Abstract
The article examines traditional Kazakh children’s games and toys as interconnected phenomena within cultural heritage. The study aims to show the historical use and structural features of children’s games, to systematize their educational functions on the basis of ethnographic materials, and to determine their significance as cultural heritage. The theoretical framework draws on historical and ethnographic works, as well as studies and publications on child upbringing. Comparative-historical and typological methods were used to identify the content and distinctive features of traditional games and toys. Alongside games such as dumpildek, marlamkash, takiya tastamak, asyk atu and langi, the study examines traditional objects including dolls, wooden toys and Orteke. The analysis shows that traditional games combined physical, cognitive, social and cultural functions. Ethnographic evidence suggests that play was not merely entertainment, but also a way of introducing children to work, shared rules, mutual responsibility and interaction with their environment. Similar forms of asyk games among Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and Turks, as well as the use of the name dumpildek in the Kazakh-Kyrgyz cultural space, are discussed. The study also highlights the value of traditional games and toys for museums, educational and family practices and for preserving cultural memory.