Traditional Toy Design: a South African Perspective

Abstract

In the South African context, toys represent a wide variety of games and are linked to material and socio-cultural conditions. Some toys are used to teach the local culture and traditional values. The shapes of traditional toys are the result of one rich creativity where children have room to experiment, experience and learn. This article highlights the history of South Africa's indigenous toy design as well their influence on the design of contemporary toys. Like many developing countries, however, South Africa experiences an influx of imported toys which essentially does not they have relevance on local cultures or knowledge, causing the slow disappearance of toys traditional. The effectiveness of traditional toys in South Africa is linked to the traditions of the groups local cultural. Sustainability, aesthetics, cultural relationships, materials, skills, availability of resources, robustness and finally the environmental perspective represent a fundamental part of the design toys that come from the traditional South African context.