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Toy Story: Interesting Facts About Children's Toys
They surround every child from the moment of his birth. They help babies fall asleep, cope with pain and sadness, “listen out” to the most secret children's secrets, become travel companions and the most desired New Year (and not only) gifts. We have collected the most interesting facts about toys.

hello from antiquity
Toys have been around for as long as there have been children. That is, always. Miniature figurines, whose age is more than three thousand years, were found during excavations of ancient civilizations.

The most ancient toy is quite expectedly considered a doll. The first dolls were made of wood, stone and wax.

But the second oldest toy is quite unexpected. This is a yo-yo. The toy consisted of two disks on a rope, fastened with an axle.

Goodbye childhood!
Now the toys of grown children are sent to the trash, to friends and relatives or to thrift stores, and in ancient times they were sacrificed. In ancient Greece, there was a kind of rite of growing up - having reached the age of fourteen, a girl brought her toys to the temple and gave them as a sacrifice to the gods as a sign that she was no longer a child and could get married.

The special role of the doll
Not only in ancient Greece, but also in other countries, including in Rus', dolls, in addition to playing, also performed a ritual function. For example, a rag doll kuvadka, made from pieces of cloth tied with threads, helped with childbirth. The dolls were hung close to the woman in labor to ward off evil forces. Subsequently, the kuvadki moved to the cradle of the child and guarded him already. It was believed that there must be an odd number of kuvadok, then they will bring happiness.

The tradition of taking dolls with you to bed also comes from antiquity. But initially, the dolls were placed not to calm the child, but to ... ward off insomnia. It was believed that while insomnia would play with the doll, the baby would be able to sleep peacefully.

In Rus', children made their own dolls. For the simplest ones, neither knives nor needles were required - a small rag that could be torn off one's own clothes and a couple of threads were enough. Interestingly, the faces of the dolls were not usually painted. It was believed that without a face, a doll is inaccessible to evil spirits.

Favorite of millions
Of course, the most popular doll in the world is Barbie. The long-legged beauty with feminine forms appeared in the 50s of the twentieth century and became the first "adult" doll - before that, children were invited to play with baby dolls and dolls depicting older children. American Ruth Handler, one of the founders of Mattel, inspired by the heroine of a German comic book, created a doll depicting an adult woman. She named her in honor of her daughter Barbara.

The new doll was a resounding success. It turned out that girls all over the world are tired of rocking babies and want to try on other roles. The role of an adult successful woman, for example.

Initially, Barbie had the wrong proportions - a real woman with such a figure would not be able to move around. Already in our time, Mattel has received a lot of criticism because of this. Toy makers were accused of creating unrealistic expectations for girls from their own appearance, because it is physiologically impossible to be like Barbie, no matter how hard you try. Today, Mattel produces dolls for every taste and color - there are Barbies with human proportions, there are representatives of various professions (from a builder to a football player) and even a Barbie with disabilities.

Tara Winstead/Pexels
What does it cost us to build a house
Another favorite of all the children of the world is the Lego constructor. It is difficult to find a child who does not have at least one set. If all the parts produced in the history of the company are distributed to all the people of the world, then everyone will receive 52 parts (and the world's population is almost 8 billion people!). By the way, all these details can be interconnected. This is the main feature of Lego - absolutely all sets are combined with each other. The company also carefully monitors safety, uses environmentally friendly materials, and all the little men have a special hole in the head, which is necessary so that the child can breathe after swallowing the toy.

The name Lego comes from the Danish phrase "leg godt", which translates to "play well".

Interesting facts about toys

- The biggest teddy bear appeared in 1999 in Finland. He reached almost eight meters in height and weighed 800 kilos. Too many to play with...

- The oldest surviving plush toy bear was made in 1894 and is still passed down from generation to generation as a heirloom in one of the families.

- There is also a bear - a traveler. Due to a mistake made by the federal postal service, the bear traveled 329,000 kilometers in the parcel. Twice he visited Mexico, traveled all over America, returned to Australia five times. Only after 3 years did he still reach the addressee.

