Children's toys in ancient Egypt

Metawh1

15 Jan, 2023

The ancient Egyptians left many monuments related to children and their toys.

The Pharaohs' interest in childhood

The ancient Egyptians paid great attention to childhood, and the wish to have children was one of their most important wishes, and it was always present in their prayers, considering that the homeland is preserved by the abundance of children.

Children lived in Ancient Egypt; A happy life, the family would choose a beautiful name for the child and often had a religious connection, so they called them names such as: “Pak Amun” meaning: Amon’s servant, “Mirit Amun” meaning: the beloved of Amun, and “Nefert” meaning: the beautiful.

Breastfeeding babies in ancient Egypt

Mothers often breastfed their children, but mothers of the wealthy classes and of the nobility, as well as of kings, hired nurses, and some of these nurses were of great importance, in some royal palaces.

As was the custom of the Egyptian up till now, mothers were working to protect their children from envy and diseases, through religious incantations, magic spells, and amulets, which were placed around the child's neck.

The mother was photographed breastfeeding her child, or combing her child's hair, An affirmation of the health, hygiene and protection of children's bodies from diseases.

Education and games

Children in Ancient Egypt enjoyed a great deal of education, and the beasts of education taught their children good deeds and good deeds that would benefit them in their economic life and in the hereafter.

Children in Ancient Egypt also enjoyed a happy childhood, through the practice of physical and mental games that expanded their perceptions, increased their awareness, and launched them towards creativity.

a beauitful image suggests the happieness

Among those games, the dancing dwarfs game, which is located in the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, is made of ivory, and we see three dwarfs dancing, and they are moved through threads passed through holes, and a pulley.

this game is made of ivory

Children acquired many toys, usually made in the shapes of animals and humans, they made a toy in the form of a bird of wood, perhaps it used a bird that flies when thrown into the air, as you see evidence of its use on them.

The rotating bee was one of the popular children’s toys in antiquity as well as in modern times, the conical bee made of decorated wood is considered one of the examples of this type of children’s toys, which was found in Tutankhamen’s tomb, rotate around itself so quickly that it loses momentum and movement.

a game made of wood

From the Amarna era, many wooden toys were found within the ruins of houses and palaces, depicting monkeys alone or in chariots drawn by monkeys.

another wooden toy

Among what was found of children's toys in the tombs of the New Kingdom, a locust of wood, which is an authentic piece of art, which relied on careful control of the movement of the wings of that insect, to make a wooden model that takes a moving game.

Rattles made of wood, used as a children’s toy, of various shapes, including a musical instrument made of wood consisting of two pieces of wood hollowed out inside, and when closed, they form a hollow ball inside and have a small handle placed inside the cavity of small pieces of solid material so that when shaken Speak a musical sound, and this instrument is currently used, and it is similar to the sistrum, except that it differs from it in shape.