History of Wooden Toys in England | Jaques of London Since 1

A child in a Tudor cottage might have played with a whittled horse or a spinning top cut from a scrap of ash. The wood was near at hand, the tools were simple, and the maker was often a father or an uncle working by firelight.

That instinct — to shape a toy from good timber — never left England. It runs through four centuries of workshops, factories and nurseries, and it survives in the FSC-certified timber and UKCA and CE testing that govern our wooden toys today.

This is the story of how the English wooden toy grew from a cottage pastime into a trade, weathered two world wars, and outlasted the plastic that was meant to replace it.

How the Tudor and Stuart Eras Gave England Its First Wooden Toys

England's earliest wooden toys were rarely made by specialists. A top, a doll, a set of skittles or a hobby horse came from the same hands that made furniture and cart wheels, using offcuts too small for larger work.

Tudor children played with what the household could spare. A ball, a whip-and-top, or a jointed doll carved from a single piece of wood were common, and many of these forms have barely changed. The skittles and pins that entertained Stuart families are close cousins of the sets in our traditional games.

Wood suited the age because it was plentiful and forgiving. Oak, ash, beech and elm all grew across the country, and each behaved differently under a knife. A skilled hand learned which timber turned cleanly and which split, knowledge that still informs how good toys are made.

There was no safety standard then, and no shopfront trade to speak of. Toys passed from older children to younger ones, mended rather than replaced. A well-made top could serve a family for a generation.

The Stuart period brought a little more organisation. Pedlars carried small wooden goods between towns, and market stalls began to stock simple playthings alongside household wares. It was the first hint that toys might be bought as well as made.

What the reader should take from these two centuries is continuity. The spinning top, the doll and the skittle were established in England long before anyone thought to build a factory. Many of the shapes in our children toys trace directly back to these firelit beginnings, which we explore further in our history of wooden toys in Britain.

Georgian and Victorian England: When the Wooden Toy Trade Became an Industry

The Georgian era turned a cottage habit into a business. Growing towns, rising middle-class incomes and a new idea — that childhood was a distinct stage deserving its own objects — created steady demand for toys made to be bought.

Craftsmen began to specialise. Turners produced tops and hoops in quantity, while others made rocking horses, alphabet blocks and Noah's arks, the last a favourite because it could be played with on a Sunday. Learning through play took hold, an idea that still shapes our educational toys for toddlers.

The Victorian period gave the trade its industry. Factories, cheaper materials and the railways meant a toy made in one town could be sold across the country. Nurseries in comfortable households filled with painted bricks, board games and finely made dolls.

The Great Exhibition of 1851, held at Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, put British manufacturing on show, and its displays included toys and games from domestic makers. For the toy trade it was a rare public stage.

Yet the Victorian nursery was not entirely British in origin. Germany dominated the market for cheaper wooden toys, and much of what a child owned had crossed the North Sea. English makers held the higher ground of quality and traditional games rather than volume.

Jaques belongs to this chapter. Founded in 1795, the firm was already established when Victorian families were buying board games and lawn amusements, many of which survive in our traditional games. We trace the Victorian side of the story in more detail in our piece on Victorian nurseries and the toys within them.

How Two World Wars Changed the Wooden Toy in Britain Forever

The First World War changed the British wooden toy almost overnight. Germany had supplied a large share of the toys sold here, and when those imports were cut off between 1914 and 1918, the shelves emptied.

The gap forced a domestic answer. British manufacturers expanded to meet demand that had previously been satisfied abroad, and wooden toy making grew as a home industry rather than an import trade. Necessity did what tariffs and patriotism alone had not.

Some of this new production was informal. Workshops for wounded and disabled servicemen made toys as a form of employment, and small firms sprang up to fill orders that had once gone to Nuremberg and Sonneberg.

The interwar years consolidated the gains. British children grew up with British-made bricks, forts, dolls' houses and pull-along animals, and a generation of makers built reputations on reliability and finish.

The Second World War brought different pressures. Timber and labour were needed elsewhere, and materials were rationed, so toys became scarcer and simpler. Yet the habit of making at home, learned in the first war, meant the skills were not lost.

Out of both conflicts came a settled British wooden toy trade, no longer dependent on imports for its everyday stock. That independence is part of why traditional wooden playthings remained available here when they might have faded, and it underpins the range in our wooden toys today.

The Plastic Age and Why Wooden Toys Never Disappeared in the UK

The second half of the twentieth century belonged, on the surface, to plastic. Injection moulding made toys cheap, colourful and quick to produce, and for a time it seemed the wooden toy might become a museum piece.

Plastic had real advantages. It was light, washable and inexpensive, and it allowed shapes that wood could never take. Whole categories of toy moved to the new material within a decade.

Wood, though, held ground that plastic could not take. A wooden train, a set of blocks or a pull-along dog aged well, survived being handed down, and carried a weight and warmth that children and adults both recognised.

Safety expectations rose in parallel, and standards followed. EN 71, the European safety standard governing toys sold in the UK, sets requirements such as the prohibition of sharp edges and small parts that could pose a choking hazard to children under 36 months. Good wooden toys were made to satisfy exactly these concerns.

There was also a quieter, practical loyalty. Nurseries, schools and grandparents kept buying wooden bricks, skittles and board games because they lasted and because they invited a slower kind of play.

So the wooden toy never truly disappeared in Britain. It stepped back rather than out, waiting for the moment when families would look again at what a well-made object offers. Many of those enduring forms sit in our children toys, alongside our traditional games.

Why British Wooden Toys Are Experiencing a Renaissance Today

Wooden toys are having a renewed moment in Britain, and the reasons are more considered than nostalgia. Families are weighing what a toy is made from, how long it will last, and what it asks of a child.

