The ancient Greek word for “child” means “someone who plays.” Children have relished toys since ancient times. Kids help adults remember the joy of playing with toys too.

Agesilaus II was the king of Sparta from 400 to 360 B.C. He romped on a horse made of sticks with his son. Octavian Augustus was Rome’s emperor from 27 B.C. to A.D. 14. He played marbles with children.

What are the oldest toys ever found? Balls, kites, tops, yo-yos, and dolls.

The Navajo of North America made balls from buckskin bags filled with seeds. South Americans used inflated animal stomachs or bladders. They filled some with feathers. The oldest balls in Eurasia were found in China. They are 3,000 years old. They were made of leather and filled with hair. (See Play Ball at kids.wng.org/node/6211.)

People flew kites in China as early as 1000 B.C. Kites were made of paper or silk, bamboo rods, and silk string. The oldest known cave painting of a kite is in Muna Island, Indonesia. The Muna people made kites from leaves. They twisted forest pineapple fiber into string.

The earliest known written mention of a toy is the yo-yo. The Greeks noted it around 500 B.C. Yo-yos were made from wood, metal, or painted fired clay.

People found dolls in Ancient Greek and Roman sites. Most in Greece were made of fired clay. In Rome, dolls were often carved from bone or ivory. Roman rag dolls go back to 300 B.C.

Plato and Aristotle were famous philosophers. Both urged parents to let their children play. Children in Ancient Greece didn’t start school until the age of seven.

Pray: Thank God for moments to pause from work and to run around and freely play.