Homemade Toys

In Angola I’ve seen a lot of homemade toys. I really enjoy watching kids play with them- such a refreshing change from all the electronic junk that is rampant in the States these days. When I was in Zambia I also saw some great ones as well. These toys generally involve wire, used tin or aluminum cans, or an old wheel. Of course, as with kids all over the world, just a pot and a spoon will do here, too.

Here is an Angolan homemade “bicycle.” The kid was really shy about having his picture taken, but I bought him a juice and it broke the shyness.

Here are some Zambian toys. The boy with the old tire had a stick and would just push it along. This was a huge hit and a swarm of kids would follow him, trying to catch the tire.

Here’s one of my favorites, a wire car from Zambia. I wanted a picture with just the boy and his car, but the camera was too much of a novelty and he was quickly mobbed. (You can see the little girl next to him trying to grab the car out of his hand!) In Angola you see these too, but usually made out of old Fanta cans. You can't see in the picture, but old bottle caps are used as wheels- they really work!