   #copyright

Toy

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Everyday life

   A teddy bear
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   A teddy bear

   A toy is an object meant to be played with. Toys are usually associated
   with children and pets, but it is not unusual for adult humans and some
   non- domesticated animals to play with toys. Many items are
   manufactured to serve as toys, but items produced for other purposes
   can also be used as toys. A child may pick up a household item and
   'fly' it around pretending that it is an airplane, or an animal might
   play with a pinecone by batting at it, chasing it, and throwing it up
   in the air. Some toys are intended primarily as Collector's items and
   are not to be played with.

   The origin of toys is prehistoric; dolls of infants, animals, or
   soldiers, and miniature representations of the tools of adults are
   readily found at archaeological sites. The origin of the word is
   unknown, but it is believed to have been first used in the 14th
   century.

   Toys and play in general are an important part of the process of
   learning about the world and growing up. The young use toys and play to
   discover their identity, help their bodies grow strong, learn cause and
   effect, explore relationships, and practice skills they will need as
   adults. Adults use toys and play to form and strengthen social bonds,
   teach the young, remember and reinforce lessons from their own youth,
   exercise their minds and bodies, practice skills they may not use every
   day, and decorate their living spaces. Toys are more than simple
   amusement, and they and the way they are used profoundly influence most
   aspects of life.
   Wooden toys of Channapatna, a town in India famous for its toys.
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   Wooden toys of Channapatna, a town in India famous for its toys.

History

   A display of Roman toys, including several that would be familiar to
   children today: a doll, dice, rattles, and toy dishes for playing
   house.
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   A display of Roman toys, including several that would be familiar to
   children today: a doll, dice, rattles, and toy dishes for playing
   house.

   Most young mammals play, and will play with whatever they can find,
   turning such things as pinecones or rocks into toys. It simply makes
   sense then that toys have a history as old as human civilization
   itself. Toys and games have been unearthed from the sites of ancient
   civilizations. They have been written about in some of our oldest
   literature. Toys excavated from the Indus valley civilization
   (3000-1500 BCE) include small carts, whistles shaped like birds, and
   toy monkeys which could slide down a string.

   The earliest toys were made from materials found in nature, such as
   rocks, sticks, and clay. Dolls are some of the oldest types of toy.
   Thousands of years ago, Egyptian children played with dolls with wigs
   and movable limbs which were made from stone, pottery, and wood. In
   Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, children played with dolls made of wax
   or terra cotta, sticks, bows and arrows, and yo-yos. When Greek
   children came of age it was customary for them to sacrifice the toys of
   their childhood to the gods.
   A boy with a hoop. Hoops have long been a popular toy across a variety
   of cultures.
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   A boy with a hoop. Hoops have long been a popular toy across a variety
   of cultures.

   As technology changed and civilization progressed to what it is today,
   toys also changed. Whereas ancient toys were made from materials found
   in nature like stone, wood, and grass modern toys are often made from
   plastic, cloth, and synthentic materials. Ancient toys were often made
   by the parents and family of the children who used them, or by the
   children themselves, nowadays modern toys are often mass-produced and
   sold in stores.

   One example of this change in the nature of toys is embodied by the
   changes that have taken place in one of the oldest and most universal
   of human toys; dolls. The earliest dolls were simple wooden carvings
   and bundles of grass; Egyptian dolls were sometimes jointed so that
   their limbs could move realistically; dolls that could say "mama" were
   around in the early 1800s; and today there are dolls that can recognize
   and identify objects, the voice of their owner, and choose among
   hundreds of pre-programed phrases with which to respond. The materials
   that toys are made from have changed, what toys can do has changed, but
   the fact that children play with toys has not changed.

Toys in child development

   A rubber duck is a popular bathtime toy for small children.
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   A rubber duck is a popular bathtime toy for small children.

   Toys, like play itself, serve multiple purposes in both humans and
   animals. They provide entertainment while fulfilling an educational
   roll. Toys enhance cognitive behaviour and stimulate creativity. They
   aid in the development of physical and mental skills which are
   necessary in later life.

