by our exhibitions and the collection.
Toys
Pupils discover toys from the past in our paintings and decorative arts. They handle original toys and learn how to play long-forgotten games.
Aims (Skills, Knowledge, Activity, Result)
- To recognise and describe similarities and differences between toys past and present in terms of design, materials, types, how they work and how you play with them.
- To discover how historical artefacts are exhibited in the gallery and understand the importance of careful handling.
- To examine artworks to help find out about how children played in the past and what kind of toys they played with.
- To experience games that children played in the past and explore and play with old-fashioned toys.
What happens in a workshop
The children handle and examine a variety of old and new toys, describe their similarities and differences, and sort them accordingly. In small groups, the children are given their own toy box, filled with genuine and replica toys and games from the past to share, explore and play with.
On our gallery tour, we visit some of our more precious toys, comparing them to our own and thinking about different types of play. We look at some of our paintings of children and toys from the past, trying out some of the toys featured, and their modern equivalents, on the gallery floor.
Prepare for your visit
Discuss which toys and games are popular today and how they work. The children should be familiar with the basic materials that toys are made from (wood, metal, plastic etc). It is helpful if children have listened to and told stories about what has happened to them or their families in the past, in order to establish some understanding of the passage of time, particularly the concept of a time when their parents and grandparents were children. Split into 4 groups with 1 adult to support each group.
Find out how to plan your visit, including booking information, parking, facilities and a downloadable risk assessment.
What people are saying about the workshop
"It was lovely for the children to experience old toys first hand. It certainly expanded and consolidated their learning.”
Year 1 teacher, Claremont Primary School
