History · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Technological Advancements in Toys

Children connect best when learning bridges their lived experience with the past. This topic works because students examine their own toys alongside historical examples, making abstract concepts concrete through comparison and role play.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: History - Changes within living memory

• 20–25 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 25 min · Pairs

Role Play: The Time Travelling Toy Shop

One student plays a shopkeeper from 1920 and another a modern child. The child tries to explain how their Nintendo Switch or Lego works, while the shopkeeper shows them a hoop and stick.

What do you notice about toys that need batteries to work?

Facilitation Tip

During Role Play: The Time Travelling Toy Shop, assign clear roles so students practise historical enquiry by interviewing classmates about their ‘era’ of toys.

What to look for

Provide students with a picture of a battery-operated toy and a simple toy (e.g., a car vs. a toy train). Ask them to draw one line connecting a feature of the battery toy to the word 'battery' and write one sentence explaining how playing with it is different from playing with the simple toy.

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

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 20 min · Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Our Favourite Toys

Students bring in a photo of their favourite toy and place it next to a photo of a similar toy from the past (e.g., a modern doll next to a Victorian doll). The class walks around to spot similarities.

How is playing with a battery toy different from playing with a simple toy like a ball?

What to look for

Show students a simple toy and a battery-operated toy. Ask: 'What makes this toy (point to battery toy) work differently than this toy (point to simple toy)?' 'What does the battery do?' 'How does the electricity help you play?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Formal Debate
• 20 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: Old vs New

Divide the class into two sides. One side argues why modern toys are better (lights, speed) and the other argues why old toys are better (don't break, no batteries needed).

What do you think toys might look like in the future?

What to look for

Hold up various toy parts (e.g., a wheel, a light-up button, a sound box). Ask students to give a thumbs up if they think that part needs a battery to work and explain why. Then, ask them to give a thumbs down if it does not and explain what makes it work.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by modelling curiosity first. Use photographs and artefacts to show how toys reflect technology and culture, but anchor every lesson in students’ own experiences. Avoid assuming prior knowledge—build from what children already know about their favourite toys before introducing historical context.

Successful learning shows when students confidently describe how toys have changed, ask informed questions about the past, and explain why sources like photographs and interviews matter in history. Their curiosity about differences between old and new toys drives deeper enquiry.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Role Play: The Time Travelling Toy Shop, watch for students who imply that children in the past didn’t enjoy play.

  Use the role play to demonstrate old games like ‘Oranges and Lemons’ and have students compare the fun to their own games. Ask them to describe how rules or teamwork create enjoyment without modern tech.

• During Gallery Walk: Our Favourite Toys, watch for students who assume history is only in books.

  Guide students to treat classmates’ photos and descriptions as living sources. Ask them to interview a peer about why their toy is special and record their answers as evidence of change over time.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Gallery Walk
• Formal Debate