   Toys for infants often make use of distinctive sounds, bright colors,
   and unique textures. Through play with toys infants begin to recognize
   shapes and colors. Repetition reinforces memory. Children begin to
   recognize cause and effect. Coordination and other manual skills
   develop from childhood interaction with toys. Marbles, jackstones, and
   stackable blocks require use of hands and bodies. Mental agility is
   challenged by the spatial relationships seen in toys. Play-Doh, Silly
   Putty and other hands-on materials allow the child to make toys of
   their own.

   Educational toys 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 of momentum and energy.

   Not all toys are appropriate for all ages of children. Some toys which
   are marketed for a specific age range can even harm the development of
   children in that range.

Toys and gender

   Certain toys, such as dolls or trucks, are often perceived to be more
   acceptable for one gender then the other. It has been noted by
   researchers that, "Children as young as 18 months display
   sex-stereotyped toy choices". In addition to being provided with and
   choosing different toys, little boys and little girls typically play
   with gender neutral toys in different ways. Given a toy telephone with
   wheels, little girls will often pick it up and start talking, whereas
   little boys will often push it around like a toy vehicle. Most people,
   experts and laypeople alike, believe that gender-typical toy choices
   are due to environmental conditioning, however, recently there has been
   research on the subject of a biological difference in the way male and
   female children perceive toys.

   Playing with toys stereotyped for the opposite gender sometimes results
   in negative consequences from parents or fellow children. In recent
   years in the west girls playing toys perceived as being for boys has
   gained acceptance; but boys playing with dolls is still seen as
   somewhat disconcerting.

   Feminists have criticised these traditional sex roles, including as
   expressed in toys, as furthering the subservience of women -- boys'
   toys encourage them to be active and take dominant roles, whereas
   girls' toys they see as expressing the view that the proper concerns of
   women should be child rearing and their own bodies (fashion) rather
   than economic activity. Feminists, and some psychologists and social
   scientists, see these gendered patterns of toys as not originating in
   any innate part of male or female biology, but rather in what toys
   parents are accultured to see as appropriate for each gender child, and
   which thus from that the children themselves come to see as appropriate
   also. An opposing school of psychologists and social scientists has
   however claimed that the male and female differences in toys are rooted
   not in cultural but in the differing biologies and genetics of the male
   and female brains. The former school is predominantly associated with
   the political and religious left, whereas the latter school is
   predominantly associated with the political and religious right.

Economics

   Toys "R" Us operates over 13,000 stores in 30 countries and has an
   annual revenue of $11.1 billion USD.
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   Toys "R" Us operates over 13,000 stores in 30 countries and has an
   annual revenue of $11.1 billion USD.

   With toys comprising such a large and important part of human
   existence, it makes sense that the toy industry would have a
   substantial economic impact. In 2005, for example traditional toy sales
   in the United States totaled about $21.3 billion. Money spent on
   children between the ages of 8 and twelve alone totals approximately
   $221 billion annually in the U.S. Toy makers change and adapt their
   toys to meet the changing demands of children thereby gaining a larger
   share of the substantial market.

Promotional toys

   Dora the Explorer sculpture, and the finished toy based on it.
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   Dora the Explorer sculpture, and the finished toy based on it.

   Many successful films, television programs, books and sport teams have
   official merchandise, which often includes related toys. Some notable
   examples are Star Wars (a science fiction film series) and Manchester
   United, an English football club.

   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, and
   lunch boxes with logos on them. Sometimes they are given away for free
   as a form of advertising. Many food manufacturers will run promotions
   where a toy will be included with the main product as a sort of bonus.
   Some people go to great lengths to collect these sorts of promotional
   toys.

Types of toys

Construction toys

   Lincoln Logs have been a popular construction type toy in the U.S.
   since the 1920s.
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   Lincoln Logs have been a popular construction type toy in the U.S.
   since the 1920s.

