Colonial toys games

This impressive set of four antiqued historical documents includes the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, and Abraham Alphabet Dice Game It comes as no surprise that learning is best achieved when the process is enjoyable, and our Alphabet Dice Game is sure to please.

Even John Locke, 17th-century philosopher and educator, encouraged the use of alphabet dice so children would learn their Fife and Drum Ball and Cup Toy Children's toys, like this one, were advertised for sale by Williamsburg merchants and milliners during the 18th century. One of the most popular toys in the Virginia colony was the birch bilbo catcher ball and stick from Bilbao, Spain.

The goal is to This adorable stuffed animal makes a great gift for kids. Features Inspired by the Rare Breed Spirit of '76 Drum This beautiful Spirit of '76 children's drum masterfully re-creates the drum style of the American Revolution. The high-quality wooden drum replica features bright, vibrant patriotic colors and crisp drum sound. Unlike most toy drums on the market, this It's a timeless play pattern that will challenge your eye and hand coordination for hours - you'll be surprised just how quickly the time flies by as you try and catch the wood hoop with the Shut the Box Game Add some old-world charm - and fun - to your next gathering.

A traditional game of counting, addition, and probability, Shut-the-Box dates as far back as the 12th century when this game was enjoyed by Norman fishermen after a long day at sea. Roll the It shows jovial "Hotchpotch" characters contorting themselves quite instructively, we might add into the Kids collected stones from the fields to make stone fences. They collected berries. They helped with the farm animals and the harvest.

They helped their mother make candles. They helped to make clothes. Everyone had to pitch in. Kids in the New England and Middle Colonies especially spent a great deal of time in church or in prayer. Sermons were long. Sometimes kids fell asleep.

If they did, in some churches they were poked with a long pole with a brass knob on it, to wake them up. Kids went to school. They often had homework, sometimes lots of it. Yet, they still found time to play. What comes to mind when you think of classic toys?

Do you picture plastic army men, model trains chugging along their tracks, or baby dolls that really talk? Or maybe you remember wind-up robots, toys made from tin, yo-yos, and spinning tops?

Do the children you know today still play with the same toys you did growing up? The ways children play and what they play with certainly have changed throughout history. In colonial times, before mass production and proper toy stores, most toys were handmade from things that could be found at home or out in nature. Colonial playthings—many of which have ancient origins—were simple, practical, and ran on imagination, not batteries. Stick and hoop, also known as bowling hoops or hoop trundling, is a simple two-piece game, where the player uses a stick or hook to keep a large hoop rolling forward for as long as possible.

Bowling hoops have been used as playthings, for competitive sporting events, and for physical fitness activities, by children and adults across the globe for centuries.

In the Americas, many indigenous peoples played their own variations of the game as well. European settlers considered hoop rolling a seasonal activity and mostly practiced it in the winter months, as to avoid heat stroke.

Children also threw their hoops to each other and used their sticks to catch them. The hoops and sticks have been made from a variety of materials including wood, metal, and in modern times, plastic. In the 19 th century, boys favored hoops and sticks of metal, while girls preferred those made of wood.

Children were often depicted holding their hoops in paintings and later in photographs. Learn more about Hoop Trundling here. Whirligigs, whirlijigs, whizzers, or buzzer toys were made and enjoyed by colonial children and indigenous children alike.

They featured a weighted centerpiece or whirligig made from tanned animal hide, paper, coins, buttons, stones, bone, or pieces of lead carved into a pinwheel shape.

Several holes were drilled or hammered into the whirligig so it could be threaded onto string or twine and pulled into the middle with equal lengths of string on each side. To wind up the whirligig, the child would take the strings, one side in each hand, and twirl the centerpiece around in a similar motion to rolling up a towel while holding two corners.