Toys aren’t toys unless they are fun. Anthropologists have found evidence of people having fun with toys as far back as there is recorded history. As early as 4000 B.C., for example, the people of Babylon played a game that preceded the present day games of chess and checkers.
Just as play is an essential component in life, toys are an important ingredient of play. In fact, toys might be considered the tools of play—basic instruments for the development of a child’s fantasy, imagination and creativity.
Almost everyone has had a special toy as a child. As adults, we can revisit our childhood, if only for a little while, by once again holding, feeling, and seeing a favorite plaything – whether it’s a Raggedy Ann doll, a toy truck, or a glob of Silly Putty.

From Toy Industry Association