   The Greek philosopher Plato wrote that the future architect should play
   at building houses as a child. A construction set is a collection of
   separate pieces that can be joined together to create models. Popular
   models to make include cars, 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 and the pieces reused in new models.

   The oldest and, perhaps most common construction toy is a set of simple
   wooden 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, Erector Sets, and Tinkertoys.

Dolls, animals, and miniatures

   A child and her doll.
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   A child and her doll.

   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 cornhusks, bone, stone, wood, porcelain (sometimes called
   china), 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 collectables for older
   children and adults, most dolls are intended as toys for children,
   usually girls, to play with. Some dolls have cultural significance, and
   they are occasionally used in ceremonies or rituals, or as physical
   representations of a deity. Dolls have been found in Egyptian tombs
   which date to as early as 2000 BC.

   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 plushie. A popular toy of this type is the Teddy Bear.

   A distinction is often made between dolls and action figures, 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 around a toy farm.

Toy vehicles

   A toy boat
   Enlarge
   A toy boat

   Children have played with miniature versions of vehicles since ancient
   times, with toy two-wheeled carts being depicted on ancient Greek
   vases. Modern equivalents include toy cars such as those produced by
   Matchbox or Hot Wheels, miniature aircraft, toy boats, and trains.
   Examples of the latter range from wooden sets for younger children such
   as BRIO complicated realistic train models like those produced by
   Lionel and Hornby.

Puzzles

   A popular puzzle toy is the Rubik's Cube. Popularized in the 1980s,
   solving the cube requires planning and problem-solving skills.
   Enlarge
   A popular puzzle toy is the Rubik's Cube. Popularized in the 1980s,
   solving the cube requires planning and problem-solving skills.

   A puzzle is a problem or enigma that challenges ingenuity. Solutions to
   puzzle may require recognizing patterns 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 deduction skills.

   The history of puzzles goes back many thousands of years.

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

History of mechanical puzzles

   Puzzle design by W.Altekruse, 1890.
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   Puzzle design by W.Altekruse, 1890.

   The oldest known mechanical puzzle comes from Greece and appeared in
   the 3rd century BC. The game consists of a square divided into 14
   parts, and the aim was to create different shapes from these pieces. In
   Iran “puzzle-locks” were made as early as the 17th century AD. In 1742
   Japan there is a mention of a game called “Sei Shona-gon Chie No-Ita”
   in a book. Around the year 1800 the Tangram puzzle from China became
   popular, and 20 years later it had spread through Europe and America.
   The company Richter from Rudolstadt began producing large amounts of
   Tangram-like puzzles of different shapes, the so-called
   “Anker-puzzles”.

   Puzzles were greatly fashionable towards the end of the 19th century
   and the beginning of the 20th century. The first patents for puzzles
   were recorded at this time. In 1893 professor Hoffman wrote a book
   called “Puzzles Old and New”. It contained, amongst other things, more
   than 40 descriptions of puzzles with secret opening mechanisms. This
   book grew into a reference work for puzzle games and modern copies
   exist for those interested.

   With the invention of materials easy to shape such as plastic, the
   range of puzzle possibilities grew. Rubik's Cube, arguably the most
   famous puzzle worldwide, would not be possible without modern polymers.

Toys that involve physical activity

   A boy from Jakarta with his ball. Ball games tend to be good exercise,
   involving lots of physical activity and are popular worldwide.
   Enlarge
   A boy from Jakarta with his ball. Ball games tend to be good exercise,
   involving lots of physical activity and are popular worldwide.

   A great many toys are part of active play. These include traditional
   toys such as hoops, tops, jump ropes and balls, as well as more modern
   toys like Frisbees, foot bags (such as Hacky Sacks), astrojax, myachi,
   and the yo-yo.

   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 hand-eye coordination. Jumping
   rope and playing with foot bags can improve balance.

Collectable toys

   Some toys, such as Beanie Babies, attract large numbers of enthusiasts,
   eventually becoming collectables. Other toys, such as Boyds Bears are
   marketed to adults as collectables. 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 auction, for example, is $1,100
   U.S.

