Learning through objects from the Islington Education Library Service’s handling collection
Toy Horse, Ancient Rome, Replica
Do you know a small child who would like to play with this? And haven't you seen (and played with) toys like this? This replica toy, a wooden horse on wheels, is like one in ancient times used by young Greeks and Egyptians, as well as Romans.
Gripping, pushing and pulling are some of the first actions young children learn to do. Toys that respond to these actions have always been popular, and those made for Roman children were no exception.
The horse is hand-carved wood and the wooden wheels are turned on a lathe. The four wheels are substitutes for legs and are attached on either side to the body. The wheels have to be free to spin to let the horse move, so they are fixed by an axle bored through the body. A pin stops each wheel from falling off. A piece of string is threaded through a hole in the horse's nose so that the toy can be pulled by the child. The toy is quite low to keep it stable when it is pulled over rough ground.
This is a replica of toys found in Roman burial sites.
Gripping, pushing and pulling are some of the first actions young children learn to do. Toys that respond to these actions have always been popular, and those made for Roman children were no exception.
The horse is hand-carved wood and the wooden wheels are turned on a lathe. The four wheels are substitutes for legs and are attached on either side to the body. The wheels have to be free to spin to let the horse move, so they are fixed by an axle bored through the body. A pin stops each wheel from falling off. A piece of string is threaded through a hole in the horse's nose so that the toy can be pulled by the child. The toy is quite low to keep it stable when it is pulled over rough ground.
This is a replica of toys found in Roman burial sites.
Length:21.5cm
A Roman mother would lay her new-born baby at the feet of the father, who would then either raise the child from the ground as an indication that he wanted to bring up the baby, or leave the baby where it was, meaning that it would have to be adopted. It was never taken for granted that a child would be accepted into its birth family.
If a father accepted the baby, the mother would arrange a celebratory party where the baby would be given gifts and toys.
Older children had toys not unlike those we have today. Girls and boys had different toys. Girls played with dolls, dolls' houses and miniature furniture. Hoops were popular, and encouraged exercise. Roman boys had clay or bronze soldiers and weapons. Tiny replicas of chariots and carts were sometimes pulled by pet mice. Push and pull toys - like this wooden horse- were especially popular with small boys.
If a father accepted the baby, the mother would arrange a celebratory party where the baby would be given gifts and toys.
Older children had toys not unlike those we have today. Girls and boys had different toys. Girls played with dolls, dolls' houses and miniature furniture. Hoops were popular, and encouraged exercise. Roman boys had clay or bronze soldiers and weapons. Tiny replicas of chariots and carts were sometimes pulled by pet mice. Push and pull toys - like this wooden horse- were especially popular with small boys.
Length:21.5cm
Do you know a small child who would like to play with this? And haven't you seen (and played with) toys like this? This replica toy, a wooden horse on wheels, is like one in ancient times used by young Greeks and Egyptians, as well as Romans.
Gripping, pushing and pulling are some of the first actions young children learn to do. Toys that respond to these actions have always been popular, and those made for Roman children were no exception.
The horse is hand-carved wood and the wooden wheels are turned on a lathe. The four wheels are substitutes for legs and are attached on either side to the body. The wheels have to be free to spin to let the horse move, so they are fixed by an axle bored through the body. A pin stops each wheel from falling off. A piece of string is threaded through a hole in the horse's nose so that the toy can be pulled by the child. The toy is quite low to keep it stable when it is pulled over rough ground.
This is a replica of toys found in Roman burial sites.
Gripping, pushing and pulling are some of the first actions young children learn to do. Toys that respond to these actions have always been popular, and those made for Roman children were no exception.
The horse is hand-carved wood and the wooden wheels are turned on a lathe. The four wheels are substitutes for legs and are attached on either side to the body. The wheels have to be free to spin to let the horse move, so they are fixed by an axle bored through the body. A pin stops each wheel from falling off. A piece of string is threaded through a hole in the horse's nose so that the toy can be pulled by the child. The toy is quite low to keep it stable when it is pulled over rough ground.
This is a replica of toys found in Roman burial sites.
