Toys then and now
History · Key Stage 1 · The School
Toys long ago
Many old toys were simple. A spinning top. A wooden hoop and stick. A rag doll, sewn from cloth. A set of skittles. None of them needed batteries. None of them had a screen. A child made them work with their own hands.
Toys today
Many toys today are electronic. A tablet game. A remote control car. A talking teddy bear. They often need batteries, or need charging. Press a button, and the toy itself does something. That is very new, compared to a spinning top.
Sorting toys by power
Sort ten toys into two piles. Toys that need no power at all: a ball, a doll, a wooden train. Toys that need batteries or charging: a games console, a robot toy, a musical toy. Most homes have both kinds mixed together.
A spinning top and a tablet game
A spinning top is made of wood. You spin it with your fingers. It has no batteries. It makes no sound by itself. A tablet game is made of plastic and glass. It needs charging. It lights up. It makes sounds and music by itself. Both are toys. Both are fun. But one needs your own energy, and the other needs electricity. That difference tells you a great deal about how toys have changed.
Asking a grown-up about their toys
Ask a grown-up what toys they had as a child. Write down what they say. Compare it with your own favourite toy. What is the same? What is different? That is a real piece of history, and you found it yourself, just by asking.