Invention of toys

   Play-Doh, originally intended as a wallpaper cleaner.
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   Play-Doh, originally intended as a wallpaper cleaner.

   After trying to create a replacement for synthetic rubber, Earl 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 created as a wallpaper
   cleaner. In 1943 Richard James was experimenting with torsion 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. After a name change, the Slinky was sold as a toy for
   both genders in stores throughout the United States.

Regulations

   Toys with small pieces, such as these LEGO figurines, are required by
   law to have warnings about choking hazards in some countries.
   Enlarge
   Toys with small pieces, such as these LEGO figurines, are required by
   law to have warnings about choking hazards in some countries.

   Many countries have passed laws regarding the types of toys that can be
   sold. Most of these seek to limit potential hazards, such as choking
   hazards, fire hazards, and other conditions that could cause injury.
   Children, especially very small ones, often put toys into their mouths,
   so the types of materials that go into making a toy are often regulated
   to prevent poisioning. Materials can also be regulated to prevent fire
   hazards. Children have not yet learned to judge what is safe and what
   is dangerous, and parents do not always think of all possible
   situations, so such warnings serve a practical purpose on toys.

European regulations

   The most comprehensive legislation is the Toy Safety Directive of the
   European Union (EU) ( Council Directive 83/189/EEC). This directive is
   a list of requirements toys must comply with, and is interpreted in the
   laws of each member state of the EU in their respective Toy Safety
   Regulations (e.g.: the UK's Toys (Safety) Regulations 1995 (Statutory
   Instrument 1995 No. 204)). Compliance leads to a CE Mark, which is a
   mandatory requirement for selling the toy in the EU market. Some items
   included in the scope of this legislation which are not usually
   considered toys are; fashion jewelery for children, Christmas
   decorations, and air guns. The directive provides EU-wide standards on
   physical and mechanical properties, flammability, chemical properties,
   electrical properties, hygiene, and radioactivity. The Toys Safety
   Directive (and subsequent state regulations) also calls for the closest
   applicable national or international standards to be applied where a
   standard is not specified in the Directive. This interpretive clause is
   present to ensure that new and innovative toys are safe before being
   placed on the market. If a toy is found to be unsafe (by breaching one
   of the specified standards, or by a manifest risk of injury not
   specified in standards) then the producer (the manufacturer, or the
   first importer into the EU of the product unit in question) is held to
   be guilty of an offence under the Toys (Safety) Regulations (or
   equivalent EU state law). The principle of due diligence (whereby the
   producer argues that all reasonable steps were taken to ensure the
   safety of the consumer with regards to the toy) may be used by the
   producer to avoid prosecution, fines and possible imprisonment. The
   unsafe toy is withdrawn from the EU market, with all member states'
   authorities being notified by means of the RAPEX alert system.

Disposal of toys

   Care should be taken when disposing of the batteries in toys such as
   qfix robot "crash-bobby".
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   Care should be taken when disposing of the batteries in toys such as
   qfix robot "crash-bobby".
   A doll and other toys amid the rubble of a destroyed house.
   Enlarge
   A doll and other toys amid the rubble of a destroyed house.

   When toys have been outgrown or are no longer wanted, reuse should
   always be considered. They can be donated via many charities, sold at
   garage sales, auctioned, sometimes even donated to museums. However,
   when toys are broken, worn out or otherwise unfit for use, care should
   be taken when disposing of them. Before disposal of any
   battery-operated toy, batteries should be removed and properly recycled
   or disposed of as outlined in your community. Most toys will not be
   recyclable via normal methods. Placing toys in recycling bins can
   contaminate recyclables due to the unknown materials used. Most
   communities will ask that small toys be bagged and disposed as
   municipal solid waste with normal collection. Large toys such as
   outdoor playhouses and ride on toys can be treated as bulk waste. Some
   manufacturers, such as Little Tikes, will take back and recycle their
   products.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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