about 70 percent of the world's toys and is home to more than 8,000 toy firms, most of which are located in the [[Pearl River Delta]] of [[Guangdong|Guangdong Province]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Chen|first1=Dezhi|last2=Wei|first2=William|last3=Hu|first3=Daiping|last4=Muralidharan|first4=Etayankara|title=Survival strategy of OEM companies: a case study of the Chinese toy industry|journal=International Journal of Operations & Production Management|date=5 September 2016|volume=36|issue=9|pages=1065–1088|doi=10.1108/IJOPM-04-2015-0212}}</ref> 75% of all toys sold in the U.S., for example, are manufactured in China.<ref name=Tsuruoka/> Issues and events such as power outages, supply of raw materials, supply of labor, and raising wages that impact areas where factories are located often have an enormous impact on the toy industry in importing countries.

Many traditional toy makers have been losing sales to [[video game]] [[Video game industry|makers]] for years. Because of this, some traditional toy makers have entered the field of [[electronic game]]s and have even been turning [[audio games]] into toys, and are enhancing the brands that they have by introducing interactive extensions or internet connectivity to their current toys.<ref name = "Ibisworld">{{cite news
 | url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/world-in-their-hands/2007/03/24/1174597945762.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2
 | title = World in their hands
 | newspaper = The Age
| location=Melbourne
| date=26 March 2007
}}</ref>

In addition, the rise of [[distributed manufacturing]] enables consumers to make their own toys from [[open source]] designs with a [[3-D printer]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Researchers run the numbers on cutting the cost of toys by 3-D printing them at home |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2017/researchers-run-numbers-cutting-cost-toys-3-d-printing-home/ |work=Geekwire|date=20 July 2017 }}</ref> As of 2017 consumers were already offsetting millions of dollars per year by [[3D printing]] their own toys from [[MyMiniFactory]], a single repository.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Petersen | display-authors = etal | year = 2017| title = Impact of DIY Home Manufacturing with 3-D Printing on the Toy and Game Market | url = https://www.academia.edu/33966963 | journal = Technologies | volume = 5 | issue = 3| page = 45 | doi = 10.3390/technologies5030045 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How 3D printing could save consumers millions in toys and games |url=https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/3d-printing-save-consumers-millions-toys-games-118735/ |work=3D Printing Industry|date=24 July 2017 }}</ref>

==Types==
[[File:Lincoln Logs sawmill.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Lincoln Logs]] have been a popular construction type toy in the U.S. since the 1920s.]]{{More citations needed section|date=May 2022}}

===Construction sets===
{{Main|Construction set}}

The Greek philosopher [[Plato]] wrote that the future [[architect]] should play at building houses as a child.<ref name=Hils>Karl Hils, ''The Toy – Its Value, Construction and Use'', Edmund Ward Ltd., London, 1959.</ref> A [[construction set]] is a collection of separate pieces that can be joined to create [[Scale model|models]]. Popular models include cars, [[spacecraft|spaceships]], and houses. The things that are built are sometimes used as toys once completed, but generally speaking, the object is to build things of one's own design, and old models often are broken up with the pieces reused in new models.

The oldest and perhaps most common construction toy is a set of simple wooden [[Toy block|blocks]], which are often painted in bright colors and given to babies and toddlers. Construction sets such as [[Lego]] bricks and [[Lincoln Logs]] are designed for slightly older children and have been quite popular in the last century.
Construction sets appeal to children (and adults) who like to work with their hands, puzzle solvers, and imaginative sorts.

Some other examples include [[Bayko]], Konstruk-Tubes, [[K'Nex]], [[Erector Set]]s, [[Tinkertoy]]s, and [[Meccano]], and generic construction toys such as [[Neodymium magnet toys]].

