Children, Play, and Learning Tasks: From North African Clay Toys to Neolithic Figurines

Long-term ethnographic research in the region of Tiznit in Morocco enabled us to reconstruct the different stages of manufacture of children's clay toys, from the selection of the raw material to shaping, firing, use and discard. Making toys and playing with them are two inseparable activities, essential for learning everyday tasks. From this perspective, we consider Neolithic figurines and clay utensils and their potential role in children's playful learning, addressing often neglected assumptions. This ethnoarchaeological approach, rather than suggesting a utilitarian equivalency between form and function, helps us to consider the importance of play and playfulness in the development of know-how, a sense of mastery, and a savoir vivre.