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Play is typically considered to be a highly pleasurable and stress-free activity; nevertheless, there is a strong but neglected connection between toy design and the fear of a technological future. The production and promotion of technology-inspired toys for middle-class children in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries reflected both the great fascination of adults with new technology and their anxiety about its impact. Different types of technical toys were meant not only as playthings, but also as tools for coming to terms with a changing social and technological milieu. For children themselves, playing with construction sets could be a source not only of pleasure, but also of frustration. This essay discusses a range of negative emotions related to construction toys and offers insights into this hitherto under-researched aspect of play. We argue that toys of a technical nature offered a small-scale and safe environment for testing out practices and mentalities related to the tensions and contradictions of modernity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within theories of education and human development, play constitutes a means of discovery--a way of learning. This valence of play, and its relative importance, is peculiarly associated with children and [...]

An essay is presented on a collection of technical or construction toys from the 19th through 21st centuries at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany. Particular focus is given to the boxes in which the toys were sold and contained. According to the author, the boxes present evidence about the function of the toys and the anticipated behavior of their users, as well as their social and political contexts. Topics discussed include free play, design, technology, and the acquisition of skills through play.

This essay excavates the toy magic lantern's largely overlooked significance in the late nineteenth century and explores the toy's role in cultivating children as media spectators. Domestic shows with toy lanterns allowed children to perform as curators, showmen, and audience members. This play naturalized such home entertainment as a commodifiable experience. Promotion of toy lanterns in the periodical The Youth's Companion from the 1880s to 1900s demonstrates the toy's function as an early children's home entertainment medium that has historically been overlooked in favor of analyses of the lantern as a mass medium in institutional contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about technical toys in the early 20th century and its ingredients depicted in scientific literature. It discusses the methods for elevating toys with the help of toy catalogues. Topics include purpose of the toys, its target audience, and technology used to manufacture them. Toys such as steam engines, trains, cars and metal construction kits are defined as technical toys. It is noted that technical toys help in understanding modern technology.

The article reviews the exhibition "Did Children Really Play with These?" at the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum in Munich to consider the aspects of nineteenth century childhood.

The article provides information about the classic toy Lincoln Logs which was invented by John Lloyd Wright in 1918 including his inspiration for the toy, its marketing, and its significance as a symbol for modern American children during the U.S. transition between pre-industrial and industrial.

The article discusses the history of toys emerge from the maelstrom of war. Topics discussed include the invention of the Second World War, the toy shop owner Ruth Falgatter and the Silly Putty, a toy based on silicone polymers displayed at the International Toy Fair in New York. Other topics include a memo send by the U.S. War Production Board to chemical engineers in the U.S. and the idea given by Scottish engineer James Wright for using silicone oil for toy making.