Children stayed at home until they reached marriageable age (about twenty for males, younger for females). Although Egyptian children had toys and are occasionally depicted at play, much of their time was spent preparing for adulthood. For example, peasant children accompanied their parents into the fields; the male offspring of craftsmen often served as apprentices to their fathers. Many privileged children received formal education to become a scribe. Some promising youngsters were taught by priests in temples, and children of the nobility sometimes received private instruction from tutors or learned to be an officer in the army.

As in our society, the size and appearance of an Egyptian house depended on the family's wealth and the location of the building. A typical nonprofessional's house in a city would have a small court facing a narrow street with a few rooms at the back. It had windows placed high in the walls and covered with latticework to keep out heat and the sun's glare. Steps at the rear of the house led up to a flat roof, where the family frequently slept to enjoy the breezes blowing off the desert. Houses were constructed of sun-dried mud bricks. Although these bricks were inexpensive and enabled fast construction, they were not durable over a long period of time.

Egyptian homes had kitchens, and most kitchens were equipped with a cylindrical, baked clay stove for cooking. The basic cooking equipment was a two-handled pottery saucepan.

The few furnishings in the ancient Egyptian home were simple in design, although the craftsmanship varied. The most common piece of furniture was a low stool, used by all Egyptians including the pharaoh. These were made from wood, had leather or woven rush seats, and had three or four legs. Usually the three-legged stool was used for work because floors were uneven. They used tables, which were often low, for eating and working.

The Egyptian bed had a wooden frame with legs often shaped like the legs of animals; a woven rush mat served as "springs." At one end of the bed was a footboard; at the other end, a wooden or stone headrest, which was equivalent to our pillow.

Lamps were used to light the house after dark. They were, for the most part, simple pottery or stone bowls containing oil and a wick. The ancient Egyptians did not have cupboards as we have in modern houses. They used wooden boxes or baskets to store their household goods. Their food was stored in wheel-made pottery.

The ancient Egyptians filled their leisure time with many pleasant activities. They enjoyed good food, drink, music, singing, and dancing. The upper class watched professional dancers at formal banquets. A number of musical instruments accompanied the dancers. The flute, oboe, trumpet, and an instrument resembling a clarinet were the most common wind instruments; stringed instruments included various types of harps, lutes, and lyres; and tambourines and drums were the normal percussion instruments. In rituals, sistra and clappers were used.

Other leisure activities included hunting, fowling, and fishing for sport. Hunters used a bow and arrow for most game--ibex, gazelle, wild cattle, ostriches, and hares. Fowling and fishing took place in marshes. For fowling, Egyptians used a throwstick that acted like a boomerang, stunning the bird and knocking it out of the sky. For fishing a long, double-barbed spear was used.

The Egyptians enjoyed pets. The dog was the most common. Cats also became popular. The wealthy sometimes had monkeys.

Members of literate households (5 percent at most) enjoyed reading. In the quiet of their homes, the ancient Egyptians played a number of board games, the most, popular being senet. Ancient Egyptian children had games and amusements similar to those of Egyptian children today. A number of simple toys like balls and dolls have been found in tombs.