Playtime

In Victorian times, children didn't have many toys to play with, but they did have some. The younger children of well off families had lots of beautiful toys in their nurseries. The favourite was the rocking horse, which was made from wood and painted brightly. Girls also enjoyed playing with their dolls' houses, furniture for these could be bought and changed with times and fashions. Victorian dolls were probably the most beautiful ones made. Their heads and shoulders were made of wax or china with bodies made of stuffed calico or wood. Most dolls were dressed as adults with beautiful clothes made from satin, taffeta or lace. A poor girl would long for a doll like this which she would only see in shop windows, She would never be able to afford one but might have a rag doll instead. Boys would play with their tin or lead soldiers. Later in the century as the railways developed across the country clockwork trains became popular.