Contemporary toys made from recycled materials

These toys and games demonstrate the resourcefulness of children throughout Australia, and particularly in remote regions of the country. Contemporary toys in our collection are made from various materials that were either found around the home or wider community, or were modified from other items.

Examples include several toy ‘motor cars’ and pull along toys from Western Australia and the Northern Territory, which are made from metal tins which have been filled with sand, and held together with threaded through wire or fishing line, or on a wooden handle. There are also pull along toys made from pieces of broken toy cars. There is even a ball from Ngalijibama in the Northern Territory which is made from old ‘chux’ cloths tied into a cube shape with nylon rope and cassette tape.