- In the 90s, the Guinness Book recorded a record - the largest kite. Its area is 680 sq.m. In 1999, this kite even flew above the ground.

- The staging of the cartoon "The Lion King" on Broadway became famous for the use of a huge number of toys in the presentation - more than 200 pieces. In addition to the toys, a variety of puppets were used, including rod-based, flat and life-size puppets.

- Most tires on the planet are produced by the Lego company - to equip their toy cars.

- Take just six parts of any Lego constructor and you can make 120 million different combinations of them.

- The total number of parts released by Lego in its entire history has exceeded 320 billion. This means that for every inhabitant of the Earth, who has never even held this famous designer in his hands, there are at least 52 parts.

- A special substance is added to the plastic from which Lego parts are made, which is well displayed on x-rays. This is done specifically in case the child swallows the item.

- The most popular Barbie doll among buyers has become a beauty with long, toe-length hair.

- If a Barbie doll were human height, her measurements would be 39-23-33. Her neck would be twice the length of a normal human neck.

- From the birth of the Barbie doll (March 9, 1959) to the present day, the doll has gained more than 100 different professions, 45 nationalities, more than 1000 different outfits and 15 modifications of her appearance - pregnant, plump, in a wheelchair, etc.

- The most expensive dolls are made from biscuit porcelain. They should not be played with because they are very fragile. Such dolls are called collectible.

- The average age of a game console owner in Japan is 40 years old, which indicates the considerable popularity of video games among adults.

- The famous "Monopoly" was invented not by a financier, as one might think, but by an ordinary American unemployed - the seller Charles Barrow, who remained out of work. And this happened during the Great Depression, when most consumers were thinking not about increasing their capital, but about how not to lose their belongings. Monopoly is played everywhere, underwater too. Activists of the diving club "Buffalo" even own a kind of record - 45 days of continuous play at the bottom of the sea.

- The potato head, first introduced in 1959, was the first toy to be advertised on television. In the first year of sale, manufacturers generated about $30 billion in sales revenue (at 2005 rates).

- In 1955, Joseph and Noah McVicker invented Play-Doh with the intention of creating a wallpaper cleaner. It was originally only available in one color (off-white) and was sold in a 1.5 pound tin. Plasticine has all the colors of the rainbow these days. His recipe is kept secret. Over 700 million pounds of this completely non-toxic paste has been sold since production.

- In 1939, the most expensive Mickey Mouse was released. This sample was different from the one we are used to seeing. Old Mickey had a different facial expression, he also had longer arms and a different arrangement of ears. This toy was purchased at auction for $83,650.

- Matryoshka has Japanese roots. The idea of creating a nested doll was suggested by S. V. Malyutin with a Japanese toy brought from the island of Honshu by the wife of S. I. Mamontov. It was the figure of the sage Fukurokuju, in which there were several more figures nested one inside the other.

Each figurine is handcrafted. The master performs up to 15 operations with a lime chock before it becomes a finished nesting doll.

· The largest matryoshka is located ... the facts are contradictory. The building in the form of a nesting doll 30 meters high is located in Manchuria (China), the largest non-expanding nesting dolls (13 meters) were made by the artist Boris Krasnov and are located in Moscow, and the largest drop-down nesting doll - 1.5 meters high, made in Semyonovo was donated Japan in 1970.

Interesting ideas for winter walks with children
December 12, 2019 0:00
Interesting ideas for winter walks with children
For parents, the health of their children comes first. Therefore, doctors advise spending more time outdoors.

      Walking in winter helps to strengthen the immune system of the child. If the baby spends time outdoors, cells will be produced in his body that fight viruses and infections. Clean air helps the healing process, so choose parks and squares for walking. If possible, get out into nature more often: in forests, mountains.

