History of wooden toys

Though the date wooden toys first appeared is unclear, there is evidence that the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks used wood to create playthings. In fact, archaeologists have uncovered ancient spinning tops made of wood, ceramics, and bone.

The 1700s brought the onset of educational toys in England with the advent of wooden alphabet blocks. The 18th century also saw the emergence of wooden sleds and carved miniature animals.

Wooden cars entered the scene in the 1800s, when fire engines and trolley cars became very popular.

The early 1900s brought an American building boom and that trend was evident in the toys of the era. Wooden construction toys were extremely popular. Tinker Toys were invented in 1914 by Charles H. Pajeau and Robert Petit and featured sets of spools, spokes, rods, and sticks that children used to create buildings, animals, vehicles, people, and more. John Lloyd Wright, the son of Frank Lloyd Wright, created Lincoln Logs in 1916. Made of notched, interlocking logs, Lincoln Logs were used to create cabins, stores… entire towns.