===Dolls and miniatures===
{{main|doll}}
[[File:Child and Doll.jpg|thumb|left|A girl and her [[doll]] in the 1900s]]

A [[doll]] is a model of a human (often a baby), a humanoid (like [[Bert and Ernie]]), or an animal. Modern dolls are often made of cloth or plastic. Other materials that are, or have been, used in the manufacture of dolls include [[Husk|cornhusks]], [[bone]], [[Rock (geology)|stone]], wood, [[porcelain]] (sometimes called china), [[Bisque doll|bisque]], [[celluloid]], [[wax]], and even apples. Often, people will make dolls out of whatever materials are available to them.

Sometimes intended as decorations, keepsakes, or [[collectible]]s for older children and adults, most dolls are intended as toys for children, usually girls, to play with. Dolls have been found in [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] tombs that date to as early as 2000 BCE.<ref name="Maspero"/>

Dolls are usually miniatures, but baby dolls may be of true size and weight. A doll or [[stuffed animal]] of soft material is sometimes called a [[plush toy]] or [[Stuffed toy|plushie]]. A popular toy of this type is the [[Teddy Bear]].
[[File:3 Humfrey hug-a-bears.jpeg|thumb|upright|300px|Teddy Bears]]
A distinction is often made between dolls and [[action figure]]s, which are generally of plastic or semi-metallic construction and poseable to some extent, and often are merchandising from television shows or films which feature the characters. Modern action figures, such as [[Action Man]], are often marketed towards boys, whereas dolls are often marketed towards girls.

[[Toy soldiers]], perhaps a precursor to modern [[action figures]], have been a popular toy for centuries. They allow children to act out battles, often with toy military equipment and a castle or fort. Miniature animal figures are also widespread, with children perhaps acting out farm activities with animals and equipment centered on a toy farm.

===Vehicles===
[[File:Knatterboot.jpg|thumb|left|A [[pop pop boat|toy boat]]]]
{{main|Vehicle}}

Children have played with miniature versions of vehicles since ancient times, with toy two-wheeled [[cart]]s being depicted on [[Pottery of Ancient Greece|ancient Greek vases]].<ref name=Hils/> [[Wind-up toy]]s have also played a part in the advancement of toy vehicles. Modern equivalents include toy [[motor vehicle|cars]] such as those produced by [[Matchbox (toy company)|Matchbox]] or [[Hot Wheels]], miniature aircraft, toy boats, [[military vehicle]]s, and [[toy train|trains]]. Examples of the latter range from wooden sets for younger children such as [[BRIO]] to more complicated realistic [[Rail transport modeling|train models]] like those produced by [[Lionel Corporation|Lionel]], [[Doepke Toys|Doepke]] and [[Hornby Railways|Hornby]]. Larger die-cast vehicles, 1:18 scale, have become popular toys; these vehicles are produced with a great attention to detail.{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}}

===Puzzles===
{{main|Puzzle}}
[[File:Rubik's cube.svg|upright|thumb|A Rubik's Cube]]
A puzzle is a [[Problem solving|problem]] or enigma that challenges ingenuity. Solutions to puzzles may require recognizing [[pattern]]s and creating a particular order. People with a high [[inductive reasoning aptitude]] may be better at solving these puzzles than others. Puzzles based on the process of inquiry and discovery to complete may be solved faster by those with good [[Deductive reasoning|deduction]] skills. A popular puzzle toy is the [[Rubik's Cube]], invented by Hungarian [[Ernő Rubik]] in 1974. Popularized in the 1980s, solving the cube requires planning and problem-solving skills and involves algorithms.

There are many different types of puzzles; for example, a [[maze]] is a type of [[tour puzzle]]. Other categories include: [[construction puzzle]]s, [[stick puzzle]]s, [[tiling puzzle]]s, [[disentanglement puzzle]]s, [[sliding puzzle]]s, [[logic puzzle]]s, [[picture puzzle]]s, [[lock puzzle]]s, and [[mechanical puzzle]]s.