      Daily exercise strengthens the nervous system, relieves stress. The child will find peace if he gets out into the street more often. It will also have a positive effect on concentration, overall balance. He will be less abraded and overexcited for no reason.

      Fresh air helps children think better, assimilate educational material, and helps to increase the duration of sleep. Even daytime sleep can cease to be a problem if the child properly “works up”.

      And to make the walk interesting and fun, you can play various games with your child. This promotes mobility and keeps you fit.

Possible outdoor activities:

Snowballs
Construction of snowmen or fortress
Ice mountain skiing
Examining footprints or snowflakes
Drawing in the snow
Shooting target
Skiing or skating
Hockey
      You can purchase additional accessories for a variety of winter games at the Little Clever Online Store. For children's products, their safety of use is important. In the manufacture of winter attributes presented in the catalog, environmentally friendly materials are used, and fastenings and holding devices are tested in laboratories. Each product presented in our store has a certificate of conformity.

      We offer a wide range of winter goods that diversify and complement children's games. For some activities, such as ice skating or target shooting, they will become indispensable. If children are pleased with new toys, then parents will like the prices that we offer.

      To play with snow in the catalog you will find shovels, snow diggers and snow throwers, molds for building castles and snowmen. With such toys, simple manipulations with snow will become much more interesting.

      If there is an ice slide nearby, then buying a tubing or ice rink will be a win-win. Choose the right accessory based on color and size. For small children, sleds are more suitable, on which you can walk around the park.

In addition, you may be additionally interested in products from the section for research and experiments if you decide to play trackers with your child or study snowflakes under a microscope.

After a walk, you can take your child with wooden toys, which you will find in our catalog. After all, after a walk, he will learn faster and more willingly.

Which is better to choose a night light for children in the bedroom?

Is your child afraid of the dark and unable to sleep? In a separate article, they wrote 7 tips that will help solve this problem.
One solution is to buy a baby toy night light that will help you sleep with light and not be afraid of the dark. This is very convenient for parents. Does not interfere with the child's sleep and you can see everything around. If the child is ill and you need to take the temperature frequently, do not wake the child with a bright light or a bright phone flashlight. It is easy to check if the child is covered or not.

Types of nightlights are divided according to the following criteria:
- type of night light, location in the room;
- type of food;
- material;
- availability of functions;
- appearance, the image of a night lamp.

Night light types:
1. Wall mounted.
Attach to the wall. Connects to a power outlet.
2. Chandelier.
Lamp on the ceiling. The switch adjusts the brightness of the lamp (with dimmer).
3. Desktop.
Portable lamp or sconce in the children's bedroom. Placed on a table or any other flat surface. Runs on batteries or mains.
4. Night light toy.
There are several options for toys: a clothespin toy for a crib, a soft toy night light, luminous pendants or mobiles.
Soft toys nightlights are convenient because the child can play like with a regular soft toy, hug and fall asleep in an embrace with her.

5. Night light clock.
Table clock with night light function. It is convenient to watch the time and adjust the lighting on one device. These nightlights have a USB connector for a flash drive and a speaker to turn on soothing music or fairy tales.

6. Projector. Projects a starry sky, drawings, figurines onto the ceiling and walls. Rotates and creates a pleasant atmosphere for the child.

Feeding children's nightlights.
1. From batteries, accumulators. Wireless night lights, convenient to rearrange. They don't have wires to get in the way. Nightlight toys
2. From the network. The nightlight is plugged into a power outlet. Works continuously. Usually these are wall lamps, or night lamps, chandeliers.

Nightlight materials.
1. Wooden. They are lightweight and inexpensive. Their appearance gives comfort to the room. Easily fit into the interior. Environmental friendliness of the material, if the tree is not covered with paint. There are also night lights made of plywood.

2. Silicone. The light is soft, has no glare, does not blind the eyes. The lamp is soft and pleasant to the touch. The lamp does not heat up, the child will not be burned. Silicone does not cause allergies.

