It’s true to say that toys have come on a long way over the last 100 years. 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 traditional toys and why they were loved so much

Rag dolls. These toys are beautifully simplistic. They were once the coolest toy to have and everywhere a child would go, her rag doll would go with her. 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. These cannot be washed using the same method but I would encourage you to give it a go.

Wooden bikes. Due to bike makers wanting to make the biggest profit they can, most bikes these days are constructed of metal or some form of plastic. There is no beating however a bike that has been loving crafted out of good 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 horse. Similar to a bike made out of wood, a wooden rocking horse looked great in any house and also lasted generations due their quality and simple design. The best feature about buying one of these though is that your child can still have the horsey they always wanted but without the expensive and effort of a real one. Rocking horse manufacture has slowed down a great deal in the last 10 years, but you can still find some quality ones in some good shops.