===Collectibles===

{{Main|Collectible}}

Some toys, such as [[Beanie Baby|Beanie Babies]], attract large numbers of enthusiasts, eventually becoming [[collectible]]s. Other toys, such as [[Boyds Bears]] are marketed to adults as collectibles. Some people spend large sums of money in an effort to acquire larger and more complete collections. The record for a single [[Pez dispenser]] at an auction, for example, is US$1100.<ref name="Brown">{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Patricia Leigh|date=23 April 1995|title=New Auction Gems: Common Folks; Venerable Houses Woo Unstuffy Buyers With Unstuffy Stuff|page=37|work=The New York Times|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F6061EF93B5D0C708EDDAD0894DD494D81|url-status=dead|access-date=11 October 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070515173948/https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F6061EF93B5D0C708EDDAD0894DD494D81|archive-date=15 May 2007}}</ref>

===Promotional merchandise===

[[File:John Deere toy tractor.jpg|thumb|right|This toy tractor also serves as an advertisement for [[John Deere]].]]
Many successful films, television programs, books and sport teams have official merchandise, which often includes related toys. Some notable examples are ''[[Star Wars]]'' (a space fantasy franchise) and [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], an English [[association football|football]] club.

Likewise, many successful children's films, television series, books or franchises extend their marketing campaign to [[fast food]] chains by including small toys of fictional characters or the series' associated symbols in a sealed plastic bag within their [[kids' meal]]s. One famous example is the [[Happy Meal]] from [[McDonald's]].<ref name="Bishop">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3oVKAAAAIBAJ&pg=6140,5493787|title=Fast food meals for kids come under fire|last=Bishop|first=Pete|date=20 March 1990|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=21 October 2020}}</ref>

Promotional toys can fall into any of the other toy categories; for example, they can be dolls or action figures based on the characters of movies or professional athletes, or they can be balls, yo-yos, or [[lunch box]]es with logos on them. Sometimes they are given away for free as a form of advertising. [[Model aircraft]] are often toys that are used by airlines to promote their brand, just as [[Die cast toy|toy cars and trucks]] and [[model train]]s are used by trucking, railroad and other companies as well. Many food manufacturers run promotions where a toy is included with the main product as a [[Prize (marketing)|prize]]. Toys are also used as [[Premium (marketing)|premiums]], where consumers redeem [[Proof of purchase|proofs of purchase]] from a product and pay shipping and handling fees to get the toy.  Some people go to great lengths to collect these sorts of promotional toys.

===Digital toys===

Digital toys are toys that incorporate some form of interactive digital technology.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/27/business/tech-toys-that-can-make-the-video-screen-passe.html|title=Tech Toys That Go Beyond the Screen|first=Farhad|last=Manjoo|date=26 November 2014|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> Examples of digital toys include [[virtual pets]] and [[handheld electronic games]]. Among the earliest digital toys are [[Mattel Auto Race]] and the [[Little Professor]], both released in 1976. The concept of using technology in a way that bridges the digital with the physical world, providing unique interactive experiences for the user, has also been referred to as ''[[phygital]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://phygitalien.com/what-is-phygital/ |title=What is Phygital? |website=phygitalien.com |access-date=9 December 2014 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216182145/http://phygitalien.com/what-is-phygital/ |archive-date=16 December 2014 }}</ref>

===Physical activity===
{{Main|Physical activity}}
[[File:Jakarta old football.jpg|thumb|A boy from [[Jakarta]] with his ball. [[Ball game]]s are good exercise, and are popular worldwide.]]

A large amount of toys are part of active play. These include traditional toys such as [[Hoop rolling|hoops]], [[Spinning top|top]]s, [[jump rope]]s, and [[ball]]s, as well as more modern toys like [[Frisbee]]s, [[foot bag]]s, [[fidget toy]]s, [[astrojax]], and [[Myachi]].

Playing with these sorts of toys allows children to exercise, building strong bones and muscles and aiding in [[physical fitness]]. Throwing and catching balls and Frisbees can improve [[Eye–hand coordination|hand–eye coordination]]. Jumping rope, (also known as skipping) and playing with foot bags can improve balance.