Availability of functions.
1. 3D. Projectors project an image into a room. The child watches what happens, changes. And quickly falls asleep.
2. The presence of speakers, music. Allows you to turn on soothing music. Or they have their own built-in or USB port for a flash drive. In some lamps, instead of music, white noise is turned on.
3. Motion sensor. Turns on as soon as you enter the room or the child gets out of bed.
4. Control panel. Using the remote control, the brightness of the lighting of the lamp is adjusted.
5. Timer, clock. The timer turns off the lamp after the specified time.
6. Humidifier. Combined device for humidifying the air in the room and a night light for a child.

Appearance, images of nightlights.
Children's nightlights are most often made in the form of animals: bunnies, unicorns, turtles, cats, bears and others.
And you can find a night light for your child whatever you want. If this does not happen, then you can always make a night light with your own hands from wood. And paint it with the baby.

What to do if the child is afraid of the dark?

Hello. This article is dedicated to parents whose children are afraid of the dark. The average age of children who are afraid of the dark is from 2 to 8 years.
The reasons may be different. Here are 7 tips to help your baby fall asleep:

1. Watching a cartoon, a movie emotionally affects the child's psyche. Limit access to TV, smartphone, computer. Even advertising can impose fears on a child.

2. At night, read good stories with a good ending. Where the main characters have a positive image. When you tell your child a fairy tale, he will fall asleep under it. And you

3. Set up the nursery in a cozy way and buy a children's night light so that the child falls asleep in the light. Gradually reduce the amount of light. Which is better to choose a night light for a child will be discussed later in this article.

4. Present a toy with which the child will fall asleep. He will fall asleep not alone and feel protected. Choose a toy with your child, he should like it. Remember. The toy should be soft, safe, without small parts and not cause allergies. Because the baby will sleep with this toy.
Soft toy-night light is perfect for baby's sleep.

5. In the evening, try to reduce active games, then the child's energy will have nowhere to go. There is an option to take a walk with him so that he is tired and wants to sleep himself. But here we must not overdo it.

6. Play relaxing music before bed. It will help calm the baby, distract from fears. Hang musical pendants, musical interactive toys on the crib.

7. Communicate with the child. If the child says that he is afraid of something. Show him that you are with him. That monsters don't exist. There is no one in the closet. Reassure him that there is no reason to be afraid.

These simple tips will help your child fall asleep in the dark. And parents should be calmer for the child.

How to choose toys for a child by age?

What kind of toys does a child need and at what age?

Children's toys play an important role in a child's development by helping to develop their physical, cognitive and social skills. Here are some toys that can be useful for a child at different ages:
0-6 months: At this age, the baby can't do much yet, but toys can help him develop. A mobile above the crib, soft toys for kissing and hugging, rattles and blocks with bright colors can attract attention and stimulate the development of motor skills.
6-12 months: Baby begins to move, so toys that move or move will be interesting. Wheeled toys, wheelchairs, pyramids, bath room toys, and games with shapes and textures can help develop movement and leadership skills.
1-2 years: The child begins to learn to distinguish colors and shapes, so toys that help develop these skills will be useful. Blocks with letters and numbers, sorting toys, fine motor toys and sand play can be fun.
2-3 years: The child begins to learn to play with other children, so toys that help develop social skills can be helpful. Role-play sets, building and construction toys, puzzles, musical instruments, and group games can help develop social interaction skills.
3-6 years: At this age, children begin to be interested in more complex games that require more complex skills. Building kits, board games, outdoor games, sports games, and fantasy toys can help develop creativity and intelligence.

But do not forget that the choice of toys for a child should not be limited by age. It is important to choose toys that suit the child's interests and individual needs. For example, some children may be more interested in building toys, while others prefer toys that develop their imagination.

You should also pay attention to the quality of toys so that they do not contain harmful substances, are safe for the child and have the necessary certificates of conformity. Finally, don't forget that one of the most important toys for a child is you, the parent. By playing with your child, you not only create strong bonds, but also help him develop and learn.