FIND OUT MORE. Olympics 356–357
350 Arts and Entertainment
WHY DO WE PLAY WITH TOYS?
Toys are fun tools for learning, and help a
child to understand about life and the world.
A child can learn how to share by having tea
with teddy, or use their imagination to transform
a doll into a superhero in a fantastic adventure.
Adults also play with toys, often because they have a
hobby, such as collecting model trains or flying kites.WHAT ARE THE OLDEST TOYS?
One of the oldest toys is the spinning top. The first
tops were natural objects like shells and acorns. These
later developed into clay tops like those discovered in
the ancient city of Ur in Mesopotamia. Village squares
in 18th-century England often featured giant tops that
were played with for physical exercise. Yo-yos existed
in Ancient Egypt and in Ancient Greece, where they
were believed to bring protection from the gods.FIND OUT MORE. Musical Instruments 332
Toys
A toy is an object that is designed to be played with.
Toys are entertaining and often educational. There are
traditional toys – such as dolls, balls,
and kites – and high-tech toys – such
as electronic robots, remote-
controlled cars, and games consoles.
WHO INVENTS GAMES?
Big companies employ workers to invent new games,
but many games are invented by ordinary people with
a good idea. An unemployed architect thought up
Scrabble in 1931. Monopoly was invented in 1933
during the Great Depression by an American
salesman. The dice game Yahtzee was invented in
1956 by a Canadian couple to play on their yacht.CHESS 3
Chess is played on a chequered board of
64 squares. It has 16 playing pieces per side.
It is a game of war in which two players aim to
capture each other’s pieces and trap the opponent’s king.1 SONY “AIBO“
This battery-operated robot dog
imitates real animal instincts that
change over time. It can play
with a ball or ask to be fed.ANTIQUE TEDDY BEAR 3
The German firm Steiff began
making bears in 1903. Steiff bears
are famous for their high quality.4 MANCALA
Mancala is thought to be the
oldest board game in the world. It
originated in Africa and is a complex
game of counting and capturing.1 GO
Go is an ancient Japanese game.
Played by two people, the aim is to
control vacant areas of the board
and capture the opponent’s pieces.1 SPINNING TOP
The most common top today has
a mechanical plunger. Simple
tops, spun between the fingers,
require more skill to set off.HOW OLD IS CHESS?
It is thought that chess began in China or India
around 1,400 years ago. From there it spread to North
Africa and eventually to Europe. The modern form
of chess emerged in the 16th century and remains one
of the world’s most popular games. Today, computers
can be programmed to play chess against humans.Games
A game can be a competition between
two or more people, or played by one
person, following a set of rules. Players
may need skill or rely on the luck of
the dice. Games are played for fun
or to entertain an audience.
Pieces are placed
on grid lines, not
Pebbles used inside the squares
as countersounterstoys
games