Recycled Wire Toy Truck, Uganda

The photograph shows a boy "driving" an ingeniously simple but functional toy truck made of wire, wood, and what are likely plastic bottlecap wheels. Purchased, often imported toys are very expensive and homemade toys are common in many poorer countries. A father or other relative may compensate for this by making a simple toy out of old cans and wire. Some toys like this are made for sale in urban markets; in Kampala, the sale of homemade toys provides extra income for toy makers and their families. The boy, who appears to be under five years old, was photographed in 2004 with a Polaroid instant camera in a Ugandan village by a British geography teacher on a study tour. How might this toy influence the boy's play? Compare this truck with others—both handmade and mass produced—as well as children's play activities.