Toy soldier facts for kids

These are 54 mm (about 2 inches) toy soldiers. They look like the Coldstream Guards from Britain.

A toy soldier is a small model of a soldier. These tiny figures show soldiers from all time periods. They can also include knights, cowboys, pirates, and samurai. Toy soldiers range from simple toys to very detailed models. The detailed ones are sometimes called model figures. Bigger toys like dolls or action figures might wear uniforms. But they are usually not called toy soldiers.

Toy soldiers are made from many materials. The most common ones are metal and plastic. There are different kinds, like flat tin soldiers. Some are hollow metal figures. Others are made from a mix of sawdust and glue. Plastic army men are also very popular. Metal toy soldiers were often sold in sets. Plastic figures were sold individually or in big boxes. Today, many collectible figures are sold one by one.

How Big Are Toy Soldiers? (Scale)

These are plastic figures from the American Civil War. Some are painted, some are not.

The size of a toy soldier is called its "scale." This is usually given as the figure's height in millimeters. For example, a 54 mm soldier is about 2.25 inches tall. This is a common size for many toy soldiers. Different companies might make figures from 50 mm to 60 mm tall.

For people who play wargames, smaller sizes like 25 mm are common. Some older American and German toy soldiers were larger. They were about 75 mm (3 inches) tall.

Here are some common sizes for toy soldiers:

Collecting Toy Soldiers

Many people enjoy collecting toy soldiers. It's a big hobby with many small companies. There are also dealers and special shows. Magazines like "Toy Soldier Collector" are made just for this hobby. Collectors often focus on one type of soldier. Or they might collect figures from a certain time in history.

Popular historical periods for collecting include:

• The Napoleonic Wars
• The Victorian era
• The American Civil War
• World War I
• World War II

Some collectors paint plastic figures. Others even make their own metal figures. Famous collectors include actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and fantasy writer George R. R. Martin. Malcolm Forbes had a huge collection of over 90,000 figures. Anne S. K. Brown collected over 6,000 figures. Her collection is now at Brown University Library.

There are many yearly shows for toy soldiers. The Plastic Warrior Show is the oldest in the U.K. The London Toy Soldier Show is also very well known. In the U.S., there's the Chicago Toy Soldier Show. These events are great places to see and buy figures.

Different Kinds of Toy Soldiers

This is a set of 40 metal toy soldiers from World War I. They were made around 1925.

Toy soldiers have been made in many ways over the years. This depends on the materials and how they are made. Here are some common types:

• Aluminum: These were made mostly in France.
• Army Men: These are cheap, unpainted plastic soldiers. They often come in bags or play sets.
• Composition: Made from sawdust and glue. These were popular in Austria and Germany.
• Connoisseur: These are high-quality, very detailed figures. They have excellent paint jobs.
• Dimestore: These were hollow metal figures. They were sold in "five and dime" stores in the U.S.
• Flat: These are thin, two-dimensional tin soldiers.
• Hollow Cast: These are metal figures that are hollow inside. This saves on metal.
• Paper: These were printed on paper or cardboard. Sometimes they were glued onto wood blocks.
• Plastic: These can be hard or soft plastic. They are usually painted.
• Solid: These are made of solid metal. They were common in Germany in the 1800s and early 1900s.
• Wood: Germany also made many wooden toy soldiers and forts.

Some famous old toy soldier makers include Airfix, Britains, Elastolin, and Marx.

Playing Games with Toy Soldiers

H. G. Wells playing a wargame with toy soldiers in 1913.

Playing war games with toy figures started with H. G. Wells. He was a famous writer. In 1913, he wrote a book called Little Wars. Wells was a pacifist, meaning he didn't like war. He published the first detailed rules for playing war games with toy soldiers. He thought these games might help prevent real wars.

Wells said the idea for the game came from his friend Jerome K. Jerome. After dinner, Jerome started shooting toy soldiers with a toy cannon. Wells joined in to compete.

Another similar book, Shambattle: How to Play with Toy Soldiers, came out in 1929. Today, people still play wargames with miniature figures. But they often use smaller figures than collectors prefer.

See also

In Spanish: Soldado de juguete para niños