Thank You for Toilet Paper: A History of the Little Things

They teach us collaboration, risk management, strategy, and the importance of sheer dumb luck. For thousands of years, humanity has used board games to have fun, create social ties, learn strategy, and occasionally find a good partner. From good sports to sore losers, it's time for a little bit of love and gratitude for board games.

They pair well with fries, hamburgers, chicken, and more. Great for barbecues and late-night snacks, time for a little bit of love for ketchup and fry sauce!

When you just need to get something out of your system or perhaps record a good story from your life so you don't forget it, a journal or a diary is the way to go. Famous journals and diaries have helped paint a vivid picture of the past, from grand historic events like the Great Fire of London to the annoying everyday occurrence of an unannounced guest who just won't leave, journals show us that humans have quite a lot in common with each other, even across the centuries. Time for a little bit of love for journals and diaries!

Perfect for on-the-go sock-making, fashionable sweaters, or a good scarf, knitting has been keeping humanity warm, and occupied, for centuries. Time for a little bit of love for knitting!

Coming to our rescue in a jam, from kitchens to bathrooms, the plunger is an amazing tool. It's even been used to save a few lives! Time for a little bit of love for plungers!

For all the times that we mess up in life or on paper, there are...breadcrumbs. Just kidding. There are erasers! Although, before we had these handy tools, breadcrumbs played a big role in cleaning up our mistakes. Time for a little love for erasers!

Used to wave a fond farewell or save us from our sniffles when we have a cold--it's time for a little bit of love for handkerchiefs and tissues!

They may not always be easy to find, but they are always handy in a pinch. Time for a little love for bobby pins!

Over the years, we've gone from papyrus to bone to bamboo, eventually ending up with this handy means of communication. It makes up our textbooks, maps, contracts, and love letters. Time for a little bit of love for paper!

They allowed us to feel like we were flying as children and continue to give us a new point of view today. Time for a little bit of love for the most popular plaything on the playground: Swings.