Egyptian Toys and Games by Cole Rubinowicz
Catherine Cook School [Pick the date]
Table of Contents Introduction…………………………….2 Children’s toys and board games …………………………..2 Senet and how it’s played……………………………………….2 Toys and games and how they’re made…………………….2 Egyptian sports……………………………………………………….3 Glossary …………………………………………………………………4 Bibliography…………………………………………………………….5
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TOYS AND GAMES By: Cole Rubinowicz In ancient Egypt children loved to play with games and toys. Adults liked to play sports to pass the time. The games, toys, and sports were almost the same to the toys we have now. They used what they had to make toys and games. Children played with a lot of toys and games. In early Egypt the children had dolls that were idols of gods. Kids also played with rattles when they were babies. Also rattles were used to scare off evil spirits. Children were buried with games and toys.
If you were lucky enough to have time to play with toys, the wooden horse was the most popular. There is evidence that children played with marbles 5,000 years ago. When there was time children played with balls, dolls, and toy animals such as horses, dogs, and crocodiles. The poorest families could still buy toys and make their children happy. Families would always keep a game board in their house to play with. Many toys and games have been found in tombs of young children. A game called Senet was extremely popular as were other games involving dice, boards and moving pieces. This game was like the board game chess played at least 4,300 years ago. It was a very popular game to past the time when people were waiting. Even pharaohs were known to play games like Senet or Snake. The game was associated with evil witchcraft. The thirty squares of the board stood for advantages like beauty or power or pearls. In the book of the dead there is a painting of Nefertiti playing in her tomb. A version of the game was found in the tomb of Tutankhamen. In ancient Egypt times games like Senet were closely linked to divination rituals and battle planning. It was the most famous game in all of Egypt.
They loved playing and making toys. Models of animals were made out of wood and clay. The Egyptians were excellent wood carvers. The dolls were made out of clay and wrapping. Spinning tops 2
were made from stone, clay, and wood. When we talk about board games rich people had fancy ones made of stuff like jade and ivory. Regular people played too and boards could be made out of wood drawn out papyrus, or you name it. Egyptian children made hoops from dried and stripped grapevines. Rattles were made with dried gourds filled with clay balls or pebbles. Dice were made out of astragal with six sided bones and four flat sides that came from the ankle bones of a hoofed animal. These toys and games were made all over Egypt.
The Egyptians did not just like toys and games. They also liked sports. The Egyptians played a wide verity of sports. They played tug a war but in a different way by clutching their waists or their friend’s waist. Tip cat is an old version of baseball. You would try to hit the stick the very far to win the game. They loved hunting on chariots. The Egyptians liked rowing and horseback riding in chariots. Kids or adults would play hockey with a leather ball and use palm branches for sticks. The Egyptians liked to grapple in wrestling matches along the Nile River. They also liked to race on foot or in the water. The ancient Egyptians liked to swim in the water. The ancient Egyptians had a similar game to bowling. These sports and many others were played thoughout ancient Egypt.
Picture found at www.kulturekids.org
The ancient Egyptian children loved toys and the adults loved playing sports. Some of the games were same to the toys and games we have now. The ancient Egyptians made toys and games out of things they had.
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Glossary Afterlife: An existence after death. Astragal: A narrow convex molding often used for molds of bread. Book of the Dead: A collection of magic spells that were painted inside coffins or on a roll of papyrus. Idols: A greatly loved and admired person or thing. Ivory: A pale whitish yellow. Rituals: A ceremonial act or action. Senet: A board game based on the struggle between good and evil. Snake: A circular board game that represents a snake coiled around its head. Tombs: A house or burial chamber for dead people.
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Bibliography boyer, C. (2012). Everything Ancient Egypt. New york: National Geographic. hart, G. (2004). Ancient Egypt. New York city: Dk eyewitness books. hays, J. (2008). Retrieved 2013, From Facts and detalis : http.factsanddetalis Minnis, I. (2005). You are in Ancient Egypt. Chicago Ilinols: Raintree. Petor, S. (n.d.). Retrieved march 20, 2013, from All about Ancient egypt : www.Egyptabout.com Smith, M. (2010). Ancient Egypt. New york: king fisher.
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