No, they were not childhood gifts. They figured in during my years spent celebrating Christmas in Italy. Italy originated the custom of setting up Nativity scenes. It is said that Saint Francis of Assisi originated these scenes, as a reminder to the wealthy people of his time that the Savior of humanity was born poor. If you are in Italy during the Advent and Christmas seasons, you notice that Nativity scenes are everywhere.
Every church has an elaborate arrangement which can take up much of the interior.
Nativity-scene figurines can readily be purchased for home projects. And projects is the right word. Nativity scenes in Italy do not stop with a literal representation of the magi of Matthew and the shepherds of Luke. In the Italian custom, every Nativity scene is potentially a representation of the cosmos. The countryside surrounding the manger can contain people of all occupations, engaged in any number of activities.