Traditional and Classic Wooden Toys
Even though we live in a digital age full of electronic toys, there is still a big place for traditional toys in our kid’s lives. It is after all the simplest of toys that help develop children's mental and physical abilities.
Our world is ever changing, but one thing that hasn't changed over the centuries is the fact that children love to play.
Even though we live in a digital age full of electronic toys, there is still a big place for traditional toys in our kid’s lives. It is after all the simplest of toys that help develop children's mental and physical abilities.
This is especially true when it comes to traditional wooden toys. These toys may appear inferior when compared to the big, bright electronic toys, but the undeniable fact is, they bring so many educational benefits to children. For instance, traditional wooden toys can unleash the creativity and imagination of children - they have to work harder for a "reward", they need to utilise their own imagination instead of receiving instant gratification in the form of a flashing light, a movement or a sound. This helps their story telling abilities, their motor neurone skills and their social skills.
Wooden toys are highly durable and can be passed down from generation to generation, evoking precious memories. They often become family heirlooms, whereas electronic toys eventually find themselves in landfill.
Wooden toys are generally much safer compared to plastic toys, not just for the child, but also for the environment, as their manufacture does not release harmful toxins and pollutants into the atmosphere. Traditional wooden toys are great for the environment because they are all-natural and recyclable.
You can choose from a wide range of traditional wooden toys. Some of the most popular toys over the decades are highlighted below.
One of the most long standing and simplest wooden toys is a yo-yo. Yo-yos were first used in ancient Greece more than 2500 years ago. They became a real hit in the 1920s in America and are still one of the most used traditional toys. Even though they can be made from different materials, a wooden yo-yo is the best choice you can make. These toys are challenging, fun and relatively cheap - children can buy them with their own pocket money. Users can use yo-yos in a basic manner, but they can also learn a wide range of tricks. Yo- yos are a really popular toy in the playground, with generations of children holding trick competitions with each other.
Another long standing wooden toy is a pop pop gun. This toy gun was first created by Edward Lewis in the late 19th century. The simple wooden gun uses air pressure to pop a projectile that usually comes in the form of foam or cork. This gun is totally harmless, but very entertaining for children. Of course, over the years, people have created many different models, but the wooden one remains the most popular.
Both girls and boys still love playing with wooden boats. Some of these traditional wooden boats have moving parts and are built to represent real boats. They are designed in a way which allows for their use in water. Wooden boats for us conjure up beautiful images of lakeside picnics and parasols from a bygone era.
Of course, wooden boat toys are not the only type of vehicle made from wood and still used as popular toys - we have wooden trucks, wooden trains, wooden cars, wooden planes - the list goes on.
If you are looking for a great educational toy then you can’t go wrong with an abacus. An abacus is a traditional wooden toy used for basic math problems and counting. This toy and educational tool has been used since ancient times (circa 2500 B.C.) and this is how most children in the past learned how to count and do simple arithmetic.
Young children certainly love wooden pull-along toys. They have been used for decades. Most of these toys originally came in the form of a duck which produced funny noises when pulled. Today, you can find wooden pull-along toys in different forms – lions, crocodiles, cows, dogs and even dinosaurs! We're only limited by our own imaginations.
These are only some of the most popular traditional wooden toys you can still find in toy boxes and toy shops today. As you can see they are still just as popular, useful and loved by children. Wooden toys are timeless toys.
Classic toys from the 1950s, 60s, 70s & 80s
The 'good old days' were a lot of fun for kids. In the past, children had more engagement with their toys than they do today, and they formed a longer attachment.
The 'good old days' were a lot of fun for kids. In the past, children had more engagement with their toys than they do today, and they formed a longer attachment. There weren't countless number of toys to choose from and to play with. Children bonded with their toys, and allowed their imagination to take over in their creative play. This article gives a quick glance at those toys from the 1950s to the 1980s which have created wonderful memories for kids throughout the decades.
The 1950s saw a surge of toys in the market, as post war indulgence changed the way that people spent. Tin toy cars flooded the market (Dinky & Matchbox), along with friction cars, Tonka trucks, kitchen sets, Tiny Tears dolls, Hula hoop, Barbie and farm equipment. These toys are the essence of vintage toys and all to this day still remain. Most have evolved over time, but their timeless, classic design still ensures that generations of children still love to play with them.
A large number of toys which were introduced back in the 1960s are still also around today. The 1960s heralded a golden era for toys, with bigger families, and more disposable income paving the way for greater choice and variety. If you take a close look at toys available in the 60s and 70s, you will not see a great deal of difference between the offerings. The toys were quite similar and still hold great enjoyment for the next generations of kids.
A few toys and games like Ker-Plunk, Twister, Etch A Sketch, Slip 'n' Slide, Rubik's Cube, Spirograph and G.I. Joe can still be found in children's toy boxes and toy stores now.
