Past Tense

The evolution of toys over the last hundred years is truly staggering. Gone are the simple, handcrafted toys that lasted a good 10 years and in their place have come the technically advanced all-singing, all dancing gadgets that are lucky to survive for a couple of days in a child’s hands.  Let’s take a look at some of the most iconic old toys and why they were loved so much

Rag dolls. There is nothing more simple than a rag doll. Once upon a time every little girl had a rag doll and they would go everywhere the child went. The best bit is, if you managed to prize them from your child’s hand, they could be dumped in some hot soapy water, hung out to dry and would be as good as new the next day. Nowadays kids prefere babies with electrically moving parts and voices. You shouldn’t really wash these with water but I’d like you to try it anyway.

Wooden bikes. The majority of bikes in shops today are made from either plastic or metal, which have the cheapest production costs for manufacturers. You cannot beat however a hand-crafted bike made out of high quality hardwood. They didn’t break down anywhere near as much as modern bikes do and the aging wooden looked beautiful.  Also, they did not out of place in a traditional house, often being used as a piece of furniture as well as a toy

Rocking horses. Due to their brilliant design and stunning hand crafted looks, a wooded rocking horse lasts for decades and looked again looked great as a feature in a room. The most appealing part about a rocking horse however is that you child will be content with riding it all day and you don’t have to fork out for a real one and all the things that go with it. Rocking horse makers are hard to find these days but if you can find a good one then its well worth purchasing one.