Madeline C
Compare and Contrast Essay
10/28/13
The Toys of Today are the Toys of Yesterday
Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr once said, “The more it changes, the more it’s the same thing.” One example of this would be toys. As a child, did you and your parents share the same type of toy? Over the years, toys have grown in size, selection, and technology, but many of the features are the same. Thousands of years ago, toys were made out of objects found in nature. For example, a dolls hair might have been made out of green grass. Today, toys are made in factories. A doll’s hair is commonly made out of colored yarn or plastic.
One hundred years ago, in 1913, a popular toy was a simple, brown teddy bear. Teddy bears are still a popular toy, but they are far from simple. They can be voice-activated or interactive, teaching toddlers skills for school. Lining store shelves, you can see green and blue and even tie-dyed bears. Build-a-Bear allows children to come in and design their own bears.
Children around the world can be entertained for hours with a ball. In the famous stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder, it recalls a time in the early 20th century when she and her siblings used a pigs bladder to pass back and forth. More commonly balls are made of rubber or plastic, but wood and metal are also used. The use of balls has encouraged the creation of games, such as pool or soccer.
Dolls have always been a favorite toy of girls. Today, girls desire dolls which have luxurious houses, lavish outfits, and convertible automobiles! There are companies like American Girl which have sold 23 million dolls since its founding in 1986. This company has hundreds of different dolls that can be specially ordered to look just like you. Yet, a century ago, girls had just the doll. These earlier dolls were often homemade and crafted mostly from wood.
The toys you use today are probably the same kinds of toys your great-great-great grandparents played with when they were kids. It’s probably the same toy with different characteristics. And yet, the joy of the kids playing with the toy will always be the same.
Websites/Books cited:
~Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little House in the Big Woods. New York: Harper & Bros., 1953.
~"Toy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.
~"American Girl." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.
Compare and Contrast Essay
10/28/13
The Toys of Today are the Toys of Yesterday
Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr once said, “The more it changes, the more it’s the same thing.” One example of this would be toys. As a child, did you and your parents share the same type of toy? Over the years, toys have grown in size, selection, and technology, but many of the features are the same. Thousands of years ago, toys were made out of objects found in nature. For example, a dolls hair might have been made out of green grass. Today, toys are made in factories. A doll’s hair is commonly made out of colored yarn or plastic.
One hundred years ago, in 1913, a popular toy was a simple, brown teddy bear. Teddy bears are still a popular toy, but they are far from simple. They can be voice-activated or interactive, teaching toddlers skills for school. Lining store shelves, you can see green and blue and even tie-dyed bears. Build-a-Bear allows children to come in and design their own bears.
Children around the world can be entertained for hours with a ball. In the famous stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder, it recalls a time in the early 20th century when she and her siblings used a pigs bladder to pass back and forth. More commonly balls are made of rubber or plastic, but wood and metal are also used. The use of balls has encouraged the creation of games, such as pool or soccer.
Dolls have always been a favorite toy of girls. Today, girls desire dolls which have luxurious houses, lavish outfits, and convertible automobiles! There are companies like American Girl which have sold 23 million dolls since its founding in 1986. This company has hundreds of different dolls that can be specially ordered to look just like you. Yet, a century ago, girls had just the doll. These earlier dolls were often homemade and crafted mostly from wood.
The toys you use today are probably the same kinds of toys your great-great-great grandparents played with when they were kids. It’s probably the same toy with different characteristics. And yet, the joy of the kids playing with the toy will always be the same.
Websites/Books cited:
~Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little House in the Big Woods. New York: Harper & Bros., 1953.
~"Toy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.
~"American Girl." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.