In ancient Athens children life was dictated by their gender and their parents’ social status. Athenians clearly preferred having boys, as they were the future citizens and could carry on the family name.

Up until the age of seven, children stayed at home under their mother’s care. They played with rattles, miniature vessels, clay animals, dolls, horses on wheels, spinning tops, knucklebones and joined group games.

Growing up, boys from wealthier families went to school, where they were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, music and poetry and they exercised in the palestra. Later they could be educated on philosophy, rhetoric, medicine, law and sciences.

Girls, on the other hand, stayed home and were only taught the basics. Only a few went to school to learn poetry, music, and dancing, since girls were destined to become good wives, mothers and homemakers.

Certain rituals were associated with children from birth to adulthood. Perhaps the vessels in the shape of a child’s head were used in one of them. Parents often hung charms on their kids or dedicated children’s statues to the gods in order to ask help or thank them for protecting their offspring.