The ancient Egyptians believed that if their heart was light from spending a lifetime doing good deed that, after their death, they would climb in Ra's boat and travel to their afterlife. To the ancient Egyptians, the afterlife was a real place, the land of Two Fields, a truly splendid place! People spent a great deal of time making grave goods. Grave goods were all the things they wanted to bring with them to the land of the Two Fields.    

Nearly everybody made little statues as part of their grave goods. People in ancient Egypt fully expected to be assigned jobs to do in their afterlife, just as they were assigned jobs to do in their daily life. To the ancient Egyptians, it made perfect sense to create little statues that would do the work for them. It was believed that when the deceased was called on to do their share of the work in the afterlife, they could send their little workers instead. That would leave them free to sail the heavenly Nile or visit with friends who had entered the afterlife. 

The also made toys. They made beautiful clothing. They made jewelry, and anything else they might need in the land of the Two Fields. Once made, their grave goods were packed carefully away in big urns. After they died, the grave goods they had spent a lifetime preparing were buried with their mummified body. 

They ancient Egyptians had a great deal of fun preparing for their afterlife.