Considering the universal appeal of toys, it is surprising to discover how has been written on the subject. The theme of this issue was selected of the complete lack of any good of theoretical and research on toys.  The majority of books on toys are designed primarily as anthologies for the collector. These trace the history of toys and classify them according to the various forms they have taken during their development. What these accounts omit is any scholarly consideration of the meanings of toys and the historical and cultural significance of differences in toys.  Toys are the material of play, they provide reflections of a culture, while simultaneously helping to shape it through their influence on socialization. For this reason they are an important and fascinating subject for research.

Our belief in the significance of toys as a topic has been encouraged by the overwhelming response to our request for articles.    In order to meet the scope of interest represented by these responses we are publishing two separate volumes of Toys. This first volume focuses on their history, theory and ethnography. The second volume will be devoted to research and application.  This will include articles on research for commercial products; the use of toys on playgrounds; toys for disabled children; the use of toys in hospitals; the growth of toy libraries and the development of legislation on war toys.

Our first issue opens with an article by Beatrice Lewis. Through an historical account, this examines toys as an index of the cultural heritage, documenting how the nature of toys has transformed in response to changing trends in society.

Evelyn Weber examines how changing, and sometimes conflicting, views on the nature of play and its significance in a child's development were expressed in the design of educational play materials. Among play and play materials theories of Froebel, Dewey and Montessori.

As a glimpse of his forthcoming book, Brian Sutton-Smith has contributed an enticing introduction to a semiotic analysis of toys. In this preview, he contemplates the various and sometimes paradoxical messages these objects can convey.

Charles Zerner presents a compelling proposal for the study of children's self-initiated toy creations.  Illustrated with examples from his own research, Zerner's arguments reflect the belief that a descriptive account of these creations may reveal aspects of the child's creative and aesthetic life. He concludes that an analysis of this nature may provide insights about man as a manipulator of symbolic forms.

The closing contribution is an excerpt translated from an ethnographic study conducted by Chantal Lombard. The first section describes how the values of a traditional African culture influence the nature of its children's toy constructions. This is followed by examples of these creations which are categorized according to their functions. following a taxonomy devised by Mme. Lombard.

An agreement on the importance of toys seems to emerge from the content of these articles. In each case there is an unwillingness to restrict the conceptualization of toys to objects of entertainment and diversion.  In its place is a recognition of the deeper significance of toys as material artifacts of culture, and of the potential they hold to inform us about who we are and who we and our children are becoming. Our next volume on Toys will continue the story through reports of contemporary developments in toy research, design and the use of toys. It will also reflect a growing awareness by some of the importance of toys in socialization by presenting the war toy legislation debate.