Collins Primary History Changes within Living Memory

2.1 1900

2.1 Time for play

Time for play 1910

1920

1930

1940

1902 first teddy bear made

1950

1960

1970

1958 Lego introduced

Ever since the Stone Age, a long, long time ago, children have been given toys to play with. And many of them would be familiar to us today. The first doll in Britain, for example, was discovered at Stonehenge, and is over 2000 years old!

A

B

1980

1990

1983 first games console introduced

C

Three model trains

16

Questions we might ask about old toys

Changing, and staying the same

Old toys can tell us a great deal about life in the past. Look carefully at these three pictures of model trains. What is each one made from?

Which ones are meant for young children to play with, and which ones are for older children? Which is the oldest? Which is the newest? How can you tell? How do they work?

In some ways toys have stayed the same – each of these is a toy train – but they have also changed. New toys have come along – Lego was first sold in 1958, and Play-Doh in 1956. The first Nintendo game console was in 1983; and the Wii was first sold in 2006.

17

2.2

Time for play

2.2 Time for play

Similar and different

B

Teddy bears

A

A modern teddy bear

This teddy is new. How is it similar to the teddy in Picture A, and how is it different?

A teddy bear from the 1930s

This is a photograph of a teddy from the 1930s. Teddy bears were first made in 1902 and named after the President of the United States, ‘Teddy’ (or Theodore) Roosevelt, who is said to have refused to shoot a baby bear he found when he was out hunting wild animals. They have been popular toys ever since. How can you tell that this teddy bear is old?

18

What questions would you like to ask about both of the teddy bears? What could we find out about the past from them? Can you imagine what life must have been like for a child in the 1930s when they played with their teddy bears? Do you think they would have played the same way that you do?

19

2.3

2.3 Time for play

Time for play

Outdoor games Children have always played football and cricket in the street, as well as skipping, marbles, conkers and hopscotch. Most of these games involved little or no equipment and could be played with as many people as were available. It was Playing hopscotch quite common to play 25-a-side football matches! When houses were small and full of people, and there was less traffic in the road, playing outside was a way to get some fresh air and exercise. How many of these games do children still play outside today? Are there other games you know of that were played outdoors?

Children skipping in the school playground

A game of cricket in the street

Let’s think about it!

Talk to older people about the games they played when they were young. Work out beforehand what questions you want to ask them.

Did they play the same kinds of games that you do today? Did they play games without adults around to supervise them?

Did they ever go to the park to play, or to organised play sessions, swimming lessons or other organised sports? How was their childhood play similar to yours? Lots of things have changed, but have any things stayed the same?

What games did they play at school? Are they the same or different to what you play at school?

20

21