Play in Early 20th Century Ireland

Active learning lets students physically engage with historical play, making Ireland’s early 20th century culture tangible. Hands-on recreations of games and role-playing help students grasp how community, space, and technology shaped childhood pastimes in ways that textbooks cannot convey alone.

• 3rd Year
• Exploring Our Past: From Stone Age Ireland to Ancient Civilizations
• 4 activities
• 30 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

1. Compare traditional Irish games of the early 20th century with contemporary games played globally, identifying similarities and differences in rules and objectives.
2. Analyze how the availability and use of specific outdoor spaces, such as streets and village greens, influenced the types of games played by children in early 20th century Ireland.
3. Explain the impact of the introduction of radio and cinema on children's leisure time and play habits in early 20th century Ireland.
4. Classify different forms of play in early 20th century Ireland, categorizing them as traditional, street-based, or emerging forms of entertainment.

Experiential Learning

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Game Stations: Irish and Global Play

Prepare stations with equipment and rules for Irish games like marbles and equivalents from other countries, such as jacks from the US. Small groups rotate every 10 minutes, play each game, then chart similarities and differences on shared posters. Conclude with a class share-out.

Prepare & details

Compare traditional Irish games to games played in other countries.

Facilitation Tip: Set a 5-minute timer for the Artifact Gallery Walk to maintain energy and keep students moving purposefully between stations.

Setup: Varies; may include outdoor space, lab, or community setting

Materials: Experience setup materials, Reflection journal with prompts, Observation worksheet, Connection-to-content framework

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

Experiential Learning

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Play Space Mapping: Local History

Provide historical maps or photos of the local area. In pairs, students identify and mark spots used for play, like streets or fields, noting community features. Pairs present maps and discuss how spaces shaped games.

Prepare & details

Analyze how community and outdoor spaces were used for play.

Setup: Varies; may include outdoor space, lab, or community setting

Materials: Experience setup materials, Reflection journal with prompts, Observation worksheet, Connection-to-content framework

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

Experiential Learning

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Drama Scenarios: Tech Changes Leisure

Divide into groups to script and perform scenes of a day before and after radio or cinema arrives. Include traditional play versus new listening or viewing. Debrief on predicted shifts in time use.

Prepare & details

Predict how the invention of radio and cinema changed leisure time.

Setup: Varies; may include outdoor space, lab, or community setting

Materials: Experience setup materials, Reflection journal with prompts, Observation worksheet, Connection-to-content framework

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

Gallery Walk

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Toys and Games

Display images or replica toys from the era. Students in small groups visit stations, note materials and uses, then vote on most changed by technology. Discuss findings whole class.

Prepare & details

Compare traditional Irish games to games played in other countries.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

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

Teaching This Topic

Start with what students know about play today, then contrast it with historical evidence. Avoid romanticizing the past: emphasize both the joy and the constraints of early 20th century play. Research shows students retain more when they analyze primary sources alongside active tasks.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently demonstrating games from the era, mapping local play spaces with historical accuracy, and articulating how radio and cinema altered leisure. They should connect personal experiences to historical sources and artifacts.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Game Stations, watch for students assuming traditional Irish games followed strict, formal rules like modern athletics.

What to Teach Instead

Use the stations to highlight the fluid, community-driven nature of games by encouraging students to modify rules or equipment and observe how play adapts.

Common Misconception

During Drama Scenarios, watch for students oversimplifying how radio and cinema changed leisure as an immediate replacement for play.

What to Teach Instead

Have students in roles act out gradual shifts, such as a child choosing between playing marbles and listening to a radio program, to show layered changes over time.

Common Misconception

During Play Space Mapping, watch for students assuming play spaces were always formal parks or sports fields.

What to Teach Instead

Direct students to include streets, doorsteps, and empty lots in their maps, using local examples to reinforce the idea that everyday spaces hosted play.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After Game Stations, ask students to share one game they tried that surprised them, connecting it to a specific element of early 20th century Irish life they observed during the activity.

Exit Ticket

During Play Space Mapping, have students write one sentence about how their own neighborhood compares to the mapped historical spaces and one word describing the primary setting from their map.

Quick Check

After Drama Scenarios, show images of children playing hurling, a family gathered around a radio, and a street scene. Ask students to label each image with the activity and the setting, then write a 2-sentence response explaining how technology influenced play based on the Drama Scenarios.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to design a hybrid game blending a traditional Irish game with a modern global sport, then test it with peers.
• For students who struggle, provide a word bank of game names and simplified rules to scaffold their participation in Game Stations.
• Deeper exploration: Compare Irish play spaces to those in another country using photos and brief readings, then present findings in a Venn diagram.

Key Vocabulary

Hurling	A traditional Irish field sport played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar, requiring speed, skill, and teamwork.
Camogie	A women's team game derived from hurling, sharing many rules and equipment but adapted for female players.
Tig	An Irish version of tag or 'it', a simple chasing game commonly played outdoors by children.
Sliotar	The hard, leather-covered ball used in the games of hurling and camogie.