WW2 16: toys

It’s a constructional toy called Bayko, that many children played with during World War 2. It got its name because it was made from an early kind of plastic called Bakelite.

Launched in 1934 it was the World’s first plastic constructional toy. Lego didn’t appear until 1953!

With Bayco, you constructed buildings, using baseboards and metal rods, onto which you slotted walls, windows and roofs, to create houses, shops and garages.

Meccano was another popular constructional toy, in which thin strips of punched metal were bolted together with miniature spanners.

Other popular World War 2 toys included teddy bears, dolls, marbles, skipping ropes, spinning tops, toy aeroplanes and tanks.

Did you know?
There was a shortage of toys in World War 2 because some toy factories had gone over to war production. Children had fewer toys than today and many were homemade.