==Safety regulations==
{{main|Toy safety}}
[[File:LEGO-01.jpg|thumb|left|Toys with small parts, such as these [[Lego]] elements are required by law in some countries to have warnings about choking hazards.]]

Many countries have passed [[safety standards]] limiting the types of toys that can be sold. Most of these seek to limit potential hazards, such as [[choking]] or [[fire hazard]]s that could cause injury. Children, especially very young ones, often put toys into their mouths, so the materials used to make a toy are regulated to prevent poisoning. Materials are also regulated to prevent fire hazards. Young children cannot judge what is safe and what is dangerous, and parents do not always think of all possible situations, so such warnings and regulations are important on toys.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

Every country has its own regulations on toy safety, but since the [[globalization]] and opening of markets, most of them try to harmonize their regulations. The most common danger for younger children is to put toys in their mouths. This is why chemicals contained in paint and other components of children's products are carefully regulated.<!--<ref>[http://newsletter.sgs.com/eNewsletterPro/uploadedimages/000006/sgs-safeguards-02812-korea-plans-to-limit-five-chemicals-in-childrens-products-a4-en-12.pdf "Korea plans to limit five chemicals in children's products"], SGS SafeGuards. Retrieved 02/2012</ref> --> Countries or trade zones such as the [[European Union]] regularly publish lists to regulate the quantities or ban chemicals from toys and juvenile products. The globalization of toys has had negative effects on locally produced toys in various countries, pushing out traditional ways of play<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book |author1=Oktaviani, R.C. |author2=Ichwan, F.N. |author1-link=Imported Toys in Indonesia: Parental Consumer Literacy, Purchasing Decisions, and Globalization |editor1-last=Hains |editor1-first=Rebecca C. |editor2-last=Jennings |editor2-first=Nancy A. |title=The Marketing of Children's Toys |date=2021 |publisher=Palgrave}}</ref> and presenting new risks to children in areas where parental [[literacy]] levels make it hard for parents to understand the risks and age-appropriateness of various imported toys.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

There have also been issues of toy safety regarding [[lead paint]]. Some toy factories, when projects become too large for them to handle, outsource production to other less known factories, often in other countries. Recently,{{When|date=May 2022}} there were some in China that America had to send back. The subcontractors may not be watched as closely and sometimes use improper manufacturing methods. The U.S. government, along with mass market stores, is now moving towards requiring companies to submit their products to testing before they end up on shelves.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/11/business/worldbusiness/11lead.html | work=The New York Times | title=Why Lead in Toy Paint? It's Cheaper | first=David | last=Barboza | date=11 September 2007 | access-date=28 March 2010}}</ref>

==Disposal==
[[File:Crashbobby 02-small.JPG|thumb|Some communities require recycling of the batteries in toys such as [[qfix|qfix robot "crash-bobby"]].]]{{How-to|date=May 2022}}
When toys have been outgrown or are no longer wanted, they may be donated to charity, sold at [[garage sale]]s, [[auction]]ed, or even donated to museums. However, when toys are broken, worn out or otherwise unfit for use, care should be taken when disposing of them. Donated or resold toys should be gently used, clean and have all parts.<ref name="Goodwilldonationguidelines">{{cite web|url=http://www.goodwill.org/page/guest/about/howweoperate/donations/dosanddonts|title=Goodwill Industries International – Dos and Don'ts|date=13 August 2005|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050813014318/http://www.goodwill.org/page/guest/about/howweoperate/donations/dosanddonts|archive-date=13 August 2005}}</ref> Before disposal of any battery-operated toy, batteries are removed and recycled; some communities demand this be done. Some manufacturers, such as [[Little Tikes]], will take back and recycle their products.

