Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander toys and games

The toys in our collection were designed to amuse and educate children, and also to prepare them for adulthood.

Toys were used to amuse, educate and prepare children for adulthood.

Some games were quite competitive in group situations

Our collection includes various items that were used both for fun and as training instruments for adult life.

Contemporary toys in the collection have been made by modifying found and disused items

Shells and seeds were used to make rattles for young children to play with

These were used for play as well as a way of learning skills, roles and responsibilities.

Our collection includes toys made from strips of pandanus leaf

There are two toys in the collection made from bark in the shape of stingrays

Australian Museum