We are often surprised how spoiled modern kids are, how many toys they have and don’t appreciate them (and prefer a tablet most of all). Well, Soviet kids didn’t have such a luxurious life, so they sometimes had to entertain themselves by making toys themselves - including from the most available materials. In Russia, it was the potato.
So, parenthood can still be cheap, if you use life hacks from this 1931 illustrated book by A. Fedulov and Molodaya Gvardiya (Young Guard) publications.
A.Fedulov/Molodaya Gvardiya, 1931
The book has 11 pages showing different toys that you can make from potatoes. Just look how creative they are!
A samovar and tea set
A.Fedulov/Molodaya Gvardiya, 1931
A potato man walking his potato dog
A.Fedulov/Molodaya Gvardiya, 1931
And a potato dog with its potato doghouse
A.Fedulov/Molodaya Gvardiya, 1931
The book also has a brief instruction on how to make all the toys: “You can make all those toys from potatoes. Pick the appropriate ones and wash them carefully. Cut them and carve them with the knife as shown. You can make arms, legs, necks and tales from matches or sticks. You can fasten potatoes together using matches, too.”
Potato boys riding potato swing
A.Fedulov/Molodaya Gvardiya, 1931
Potato man fishing!
A.Fedulov/Molodaya Gvardiya, 1931
A potato man rides a potato horse!
A.Fedulov/Molodaya Gvardiya, 1931
The same year, A. Fedulov released a second part of the book called ‘The precocious handmade’, where he features another nine pages of potato toys.
A.Fedulov/Molodaya Gvardiya, 1931
A potato mama walking her potato baby
A.Fedulov/Molodaya Gvardiya, 1931
A potato student learning his potato science
A.Fedulov/Molodaya Gvardiya, 1931
And even a spread dedicated to a potato music band!
A.Fedulov/Molodaya Gvardiya, 1931
Both books have been digitized and uploaded online and are available on the huge National Children Library online archive. To see the whole first book, click here and here for the sequel.