In 2007, massive [[2007 Chinese export recalls|recalls of toys produced in China]]<ref>{{cite news|last=Lipton|first=Eric S.|title=As More Toys Are Recalled, Trail Ends in China|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/19/business/worldbusiness/19toys.html?pagewanted=all|access-date=19 June 2007|work=The New York Times|date=19 June 2007}}</ref> led many U.S.-based charities to cut back on, or even discontinue, their acceptance of used toys. Goodwill stopped accepting donations of any toys except for stuffed animals, and other charities checked all toys against government-issued checklists.<ref name="Recall">{{cite news
| last =Eckelbecker
| first =Lisa
| title =Santa helpers deal with toy recalls; Charities must scrutinize gifts
| work =Worcester Telegram & Gazette
| date =15 November 2007
| url =http://www.telegram.com/article/20071115/NEWS/711150727/1116
| access-date =16 November 2007
| archive-date =8 January 2009
| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090108012236/http://www.telegram.com/article/20071115/NEWS/711150727/1116
| url-status =dead
}}</ref>

The [[WEEE directive|WEEE directive (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)]], which aims at increasing re-using, reducing, and recycling [[electronic waste]], applies to toys in the United Kingdom as of 2 January 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dti.gov.uk/innovation/sustainability/weee/page30269.html|title=EC Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) – DTI|date=23 June 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070623125558/http://www.dti.gov.uk/innovation/sustainability/weee/page30269.html|archive-date=23 June 2007}}</ref>

==Toy use in animals==
It is not unusual for some animals to play with toys. An example of this is a dolphin being trained to nudge a ball through a hoop. Young chimpanzees use sticks as dolls–the social aspect is seen by the fact that young females more often use a stick this way than young male chimpanzees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/101220-chimpanzees-play-nature-nurture-science-animals-evolution/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223093114/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/101220-chimpanzees-play-nature-nurture-science-animals-evolution|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 December 2010|title=Chimp "Girls" Play With "Dolls" Too—First Wild Evidence|date=22 December 2010|work=National Geographic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1016/j.cub.2010.11.024| title=Sex differences in chimpanzees' use of sticks as play objects resemble those of children| journal=Current Biology| volume=20| issue=24| pages=R1067–R1068| year=2010| last1=Kahlenberg| first1=Sonya M.| last2=Wrangham| first2=Richard W.| pmid=21172622| s2cid=14490592| url=http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:34903207| doi-access=free| bibcode=2010CBio...20R1067K}}</ref> They carry their chosen stick and put it in their nest. Such behaviour is also seen in some adult female chimpanzees, but never after they have become mothers.

==See also==
{{portal|Toys}}
* [[Antique toy show]]
* [[Boys' toys and games|Boys' games and toys]]
* [[Battery recycling]]
* [[Board game]]s
* [[Card games]]
* [[Girls' games and toys]]
* [[List of toys]]
* [[List of toys and children's media awards]]
* [[List of wooden toys]]
* [[National Toy Hall of Fame]] (United States)
* [[Toy museums]]
* [[Toy Story (franchise)|''Toy Story'']], a franchise about anthropomorphic toys
* [[Traditional Mexican handcrafted toys]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Commons category|Toys}}
* {{cite book|author=Kline, Stephen|year=1995| title=Out of the Garden: Toys, TV, and Children's Culture in the Age of Marketing|publisher=Verso Books|isbn=978-1-85984-059-7}}
* {{cite book|author=Walsh, Tim|year=2005|title=Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers Who Created Them|publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing|isbn=978-0-7407-5571-2}}
* {{cite book|author=Wulffson, Don L.|title=Toys!|publisher=Henry Holt and Company|isbn=978-0-8050-6196-3|date= 2000|url=https://archive.org/details/toysamazingstori00wulf}}

== External links ==
* ''[http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/explore/online/toys/index.aspx The Toys of our Childhood]'', online exhibit on Archives of Ontario website
{{Toys}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Toys| ]]
[[Category:Play (activity)]]