VIETNAMESE TRADITIONAL TOYS

In the past, Vietnamese children grew up in a natural manner. From an early age, they were expected to help in family’s form-works. People had little time to spare on entertainment, and children played with toys made from all possible materials within reach such as wood, leaves, bamboo, clay and paper.

Kite is a traditional toy for rural children which is played with in the summer. The frame, made from bamboo, is covered with Do paper or rice paper (elastic paper). The glue used to attach the paper is made from persimmon resin. In the center of the kite, a system of flutes, made from bamboo, is installed which creates a sound when the kite is flown. On a hot summer day, some Vietnamese people derive pleasure from flying a kite while riding a buffalo.

During mid-autumn festivals, lion head masks can be found everywhere in lions dances, an exciting part of any Vietnamese festival. The lion head is made from painted paper mach.Two pieces of mirror are pasted on for eyes, a long tail of red cloth is glued on and bright synthetic fibers serve as a mane instead of one-time rabbit fur or cotton wool. During the dance, one person wears the lion head while others wave the long tail. The lion is accomplished by other dancers dressed in clown masks, and together, they dance to the beat of a pounding drum.

Phoc Gun is a typical boy’s toy, most popular at early summer time. Although it is called a “gun”, it is of no danger, and can help kids develop hand co-ordination. The bullets are small nuts or balls of rolled paper and the cylinder is small, the hollow bamboo tube of not more than 5mm. A second round stick, which acts as a piston is fitted into this tube. To load the toy, the child pushes a bullet through the hollow tube to the lip of the barrel. A second bullet is placed just inside the gun’s mouth and quickly pushed, so that the air inside the tube is compressed. The first bullet flies out with a sharp “phoc”, or popping noise, which gives the toy its name.

Leaf Buffalo very simple toy is often made by children. A large Bahamian leaf is cut near the stem, which is then tied with a thread. The leaf is rolled to form the body of the buffalo. To play with this toy, the "body" of the buffalo is held in one hand, while the thread is pulled, causing the "head" to rise and bow. When the thread is pulled, children make sounds to imitate the roar of the buffalo. The Bahamian leaf-made buffalo is a popular toy with children in kindergarten. It is easy to make and costs nothing.