One of the reasons WoodenToyShop.co.uk came into being was our love of simple and timeless toys such as the hobby horse.
We think it’s wonderful that today’s kids have an unprecedented choice of toys and activities, but at the same time we know full well that our kids are perfectly happy making up their own games with only a tiny amount of external stimulus – let’s be honest, what child can resist a big cardboard box?! Our beloved WoodenToyShop isn’t a trip down memory lane for two old duffers who yearn for the simple things from yesteryear. Rather, it’s a place for parents and grownups to come along and find a wooden toy that will deliver a huge amount of joy and fun to children that you wouldn’t think is possible without the bells, whistles and razzamatazz that accompany many modern toys.
We’re not sure how long hobby horses have been around, but we think that children have played with hobby horses for hundreds of years. You’d have thought that hobby horses, like real horses, might have suffered a decline in popularity with the advent of the motor car. I mean, who wants a hobby horse when you could be riding in a shiny electric toy car?
Well, it would appear that plenty of children still enjoy playing with hobby horses and plenty of parents, grandparents and grownups are happy to saddle up a horse, wrap it in colourful paper and present it to lucky kids on birthdays and at Christmas. A hobby horse is an invitation to gallop away across imaginary fields in pursuit of adventure. Hobby horses are toys that children will cherish, often giving them a favourite name and a prominent position in their list of favourite toys. I remember racing my brother around our grandparents’ garden on our hobby horses (yes, I did have a cowboy outfit) as we dodged in and out of granddad’s gooseberry bushes and tried (and often failed) to remember not to trample on the flower bed. I also remember my sister trailing far behind – as baby sisters often do!
I suspect that the games modern children play with their hobby horses are the same as ever. These games will be energetic and exciting; they will involve lots of running and jumping over hedges or fences; there will be chases and races; damsels and princesses will need rescuing; messages will be delivered at breakneck speed. The only limit to these games is the limits of a young imagination, which we all know is frequently limitless. It’s also sometimes easy to forget the clear developmental benefits of toys such as hobby horses, which help children strengthen growing muscles, improve balance and fine motor skills and generally promote increased confidence in young children who need a helping hand to stand up alone and start to move around by themselves.
First and foremost though, hobby horses, like all of the toys we have selected for WoodenToyShop.co.uk, are about fun. We’d happily back our hobby horses to win the hearts and minds of your little angels!
