Toy

A toy is an object used in play. Toys are usually associated with children but it is not unusual for adult humans and some non-domesticated animals to play with toys. Many items are manufactured to serve as toys or services produced for other purposes can also be used as toys. Toys are more than simple amusement and the ways that they are used profoundly influence many aspects of life.

A child may pick up a household item and it around pretending that it is an airplane, or an animal might play batting at it, or by throwing it up in the air. Some toys are produced primarily as collector's items and are not intended to be played with. The origin of toys is prehistoric and play in general, are important when it comes to growing up and learning about the world around us.

The young use toys and play to discover their identity, help their bodies grow strong, learn cause and effect, explore relationships, and practice skills they will need as adults. Adults use toys and play to form and strengthen social bonds, teach, remember and reinforce lessons from their youth, discover their identity, exercise their minds explore relationships, and decorate their living spaces.

As technology changed and civilization progressed, toys also changed. Whereas ancient toys were made from materials found in nature like stone, wood, and grass modern toys are often made from plastic, cloth, and synthetic materials. Ancient toys were often made by the parents and family of the children who used them, or by the children themselves.