Sustainability is one driver. FSC-certified timber, responsibly managed forests and toys built to be repaired rather than discarded appeal to households thinking beyond a single Christmas. We set out the current landscape in our guide to the best eco toys in the UK for 2026.

Concern about screens is another. Many parents want play that is open-ended and hands-on, and wooden toys tend to encourage building, sorting and imagining rather than watching. We look at that question directly in our piece on screen time, attention and wooden toys.

The educational case has grown too. Blocks, threading toys and shape sorters support early counting, language and fine motor skills, which is why our educational toys for toddlers remain among the most requested. Our round-up of the best educational wooden toys for 2026 gathers the strongest examples.

Modern safety underpins all of it. UKCA and CE testing against standards such as EN 71 means a traditional-looking toy meets present-day expectations, so heritage and reassurance sit side by side.

The renaissance, then, is really a return. The Tudor top, the Victorian brick and the interwar rocking horse were always well suited to how children play, and families are recognising it once more in our wooden toys.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wooden Toy Uk

Who invented wooden toys in England?

No single person invented wooden toys in England. Craftsmen in Tudor workshops carved simple wooden playthings such as dolls, hobby horses and spinning tops long before any organised toy trade existed. Woodworking guilds produced these objects alongside furniture and domestic goods. By the 18th and 19th centuries, specialist toy makers had emerged in London and other towns, gradually formalising the craft into a recognisable industry. It was an evolution driven by many anonymous craftspeople rather than a single inventor.

When were wooden toys first made in Britain?

Wooden toys were made in Britain well before reliable written records began, with archaeological finds suggesting simple carved wooden objects were used as playthings in medieval and possibly earlier periods. By the Tudor era (1485–1603) there is clear evidence of wooden dolls, hobby horses and carved figures being produced by craftsmen. The trade grew steadily through the 17th and 18th centuries, becoming more commercially organised by the Victorian period, when the Great Exhibition of 1851 showcased British toy manufacturers at Crystal Palace in Hyde Park.

Where did wooden toys originate?

Wooden toys are among the oldest known playthings in the world, with carved wooden objects identified as toys found in ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman archaeological sites. In Europe, Germany's Erzgebirge region became particularly renowned from the early modern period for the craft production of carved wooden toys, and German manufacturers dominated exports across Europe, including Britain, for centuries. Domestic British production expanded significantly after 1914–1918, when wartime trade disruption cut off German imports and prompted growth in English wooden toy manufacturing.

Are wooden toys a British tradition?

Wooden toys have a long history in Britain, though for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries the British market was heavily supplied by German imports rather than domestic makers. British craftsmen and manufacturers did produce wooden toys, and the Great Exhibition of 1851 at Crystal Palace featured British toy makers. A stronger domestic tradition took firmer root after the First World War, when German imports were cut off between 1914 and 1918, prompting British manufacturers to expand production and meet demand. Since then, wooden toys have become an established part of British toy culture.

What wooden toys did Victorian children play with?

Victorian children played with a range of wooden toys including rocking horses, building blocks, Noah's Ark sets (popular partly because they were considered acceptable for Sundays), spinning tops, skittles, pull-along animals and simple dolls. Construction and stacking toys were common, as were toy theatres with painted wooden scenery. The Great Exhibition of 1851 at Crystal Palace in Hyde Park featured displays from British toy manufacturers, reflecting the variety of wooden toys available to those who could afford them during that period.

Why are wooden toys better than plastic toys?

Wooden toys are often considered preferable for their durability, longevity and natural feel. They tend to withstand heavy use and can be passed between siblings or generations where plastic equivalents might crack or break. Many parents and educators value their simplicity, which can encourage open-ended, imaginative play without electronic distraction. Wooden toys are also biodegradable at end of life, making them a more environmentally considered choice than plastic. That said, whether wooden or plastic toys suit a child best depends on the individual toy, its design and how it will be used.

Are wooden toys safe for toddlers in the UK?

Wooden toys sold in the UK must comply with EN 71, the European toy safety standard adopted by the British Standards Institution. EN 71 specifies requirements including the prohibition of sharp edges and small parts that could pose a choking hazard for children under 36 months. When purchasing wooden toys for toddlers, it is advisable to check that the product carries appropriate safety markings and age guidance. Well-made wooden toys from reputable manufacturers that meet EN 71 requirements are considered safe for toddlers when used as directed.

What is the oldest wooden toy company in England?

Jaques of London, founded in 1795, is widely recognised as England's oldest games and toy company. The firm has produced wooden games and toys continuously for over two centuries, with notable contributions including the standardisation of croquet and the production of Staunton chess pieces. Its longevity makes it a significant name in the history of the English toy and games trade, spanning from the Georgian era through to the present day.

Why are wooden toys so expensive in the UK?

Wooden toys tend to cost more than mass-produced plastic alternatives for several reasons. Quality timber is a natural material with a higher raw cost than petroleum-based plastics. Skilled craftsmanship, hand-finishing, sanding and non-toxic painting or lacquering all add to production time and labour costs. Many wooden toys sold in the UK are made in smaller production runs than large-scale plastic toys, reducing economies of scale. Where toys are manufactured in the UK or Western Europe under regulated working conditions, labour costs are higher, and these are reflected in the retail price.

Where are wooden toys made in the UK today?

Wooden toys are made by a number of manufacturers and small workshops across the UK today, from independent craftspeople operating in rural areas to established companies with longer trading histories. Some British brands design their toys domestically but manufacture abroad, while others maintain production within the UK. Jaques of London is among the established English companies with a heritage of producing wooden games and toys. The sector includes both artisan makers selling at craft markets and online, and larger brands distributing through specialist toy retailers across Britain.