Kids always have a lot to say about their toys. More opinions than there are monkeys in the barrel. But what do these toys say about kids?
Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti has travelled the world taking pictures of children from many countries and walks of life photographed with their favourite toys. The images show the beautiful universality that is our attachment to childhood toys.
Ben Machell from The Times Magazine spoke to the artist about the photographs (which you can see here):
How they play can reveal a lot. “The richest children were more possessive. At the beginning, they wouldn’t want me to touch their toys, and I would need more time before they would let me play with them,” says the Italian, who would often join in with a child’s games before arranging the toys and taking the photograph. “In poor countries, it was much easier. Even if they only had two or three toys, they didn’t really care. In Africa, the kids would mostly play with their friends outside.”
…Parents from the Middle East and Asia, he found, would push their children to be photographed even if they were initially nervous or upset, while South American parents were “really relaxed, and said I could do whatever I wanted as long as their child didn’t mind”.
How about you – what were your favourite childhood toys? Do you still have them?
Top Comments
i love africa
I showed my daughters the photos, and they want to send some of their toys to the children with only one toy....
Does anyone know of an organisation that facilitates this sort of thing?
I don't know of an organisation, but if you are in a captital city there is most likely someone who will collect toys and clothes to be taken to orphanages when families visit to pick up their child or visit the care home. We are travelling to the Philippines in Sept and will be taking aid. If you're in Brisbane I can give my details or the details of the person who collects things centrally.
Thanks for your reply J. All the best with your trip to the Phillipines.
I am in Melbourne, does anyone know of any organisations in Melbourne?
Liz I will see if I can track down someone who collects donations in Melbourne, if there is someone!
There's a thing called 'Operation Christmas Child' which involves filling a shoe box with things like toys, clothes, paper/pencils etc, and that shoe box gets delivered with thousands of others to children overseas who don't get to experience Christmas as we do.