Toy in the Shape of a Rider and Two Horses on Wheels (4th century A.D.) by UnknownThe J. Paul Getty Museum
People have been playing with toys for thousands of years. At the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, you'll find this painted, wooden, wheeled horse rider. It was made in Egypt in the 4th Century CE, but it's easy to imagine seeing it in a modern-day toy shop.
optical toy (ca. 1780)Original Source: See this work of art on the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum website
Three hundred years ago, this mechanical optical illusion must has astounded children and adults alike. Today, it's looking a little worse for wear, but it's in the capable hands of the conservators and curators of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, in New York.
Tom Thumb Toy Town (1937) by Transogram Company, Inc.National Building Museum
The Tom Thumb Toy Town was designed like a puzzle, with building outlines drawn on the town layout so children could place each building only on its correct location. At the National Building Museum of Washington, USA you can find a complete set!
Toy, Space Ship, Buck Rogers, Rocket Police Patrol Ship Toy, Space Ship, Buck Rogers, Rocket Police Patrol ShipSmithsonian's National Air and Space Museum
This 'flashing roaring speeding sky police patrol rocket ship' from 1934 was merchandise for Buck Rogers, the popular space-based adventure comic. It may be just a tin toy, but it's now in the collection of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, Washington.
Toy Wooden Tank with Moving Tracks, RORI 4230 by Wood Commodities Corp.Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park
Ever since battle tanks were invented, people have been playing with miniature versions. This handmade wooden toy tank even has a moving track mechanism. It was made in 1940, just before the USA joined WW2, and is now serving out its retirement at the Rosie the Riveter Museum.
Toy Plane in Hiding (1943/1945) Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei
On 27 September 1942, a young Dutch Jewish boy named Joop Levy went into hiding from the Nazis. On his eighth birthday he was given this toy plane, carved from an old toilet seat. This was included in a landmark Dutch exhibition, The Second World War in 100 Objects.
Policeman Smoking Toy (20th century) by UnidentifiedOriginal Source: See this work of art on the Smithsonian American Art Museum website
Some toys have stood the test of time, but some aren't any more considered suitable for kids… such as this smoking policeman! Put a cigarette in his mouth and he puffs away. Thankfully, for everyone's benefit, the Smithsonian American Art Museum has a no smoking policy.
The Game of Life (1960) by Milton Bradley CompanyThe Strong National Museum of Play
Many toys don't just entertain, they also aim to teach! The Game of Life was designed to help children understand the path to a prosperous life: go to college, get a job, and stop listening to that dang rock and roll music! Learn more at the Strong National Museum of Play.
Toy, Space Shuttle, Wooden Toy, Space Shuttle, WoodenSmithsonian's National Air and Space Museum
Toys move with the times! In the 1990s, the Plan Toys company produced this child-friendly space shuttle. Its modular parts help show how the spacecraft works, while its simple shapes are easy to grasp. Inside, you'll find a lunar rover and an American flag.
Toy, Buzz Lightyear, Space-flown Toy, Buzz Lightyear, Space-flownSmithsonian's National Air and Space Museum
Meanwhile… this Buzz Lightyear toy has actually been to space! In 2008 it was taken aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station, where it spent 15 months in orbit. It's now in the collection of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum.
