What toys have kids played with throughout history?

From terracotta whistles in the Indus Valley to board games and virtual worlds, toys have evolved along with technology and culture.

Watch this video from Captivating History for a deeper dive on how toys have evolved from clay animals in Mesopotamia to virtual pets and augmented reality games, and how our playthings reflect who we are, what we value, and how we learn.

Peek-a-boo is a near universal source of laughter and connection for infants and adults— and it’s the first game that almost everyone plays. So what is it about this goofy game that babies love so much? Dig into how this simple game promotes the development of our cognitive, motor, and social skills.

Dolls have been found across the world and across cultures as one of our most common playthings. Dig into this analysis of girls and dolls in the Roman Empire, and how they allowed for imaginative play.

Ball games are the most numerous and most popular professional sport and leisure games in the modern era all over the world. However, their popularity is a very ancient phenomenon. Explore the ancient origins of balls and ball games, from ancient Egypt to Mesoamerica and Eurasia.

Explore how archaeologists interpret their findings using cultural and historical contexts, and the five main aspects involved in determining an artifacts’ classification.