Kids have been playing with some sort of toys for thousands of years and while times have certainly changed, many of the most popular toys are similar to those from 1000s of years ago. Children have played with dolls, horses and chariots ever since the ancient Greek and Roman empires.
And the earliest toys that have been found have all been made of wood. Wooden toys have continued to be an important part of children's lives for thousands of yearsd. German toy makers began to build many different wooden toys around the 1700's/
Life-like dolls and animals became favorite toys for kids all over Europe. Wooden doll houses, toy soldiers and puppet theaters became fashionable during the 19th century. Toys like the every popular Jack in a Box were painted with bright, vivid colors. Then, by the end of World War II, plastic became the toy manufacturers material of choice for toy production.
Toys made of plastic were easier to mass produce and were more reasonably priced for families with small children. Although wooden toy are seldom found on shelves of conventional toy stores, a large selection of wooden toys can be purchased on-line.