Another major influence on toys was the introduction of TV into people's homes. Toy manufacturers realised that they could theme toys on popular TV shows, and the toys would fly of the shelves. The batman comic books became hugely popular and batman-themed toys started filling the shelves of toy stores. This was a huge profit making game-changer for all the toy makers.
As time moved on, and families had more disposable income & greater spending power, toy manufacturers had to start thinking outside the box if they wanted to increase their sales.
To make things a bit more fun and exciting for the kids, toy manufacturers started introducing electricity into toys, and a whole other world of new, innovative toys came into being with the dawn of electronics. Toys would never be the same again. Every Christmas, we now see the release of the newest, biggest, flashiest toy. In amongst all of these toys though, and still standing the test of time, are the classic toys from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s & 1980s.
These toys and games passed on from decades before are still famous, popular and loved even now. Grandparents give the retro toys to their grandchildren, and watch with delight as the children play. Old memories flooding back of the joy that they themselves used to feel playing with the same toys when they were young.
There's nothing like playing with an old toy to bring back happy memories.
Classic Retro Toys
The first thought that often comes to mind on hearing the phrase retro toys is that they no longer exist anymore – that they are toys of yesteryear. This however is far from true.
Classic retro toys are still loved by kids of today!
The first thought that often comes to mind on hearing the phrase retro toys is that they no longer exist anymore – that they are toys of yesteryear. This however is far from true. They have become a lifeline for many kids in today’s generation, and likely will be for every generation to come. The distinctive reasons as to why these toys are still so popular are that these toys provide excellent quality entertainment, are built to last, involve simple concepts, encourage the imagination, and since they are low technology, they are very easy to use.
Retro toys are a creative outlet for many kids in today’s modern, busy world.
The toys of modern day are built to be disposed, in our throwaway plastic society – the noisier, the faster, the brighter, the better. But this comes with a great cost, to society, to the land, to the air that we breathe, to future generations. Toys are no longer durable and designed to be passed down from generation to generation. Classic, traditional toys stand the test of time, and are a wonderful way to conjure up old memories. They are one of the most fun ways of remembering past days of your own childhood.
Here are a few classic retro toys which have stood the test of time.
Marbles
This is a classic game which is still going strong today. It can be best played when a group of friends get together to have marble competitions. It is one of the best ways to build your child’s hand-eye co-ordination and turn-taking skills. The game never gets old. Basically, it consists of a collection of round coloured glass beads. So simple!
Yo-yo
These are one of the most classic retro toys which are loved by kids of all ages. They are easy to play with and are great fun. The toy contains an axle which connects two disks and a long length of string which is looped around the axle. You have to throw the yo-yo, spin and unwind the string and again look it back in its previous form. Hours of fun, and so many tricks that can be performed.
Frisbee
It is one of the best toys for kids to get engaged in some sort of physical activity. This game can be played for hours in the back yard, on the beach or on a camping trip with friends & family. This toy has never gone out of favour over the decades.
Matchbox & Dinky cars
These retro collections of cars and trucks are one of the biggest hits among kids. Children have been drawn to these collections for decades. If you present your child with anything from these collections, they are sure to love it, and you will see them spending most of theirs time with those set of wheels.
If you want to surprise your kids with a gift, retro toys are the best way to go about it.
Winner of our Massive Board Games Hamper Prize
Massive congratulation to one lucky winner for taking home the prize in our recent featured completion on the Inner West Mum's website.
Massive congratulation to one lucky winner for taking home the prize in our recent featured completion on the Inner West Mum's website.
Congratulations go to the lucky winner Pamela Bonney for winning our huge games hamper, packed to the brim with some fabulous vintage games & retro toys. Just in time for Christmas! We hope your family has a wonderful festive season Pamela, with some lovely family game time.
Well done! :)
Thank you to all of the participants in the competition - we loved reading all about your favourite childhood toys and wonderful childhood memories of yesteryear. It brought back a lot of memories of our own!
Getting to know The Vintage Toy Box - a Traditional Toy Shop with a Classic Twist
We are delighted to be featured as this month's featured business on the Inner West Mum's website.
We were recently interviewed by the lovely Sasha from IWMs about how The Vintage Toy Box came about, and were happy to share our story.
Check out the full article here:
http://theinnerwestmums.com.au/getting-to-know-the-vintage-toy-box/
Full credit to the wonderful Amber Kelly too from The Keepsaker (www.thekeepsaker.com.au) for her beautiful photo! Thanks Amber!
Our Partner Motique - Gits & Games for Men
Visit our partner site Motique at http://www.motique.com.au and check out their awesome range of gifts and games for the gentlemen in your lives!
Visit our partner site Motique at http://www.motique.com.au and check out their awesome range of gifts and games for the gentlemen in your lives!
Toy Shop Sale
Take 10% off your total order on all toys & games until the end of September.
