Mexican Toys

The toys in Mexico had a big influence after the Spanish conquest. The most of us played with mexicans toys when we were children. Nowadays these toys have been replaced by tecnological games. Eventhough is good to remember the good days when we had hours of joy.

Canicas (Marbles): In every country and sometimes in some zones are known with different names, but these were played in the whole world and exists many different ways to play with them. My parents and my grandparents played them as well. In my case I didn’t play much but I used to collect them.

Matatena: The origin of this toy is nahuatl. What you need is a set of matatenas, a mini ball and a plein surface. You can play it alone or with a group; also exists many ways to play but the most common one is about to hit the matatena with the little ball and then the same person who throw the ball has to catch the matatena, but you only can use one hand.

Pirinola: It is a kind of dreidel which has scripts in the outlines of the toy. The goal’s game is to spin the pirinola and when it stops, the person who spin it must to make the action descripted of your luck and some people like to make bettings. I always played this with my cousins and we like to bet with candies.

Balero: It is a juggling toy composed of a stem, usually of wood, attached by a rope to a ball pierced by one or more holes of a diameter adjusted to the stem. The goal is to embed a thin stem axis through the deck. I was really bad in this one but my father and my grandpa were masters.

Kimbomba:This is a very popular game in Yucatan. For this game is necessary to have a wood stick and the kimbomba that is a wood figure with a cylindrical form made of wood and what you have to do is, with the stick to hit the kimbomba. It’s similar to baseball game. I have never try this game but my co-worker Jennifer said she did.

Trompo: It is a cone-shaped toy, usually made of wood with an iron tip, which is wound to a rope in order to throw it and make it turn on its own. The trompo which last longer spinning on the floor is the winner. I didn’t play with the wood spins. When I played with them, they were colorful and plastic made. I like to make some tricks like to spin it in my hand instead of the floor and I remember that some had light inside and they looked very cool when they were spinning.