Executive toy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Executive toy - Essay Example However, the interconnection between the toys and technological development is not one-way. Amazingly, the contribution of toys to the progress of technology is quite significant. The article "The Antikythera mechanism" emphasizes that The origins of much modern technology, from railway engines to robots, can be traced back to the elaborate mechanical toys, or automata, that flourished in the 18th century. Those toys, in turn, grew out of the craft of clockmaking. And that craft, like so many other aspects of the modern world, seems to have roots that can be traced right back to ancient Greece. Not only technological mechanisms but the simplest and beloved by many children dolls, animal figures and tops originated in either ancient Greece or Rome. Children in Greek and Roman families played with balls, clay dolls and clay rattles, hand carts, hobby horses, hoops and spinning tops. The playtime often was used to teach children to use things the adults use in everyday life. Through the toys and games children were introduced to the important activities of household economy, carpentry, hunting, etc. It became obvious in the time of Dark Ages & the Middle Ages. When children were old enough to play parents also taught them to work and use weapons and tools through the play. "They would play outdoor games using pebbles, knucklebones and barrel hoops. Some would have hand made wooden toys such as tops, hobby horses and puppets." (Brief history) Attitudes have changed over the centuries. Puritans believed wanted to ban Holy days which were traditionally days for celebrating and playing games and toys became rare. Victorian parents believed that children should not play games on a Sunday but they were allowed to play with Noah's Arks because of their religious significance. Another factor that influenced the development of toys besides religious and social attitudes was definitely technology. The 18th century saw mass produced toys that were cheaper to make and buy. "Wealthy parents spent their money on printed instructional toys that would aid learning and morality, such as pictorial alphabet cards, dissected map puzzles, books and board games" (The Brief History). In the 19th century the main retailers of technical toys were opticians who sold steam engines, magic lanterns, building blocks and optical toys such as the kaleidoscope and zoetrope. Many famous toy companies started business in the 1890s and 1900sWorld War II brought toy production to a standstill. There was a revival in home made toys and knitted toy patterns became popular. In the 20th century, the cinema and later TV, has had a major influence on the retail of toys. Advances in technology have provided toy makers with new ideas for models and toys to replicate the society. Models and building bricks enable children to play imaginatively constructing and creating their own versions of the things they see around them. The popularity of these toys is often governed by events, such as the growth of the railways in the 19th century or the advent of space travel in the 20th century. Trains were the first form of modern transport to be copied as toys and wooden pull-along trains were available from the 1840s onwards. "By the 1870s the wooden toy train was replaced by tinplate locomotives and tenders with carriages which were often