Colonial toys were made of materials commonly handy around the house or farm such as wood, bits of cloth, sticks, corn husks, animal bones, and acorn tops. Does this suggest the use of gourds would have been a natural leap since gourds were grown on farms and, once dehydrated, took on some of the characteristics of wood with the added bonus of being curved? Debbie Starnes of the Indiana Gourd Society explains the process for making a gourd head doll. In fact, dolls may be the most ancient toy since evidence of dolls exists from as early as the 3rd century. It is only a small leap to think industrialization would have led to mechanisms for a doll to move its parts such as arms and legs.
What proof is there for early dolls made with gourds? The same article talks about toys being made from local materials such as gourds filled with pebbles to make rattles. If gourds were grown locally in gardens and are farms, then they would have been available for a wide variety of purposes: medicinal ritual, musical instruments, dance, and maybe even toys.
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