wunder beta🧸 Toys Through Time!
Travel from ancient Egyptian dolls to the teddy bear, the Slinky, and LEGO to discover where toys come from and what makes a toy truly great!
What you’ll learn
- The Oldest Toys Ever FoundDiscover, through real archaeology, that children have played with toys for thousands of years, including ancient Egyptian dolls and Roman yo-yos.Archaeologists digging up ancient cities find toys, showing kids have always loved to play. Ancient Egyptian children had wooden and clay dolls, some with beaded hair and moving parts. Ancient Greeks and Romans spun yo-yos and tops over two thousand years ago. Toys are one of the oldest things humans ever made, connecting you to kids of long ago.
- Famous Toys and Their StoriesLearn the real, documented origin stories of the teddy bear, LEGO, and the Slinky, and meet classic toys that lasted for centuries.The teddy bear is named after President Teddy Roosevelt, who refused to shoot a tied-up bear in 1902. LEGO began with a Danish carpenter, Ole Kirk Christiansen, who made wooden toys. The Slinky was a happy accident, born when an engineer's spring fell off a shelf and 'walked.' Classic toys like marbles, kites, and tops have delighted kids for hundreds of years.
- How Toys Are MadeFollow the steps of how a toy is made, from a designer's idea and model to the factory and finally to you.Every toy begins as an idea a designer draws on paper. Next they build models to test that the toy is safe and fun. A factory then makes thousands, pouring melted plastic into molds. Finally the toys travel by truck, ship, and plane to stores, where families bring them home.
- Toys That Teach and Toys of the FutureUnderstand how toys help the brain learn, connect generations, and think about what makes a good toy so you can design one.Toys like blocks and puzzles are brain food, helping kids learn balance, shapes, and problem-solving. Asking grandparents about their toys connects generations across time. The best toys are safe, fun, and let kids use their imagination in many ways. Now it's your turn to design a brand new toy!
Questions this course answers
For how long have children been playing with toys?
Archaeologists have found ancient toys thousands of years old, which means kids have loved to play for a very, very long time!
What did children in ancient Egypt play with?
Archaeologists found Egyptian dolls over three thousand years old, some with hair made of tiny beads that kids could style!
Who played with yo-yos more than two thousand years ago?
The yo-yo is super old! Ancient Greeks and Romans played with them, and there are even old Greek pictures of a boy using one.
Who digs up ancient toys so we can learn about them?
Archaeologists carefully dig in the ground where old towns used to be, and museums keep the ancient toys they find safe for us to see.
The teddy bear is named after which real person?
President Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot a tied-up bear in 1902, and a shop owner made a stuffed 'Teddy's Bear' in his honor.
Who started the LEGO company?
A Danish carpenter began making wooden toys and named his company LEGO, from words meaning 'play well.'
Grounded in trusted sources
- The Strong National Museum of Play
- Smithsonian Institution
- The British Museum
Every Wunder lesson is built from real, reputable sources — never invented.
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