What toys did children play with?

These girls are playing a game of 'knucklebones'. This was a bit like jacks or fivestones, but played with the ankle-bones of goats or sheep.

We know about some Greek toys from pictures on pottery vases and artefacts found by archaeologists.

Children played with small pottery figures, and dolls made of rags, wood, wax or clay - some of these dolls even had moveable arms and legs. Other toys were rattles, hoops, yo-yos and hobby horses (a ‘pretend horse’ made from a stick).

They also played with balls made from tied-up rags or a blown-up pig's bladder. A game of flicking nuts into a hole or circle may be the ancient Greek version of marbles or tiddlywinks!

Children also kept animals. There are pictures of children with pets, like dogs, geese and chickens.