In our baby's growth and development phase, playing is essential for children. Any moment is an opportunity to play a game, the very vision they make of a certain object is already a form of play or a simple interaction with other people becomes a moment of play. We can see that it's great for stimulating the little ones. These are moments when parents themselves are amazed at how quickly their children learn and how creative they can be with a simple object.
Nowadays, the types of toys have undergone a great transformation and evolution. We often hear our parents describing the games and toys they used to play and, at the same time, comparing them to the diversity of toys that exist today. However, this diversity is very much down to how the baby will approach the toy, so it doesn't even have to be a toy, it can be a simple object that we parents don't think of from the outset as something that can entertain our little one. In reality, all the baby needs is for the object to be nearby, to start imagining a scenario, to find the shape of the object funny, or even just to touch, hear or see the object, which allows the child to learn a certain texture, rhythm or the way it is placed or positioned. It's all a question of perspective and we already know that our little ones are experts at imagining and seeing what we can't immediately perceive.
Today, we decided to understand the relationship between children and toys or objects that become a moment of play. We collected and analysed some information and were fascinated by how toys and playtime have evolved throughout children's growth and development.
At any time, inside or outside the house, parents always carry a toy or when they need to entertain their little ones they use an object that is safe and allows the baby to explore. One thing is for sure, whenever children have a toy in their hands, they will be able to create an obvious scenario for themselves and will have a great time.
On the adult side, there is a tendency to pass on objects from the adult world, reinvented or adapted, to allow them to start participating in a culture, society or gender. The main objective is for it to be a moment of fun with learning mixed in.
The research we've done shows that toys have undergone transformations in their meaning, function and form. We can start a good few years, decades, or rather centuries ago - in prehistoric times. Yes, toys were invented for children back then. However, back then toys weren't just seen as having the same purpose as they do today. It had to be an object that conveyed magic and, above all, something that became crucial and important in the cultural learning that adults gave to children.
From the moment a baby was born, one of the main objectives was to protect a small and fragile being. In addition to the mythical figure of the fairies who protect the baby's cradle, it was necessary for all objects to be favourable to the baby's protection and capable of keeping away any kind of threat. Well, the rattle is the origin of the first toy considered to be a baby's toy. A simple object in the shape of a disc or an animal, made from clay and metal, with small seeds or small stones inside. This small object's main functions were to entertain and protect the baby - the sound it produced was said to ward off evil spirits and possible illnesses that the little one might have. Another characteristic of the rattle was that it was a ceremonial musical instrument. At this time and in the adult world, the definition between a sacred object and a children's toy was unclear and sometimes the two were mixed up.
Moving on to the Middle Ages, toys began to be made from bones, horn or even coral. The rattle continued to be the toy with magical and medicinal properties, but this time there was the possibility of these objects being made of other materials, silver or ivory - a feature that could even be uncomfortable for babies, due to the weight it could have.
A few centuries later, more specifically between 1930 and 1940, plastic allowed children's toys to be more diversified because they were lighter, more flexible, malleable, more or less solid, in size or shape and completely adaptable to children.
From these decades onwards, toys begin to appear that allow babies to build, invent or imitate adults. Well, it's the perfect time for toys like Lego to appear - building the figures that little ones want with little bricks. Construction games were born and what a great idea!
The 21st century has allowed greater attention to be paid to children's education, so games have begun to have an associated pedagogical aspect, where the concept of learning to play has been developed and adapted to the various realities.
The previous idea that games were created on the basis of the notion of imitation meant that babies dragged little cars made of clay, vehicles with pedals or carriages driven by animals. This notion of imitation led to the concepts of social function and gender distinction being included in this theme. Boys tended to reproduce the so-called male activities, through what their brothers or fathers did. For girls, the doll was destined to represent the image of a little woman, which would therefore be a reflection of their future role in society.
Twenty-first century Europe has brought a different reality to the world of toys, such as toy soldiers, Barbies and the superheroes of the new world. Taking into account all this evolution and construction of the image of the toy, at a stage when children naturally absorb their first ideas, we can say that there are stages in how babies use and see the purpose of their toys.
Children have a great capacity for invention when they are playing. They give meaning and life to their toys, where the doll can represent anything they want and their favourite superhero is their best friend and together they will help people and make the world a better place. It's all a matter of perspective and it's a real escape for children.
One thing we discovered during our research is that the sensation of destroying or tearing something down is a phase that children have around the age of two, before they discover the fascination of building and creating. In a matter of minutes, the room is transformed into a real mess.
In a world full of rules and limits, the time to play their favourite game is the perfect opportunity for children to have their own space of imagination and freedom, which becomes really important to them.
In this way, the child psychiatrist Winnicott distinguishes between organised, educational or social play and free play. The first is associated with a moment of concentration and the child's desire to learn, in which parents help them to understand how it works and its purpose. Free play is the opposite, it is the child's imagination in its pure essence of living, where adults cannot enter. This moment can be created alone or in the company of other children.
At these times, parents may worry about some of the behaviours their little ones may have or show, such as a lack of appetite, which is perfectly normal. What we can assure parents is that these moments of play are part of their children's lives, they make them happier because they find their true essence, where everything is possible and everything is fine. For all the reasons we've given today on this subject of evolution, the growth of the role of toys in children's lives and their influence on their development, if your children leave their rooms upside down, let it happen. If it makes our children happy, it will be a privilege to see those moments, because playing makes things worth living for. The day will come when they learn to organise the mess they've created.
What about you? Did you know about these concepts that have been associated with toys? What have your little ones' playtimes been like? We want to know your experience. We want to know your opinion.
