Children in a mud-brick village had chores, but they also had time to play. Archaeologists have found their toys!
Key idea
Children played with balls, dolls, spinning tops and toy animals. Families played board games such as senet, a game of 30 squares in three rows of ten.
Why it works
Toys and games last when they are made of wood, clay or stone and buried in the dry sand. Some were put in tombs so their owners could play in the afterlife. Senet was a race: players threw sticks to see how far to move and tried to get all their pieces off the board first. Over time, Egyptians also linked the game with the journey of the dead.
Worked example: Squares on the board
A senet board has 3 rows with 10 squares in each row. How many squares is that?
- Each row has 10 squares.
- There are 3 rows: 3 × 10 = 30.
Answer: 30 squares.
Common mistake
Thinking ancient kids had no toys. Archaeologists have found balls of leather, wooden toy animals with jaws that open and shut, dolls, and spinning tops. Tomb paintings show people juggling, wrestling and playing ball games.
Another game, mehen, was played on a round board shaped like a coiled snake.