Grandparents' Toys: Materials and Design

Active learning works for this topic because firsthand exploration of materials helps young learners move beyond abstract ideas to concrete understanding. Handling replicas of old toys lets children notice details that photos cannot capture, building a foundation for historical thinking.

• Year 1
• History
• 3 activities
• 15 min–40 min

Learning Objectives

1. Compare materials used in grandparents' toys (wood, metal, cloth) with materials in modern toys.
2. Identify design differences between historical and contemporary toys.
3. Explain why toy materials and designs have changed over time, referencing changes within living memory.
4. Classify toys based on their primary material (wood, metal, cloth, plastic).

Stations Rotation

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Material Detectives

Set up four stations with different toys: wooden blocks, a tin wind-up toy, a rag doll, and a modern plastic action figure. Students rotate in small groups to touch the toys and record if they feel cold, hard, soft, or heavy.

Prepare & details

What do you notice about the toys your grandparents used to play with?

Facilitation Tip: For Material Detectives, place one replica toy at each station and have students record findings on a simple checklist with columns for material, colour, and texture.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 15 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Mystery Object

Show the class an image of a Victorian spinning top or a cup-and-ball game. Students think about how it might work, discuss with a partner, and then share their ideas with the class before a live demonstration.

Prepare & details

How are old toys the same as or different from the toys you have?

Facilitation Tip: During The Mystery Object, pause after the think phase to remind pairs to describe the object’s shape, size, and what they think it might do before guessing its use.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Role Play

⏱ 20 min·Small Groups

Role Play: Grandparents' Playtime

Students act out a scene where they have no batteries or screens and must entertain themselves with a hoop and stick or marbles. This helps them experience the physical nature of older games.

Prepare & details

Which old toy would you most like to play with, and why?

Facilitation Tip: In Role Play, model the first turn by speaking in short phrases and simple sentences as an elderly person, then invite hesitant students to repeat the pattern with a peer.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should focus on sensory exploration and storytelling rather than abstract timelines. Avoid overloading with names of historical periods; instead, link materials directly to sensory experiences such as weight, sound, or feel. Research shows that firsthand contact with objects strengthens memory and chronological reasoning in young children.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like pupils confidently naming materials, describing how toys were used, and explaining at least one key difference between old and new toys. They should show curiosity about why materials changed and share observations with peers.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Material Detectives, watch for students who dismiss old toys as 'boring' because they lack lights or sounds.

What to Teach Instead

Use the wooden spinning top and rag ball at the station. Ask students to spin the top and toss the ball, then prompt them to describe the fun they had without electronic help and how their bodies moved differently.

Common Misconception

During The Mystery Object, watch for students who assume old toys were always colourless.

What to Teach Instead

Set out the brightly painted tin horse and patchwork doll at the mystery object station. Invite students to describe the colours before guessing the toy’s use, directly countering the 'colourless past' idea.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Material Detectives, provide two toy pictures and ask students to draw one line connecting a similar feature between old and new and one line connecting a contrasting feature, labeling each pair 'Same' or 'Different'.

Discussion Prompt

During Role Play, hold up a wooden block and a plastic brick and ask, 'How are these two objects the same? How are they different?' Then ask students to predict which feels heavier and which would break more easily, listening for reasoning about material properties.

Quick Check

During Material Detectives, show images of a wooden train, rag doll, metal car, and plastic action figure. Ask students to hold up one finger for wood, two for metal, three for cloth, and four for plastic, noting who changes fingers or hesitates.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to sketch a new toy made only from materials older toys used, labeling each part with the material it would be made from.
• Scaffolding: Provide a word bank with material words and sentence stems like “This toy feels ___ because it is made of ___.”
• Deeper: Invite students to interview a family member about a favorite childhood toy and present one surprising fact to the class.

Key Vocabulary

Material	The substance from which something is made, such as wood, metal, or cloth.
Design	The plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a toy before it is made.
Durable	Able to withstand wear, pressure, or damage; strong and long-lasting.
Technology	The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry, leading to new tools and machines.