Make sure you take you don't miss out on our fantastic 10% off offer before it's gone for good!
Take 10% off your total order on all toys & games until the end of September. This is in addition to our massive sale with up to 50% off some of our fantastic items!
With such great offers now is the perfect time to stock up for Christmas!
Toys for Dad's on Father's Day
It's time to start thinking about ... Christmas & Father's Day!!
We have so many beautiful & unique retro inspired toys & games, we're sure you'll love us! To stock up for Christmas use code 10%SEP at checkout until the end of September to receive your 10% off.
We're also partnering with our "brother" site this month for Father's Day, to offer amazing 10% of all Men's gifts until the 6th September. Visit Motique at http://www.motique.com.au and check out their awesome gifts and games for men! Enter 10%DAD at checkout to receive 10% off all their fantastic gifts and games.
Traditional Games Through Time
There are many vintage games that have disappeared throughout the years, never to be seen again, but there are many that have stood the test of time ...
There are many vintage games that have disappeared throughout the years, never to be seen again, but there are many that have stood the test of time . We take a look back through the decades and examine some of the popular games of that time that are still around today.
Pre 1920s Vintage Games
The Game of Life was originally created in 1860 by Milton Bradley and was America's first popular vintage parlour game. Originally known as The Chequered Game of Life, the game had a change of name to its more modern and better known name in 1960, 100 years later, when it was recreated by toy designer Reuben Klamer.
Tiddley Winks was first patented in 1888 and was one of the earliest traditional parlour games, distributed exclusively by John Jacques and Son. It became one of the most popular crazes of the 1890s, enjoyed equally by adults and children.
Ludo has been around in raw form since the 6th century, with its origins in India with evidence that it was played by the Mughal Emperors. The game then finally made it over to England in the late 19th century, and was finally patented under the name Ludo in 1896.
1920s Vintage Games
The "roaring twenties" brought with it a wave of fun & frivolity, which led to a boom in the game industry. Some of the most longstanding games were born during this era.
American Mahjong became a craze during the 1920s, and was commonly known as Mah Jongg or Maahj, a variation of the Chinese ancient version. The game sets were imported in huge numbers in 1923 from Shanghai to America, when a representative of the Standard Oil Company published simple rules for the game.
Chinese Checkers was actually invented in Germany in 1892 under the name of "Stern-Halma". The name then morphed in America to "Hop Ching Checkers", before finally adopting its common name of Chinese Checkers in 1928.
The classic board game Sorry was originally manufactured by British Card Manufacturers in England and was first registered as a trade mark in 1929. An English patent was then granted in 1933, before the popular parlour game was trademarked to Waddingtons, who sold it to Parker Brothers in 1934.
1930s Vintage Games
The depression era of the 1930s saw a wave of inexpensive and highly popular vintage board games.
Monopoly was the most played commercial game in the world at one point according to the Guinness Book of Word Records. The depression ironically led to the rise in massive popularity of this vintage game in 1935, as it allowed people to buy property and make millions, in a time where money in real life was sparse. The game was originally proposed to Parker Brothers in 1934 by an unemployed salesman named Charles Darrow. The idea was initially rejected. It turns out that Monopoly is actually pirated from a board game called The Landlord's Game which was patented in 1904.
Battleship was first published under the name "Salvo" in 1931, as a pad and pencil game, but despite its popularity wasn't actually turned into a board game until 1967. It was then one of the earliest games to be produced as a computer game in 1979, with a version released for the Z80 Compucolor.
1940s Vintage Games
Cluedo (also known as Clue) was probably the best known game of the 1940s. Bizarrely it was originally designed by a fire warden whilst he was walking the beat during the Nazi bombings in England. Waddington Games bought the idea in 1943 but had to hold off on production as the game included playing pieces made of metal which were being rationed during the war.
Chutes & Ladders (also known as Snakes & Ladders in the UK) is actually a re-incarnation of an Indian game Vaikuntapaali which translates as "the ladder to salvation". The snakes were meant to illustrate temptations in life, and show that the pathway was littered with numerous temptations that one must avoid in order to succeed in life. Chutes & Ladders was published in 1943 by Milton Bradley and has become one of the best loved children's games of all time.
Scrabble took a few decades to become the popular game that it is today and is now the most popular word game in history. The vintage game was first published under the name "Lexiko", then "Criss Cross Words", before being renamed Scrabble in 1948. The game was originally made by hand in an abandoned schoolhouse, before the President of Macy's discovered the game whilst he was on holiday and ordered some for the store. The rest is history.
1950s Vintage Games
Risk, one of the most popular world domination games of all time was invented by a French film Director in 1957, under the name "La Conquete du Monde", (The Conquest of the World). It was then bought by Parker Brothers and re-released in 1959 as Risk: The Game of Global Domination.
