Indians of North America; Inuit; Inuit children; Inuit -- Social life and customs; Implements, utensils, etc.
Inuit children grow up in one of the harshest environments known. To help their children adapt to life in that climate, Inuit parents treat their children as “small adults." Young girls and boys learn how to survive through their playtime...
Kate Greenaway was a talented and popular children’s author during the late 1800s in England and America. She is best known for innocent and sweet illustrated depictions of English children. She was so popular with the public that her...
Merry-go-round; Children's Museum of Indianapolis; Indianapolis (Ind.); Amusement parks; Indianapolis (Ind.) -- History.
Carousels have long been a favorite ride in amusement parks. This Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters carousel--with its Gustav Dentzel horses and "menagerie" animals—first thrilled Indianapolis children at White City Amusement Park in Broad...
Dolls; toys; Japan; Dolls -- Japan; Japan -- Social life and customs; International relations; Cultural relations
In 1927, children in the United States sent over 12,000 dolls, with voices that said mama," to Japanese school children as a gesture of friendship. Japan responded by sending Miss Shimane and her sisters as a thank you. First, a national...
Bees; Bees in art; Masks; Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast of North America; Potlatch; Kwaguilth Indians; Kwaguilth Indians -- Social life and customs
Among tribes of the Northwest Coast, masks are worn during winter ceremonies (called "Potlatch"), a community event that hosts a series of songs, dances and rituals. During these ceremonies, masks are danced in ceremonial houses to...
Can you tell what types of soda cans were used to make this toy helicopter? Children in many areas of Africa are very skilled at making toys out of the different things they find. This helicopter was made by a young boy in Mali out of empty soda...
Indians of North America; Pueblo Indians; Pueblo Indians -- Social life and customs; Clay figurines -- Southwest, New; Storytellers in art; Pueblo pottery
Clay figures have been present in the Pueblo culture since 400 A.D. Female figures, animals, birds and more recently the storyteller figure have been part of their tradition. The “singing mother” with several children sitting on her lap was...
Toys; Mechanical toys; Motorcycles; World War, 1939-1945; Germany; Germany -- Politics and government -- 1918-1933; Nazis; Hitler-Jugend; 1930s; World War, 1939-1945 -- Children; National socialism
German citizens, frustrated by ineffective government and the Great Depression, struggled during the 1930s with high unemployment and poverty. In a climate of unrest, German toy manufacturers responded by making military toys that reflected...
Multi-media artist and children’s book illustrator Jayoung Cho created these whimsical gloves as a companion to her handmade Dokabi (Korean trolls) dream quilt. She created the three dimensional quilt, full of traditional Korean and other...
China; China -- Social life and customs; Hats; Headgear; Folklore -- China; Costume -- China; Clothing and dress
Children's hats like these have been worn in China for many centuries. In Chinese culture, the head is considered a very important part of the human body and is well protected, especially on babies. Children's hats depict different creatures and...
Bush, George, 1924-; Nesting dolls; Russia; Russia -- Social life and customs
The art form of Matreshkas (often spelled Matroyshkas) is more than 100 years old. Matreshkas are commonly referred to as nesting dolls because each smallest doll stacks into a larger one. According to legend, the first nesting dolls were made by a...
Scrolls; Scrolls, Chinese; China; China -- History; Art -- China; Ching dynasty, 1644-1912; 19th Century
Lighter and easier to transport than books, scrolls have been used for centuries by different cultures all over the world. This beautifully painted scroll, by an anonymous Chinese artist, depicts 100 children playing with traditional Chinese toys...
Cartoon characters; Television and children; Television -- History; Animated television programs; Pajamas; Sleepwear; 1950s;
Winky Dink, a TV cartoon character, needed help from viewers in the first interactive TV program in the 1950s. On Saturday morning, children used a special crayon and plastic sheet on the TV screen to help Winky Dink when the character needed a...
Castles seem to hold a special spell over children in America. Without a real nearby medieval fortress, children use toys like this one to experience a building only seen in movies. Imagining this castle full of dashing knights and beautiful...
What do you think Santa Claus looks like? Children in many cultures around the world anxiously wait for Santa Claus every year to bring them gifts at Christmas time. Each child has a different idea of what he looks like. This is how...
Toothbrushes; Mouth -- Care and hygiene; Teeth--Care and hygiene
Getting children to brush their teeth properly can be every parent's nightmare. When electric toothbrushes became available to the general public in the 1960s, dentists hoped that it would make brushing teeth easier and more thorough, creating...
Do these toys look like the tools your dentist uses today? Often, children's toys mimic the activities of adults. This playset from the 1950s allows children to pretend to be a dentist.
Riley, James Whitcomb, 1849-1916; Indiana; Authors--Indiana; 1900s
One of James Whitcomb Riley's best known poems is "Little Orphant Annie." Annie, a girl who lived with Riley's family in Greenfield, Indiana when he was growing up inspired Riley. The poem was published in this book form in 1908. In 1924...
Brooches; World War, 1914-1918; World War, 1939-1945; World War, 1939-1945 -- Women; World War, 1914-1918 -- Women
After the United States joined World War I, women with children serving in the military abroad relied upon each other for support and friendship. Late in 1917, these women formally formed the American War Mothers organization. Mothers throughout...
Toys; Dolls; 19th century; China dolls; Miniature objects
Dolls like this, without clothing, were called "Frozen Charlotte," and were first made about 1850. This doll is wearing a modest dress made out of ribbons. Frozen Charlottes were sometimes baked into children's birthday cakes to be found...
