Toys of Syrian Children:

To be a Syrian boy or girl, of no more than ten years old, means that you were undoubtedly born in time of war, and have not the chance to enjoy many of childhood’s joys and games.

It also means that part of such a kid’s dreams would be to go to amusement parks and enjoy their bright colorful flashing lights. For them, playing a football match with schoolmates in the neighborhood’s green grass playground might be a kind of luxury!

In fact, just having a well air-filled football or a beautiful doll is sheer luxury in the camps where nearly two million displaced children live. Of course, the rest of the children, who do not have any kind of toys, will inevitably see such a child “lucky”, and will undoubtedly try to get closer to him to share play with them.

In the displaced people camps’ small tents, that may lack the basics, children's toys remain a luxury not accessible to all.

It is true that those Syrian children were born in time of war, bombardment and devastation, but their human and childish instinct makes them attached to the toys, albeit few, they usually got from international humanitarian organizations.

In 2020, the number of children showing symptoms of psychological and social distress doubled, says an official UNICEF report, explaining that continuous exposure to violence, intense fear and trauma has a significant impact on the mental health of children, with both short and long-term consequences.

Perhaps playing will repair war’s damages and repercussions on the psyche of Syrian children, increase their self-confidence and self-esteem, improve their physical and mental health, develop new skills, help them learn to share things, and enhance their imagination, creativity and independence.

With her crystal green eyes, as wide as the world, dreaming of riding a horse, and having fun with her best friends Halima and Betoul around the camp tents, Nisreen has but a pink and blue toy car.

“I love it because I don't have anything else,” the ten-year old girl told Tiny Hand, “It is true that I had many toys before, but they were all lost.”

With great joy, beautiful Nisreen moves her toy car on the dusty tent floor and plays with it cheerfully, who knows? Perhaps she imagines herself driving her own real car with joy and ecstasy.

In the Azraq Refugee camp, near Idleb, to which he and his family were displaced two years ago, Absi was not fortunate enough to have a toy, not any one.

“I don't have any toy,” said the ten-year old boy with sad eyes, sitting on a rock in front of a tent, “I wish to have many toys, toy cars, pistols and a ball....”

Absi replaces the toys he wishes to own by accompanying his friends, namely Abdel-Halim, Abbas and Mustafa.

He has fun playing in the camp yard and joins his friends playing soccer matches or building mud houses, or at worst, stacking small white stones to form a geometric model.

Playing with her dear doll, brushing its long blonde hair and adjusting its pink dress; that is how Zehiya spends her time with her favorite doll carrying it wherever she goes in the Azraq Refugee Camp.

“The aid organization gave me this doll. It is my favorite," said the 7-year-old girl, boasting, as if she owns a treasure, that she also has a "teddy bear" and a toy car gift from her father.

With a dream of becoming a teacher someday, this little girl spends time playing alone or with her younger brother, even though she sees him a troublemaker. She spoke to us in intervals before she returns to pet and take care of her doll.

With a look of ecstasy on her face, Bashira looks at her treasure she carefully placed in front of her.

In front of her tent, the 11-year-old girl quietly stares at her toys. In the eyes of the rest of the children, she is lucky to have two beautiful dolls in bright dresses; one of which has a hat and sits in a stroller.

The girl also has an educational computer with games to pronounce Arabic and English letters and recite religious supplications, but we do not know for sure if the child can buy batteries to run it. 

Bashira’s various toys include a bicycle, small balls, a crown, and other tiny toys.

Bashira bought these toys back in the village, and kept them when she and her family were forced to leave. “My most beloved ones will always be those two dolls because they are blonde and beautiful,” she told Tiny Hand.