What is Greektoys

What is Greektoys

Greektoys Children’s Revolution® is an educational project that aims to promote the ancient Greek heritage through technology. The project is focusing on creating the “Greektoys” animated series, making research related to ancient greek toys, and creating the 3Dvirtual museum of ancient greek toys and 3Dmodel of Kasta Tomb of Amphipolis. Workshops for children are very important for our goal achievement. Additional activities are presentations and lectures in schools and universities.

Greektoys loves to introduce children to the ancient civilizations and we are doing it since 2012 in Greece, Belgium and other European countries.

Research

In 2011 we decided to produce the animated series where the characters are greek toys figurines, but we found out that the available information was insufficient. Since then, we decided to do this research ourselves. We travel to museums in Greece and other European countries to document and digitize exhibits. Archaeologists and museums are supporting our project either by consulting or by giving access to ancient exhibits.

Technology

It is our belief that technology can be used to preserve and promote ancient greek toys. 3D scanning and 3D modeling techniques made authentic ancient exhibits accessible and available in Greektoys 3Dvirtual museum.

As well as, a significant part of the project is the animated series “Greektoys”. The characters of the series are inspired by original ancient greek toys. Their design is the outcome of long-time research in several museums in Europe. Three toys from Ancient Greece are the main characters of the series. Valios is a little horsetoy made of clay, Lilly Bell is a rattle and Filon is a baby’s milk bottle in a pig shape. Our little friends live
adventures and travel in other countries where they meet toys of other civilizations.

Co-operations

Some remarkable co-operations should be mentioned:

Work of Greektoys regarding Amphipolis tomb has been published by National Geographic History, issue April 2016.
Rai Storia (National Italian TV) – Participation in documentary “I Grifoni di Ascoli Satriano su Rai Storia” regarding Amphipolis tomb.
Published photographic material in “Ancient Greek Civilization” David Sansone, 3rd Edition, publications Wiley Blackwell.
Scientific conference “Use of new technologies in the educational process” of the Postgraduate Program “Educational Sciences – Education Using New Technologies” of the Department of Primary Education, Faculty of Humanities of University of the Aegean.
Publication of the article “Greektoys: Use of technology for the promotion of ancient greek cultural heritage”, in the book “Education with use of new technologies in the educational process”, University of he Aegean, 2017.
“Plaggona” project and 3D scanning of ancient greek toys: Greektoys project with the support of the Royal Art and History Museum in Brussels (Royal Museums of Art and History, Cinquantenaire Museum).
Wikipedia – Kasta tomb article, 3D representation of the tomb structure by Greektoys.