Then & Now: Toys & GamesActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning works well for this topic because kindergarteners build understanding through touch, movement, and conversation. Comparing materials, sorting images, and physically walking a timeline let young learners anchor abstract concepts like past and present in concrete experiences.
Learning Objectives
- 1Compare images of historical toys with images of contemporary toys, identifying at least two similarities and two differences.
- 2Explain how one specific toy or game has changed from the past to the present, citing material or function as evidence.
- 3Classify toys from different eras based on common characteristics, such as material or intended play style.
- 4Predict one way a modern toy might change in the future, describing a new feature or function.
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Small Groups: Past and Present Toy Sort
Distribute printed images of 10 old and 10 new toys to each group. Have students sort them into 'then' and 'now' categories on chart paper. Groups share one key difference they noticed, such as materials used.
Prepare & details
Compare toys from long ago with toys we play with today.
Facilitation Tip: During the Small Groups: Past and Present Toy Sort, circulate and listen for language like ‘This feels different’ to guide students toward naming materials.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Whole Class: Toy Timeline Walk
Lay out a floor timeline with labeled eras and toy images. Students walk the line, pausing to pick up and describe a toy from each period. Conclude with a group chant of changes over time.
Prepare & details
Explain how toys have changed over time.
Facilitation Tip: During the Whole Class: Toy Timeline Walk, stand at the center of the timeline to narrate how long ago each toy was enjoyed.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Pairs: Invent a Future Toy
Partners draw a toy from the future on paper, adding labels for features. They present to the class, explaining one change from today, like self-repairing parts. Display drawings on a future wall.
Prepare & details
Predict how toys might change in the future.
Facilitation Tip: During Pairs: Invent a Future Toy, remind students to explain why their toy idea would be fun, not just what it looks like.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Individual: My Toy Story
Each child draws their favorite toy and one from the past. They dictate a short sentence comparing them to a teacher scribe. Share in a circle to build class connections.
Prepare & details
Compare toys from long ago with toys we play with today.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Teaching This Topic
Teachers approach this topic by letting students experience the past directly. Avoid telling stories without objects, as abstract explanations confuse young learners. Research shows that when children handle replicas and role-play, they retain more factual and conceptual information about change over time.
What to Expect
Successful learning looks like students describing key differences between old and new toys, identifying materials through touch or sight, and sharing ideas about how toys might change in the future. They should use words like ‘wooden,’ ‘plastic,’ ‘alone,’ or ‘together’ to explain their thinking.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Small Groups: Past and Present Toy Sort, watch for students saying that past toys were boring or not fun.
What to Teach Instead
Hand each group a corncob doll or hoop and say, ‘Show us how you would play with this. What story would you tell?’ Encourage laughter and movement to shift the idea of toys as ‘not fun.’
Common MisconceptionDuring Small Groups: Past and Present Toy Sort, watch for students assuming all toys were made of plastic.
What to Teach Instead
Place fabric, wood, and metal replicas on the table. Ask each student to hold one and describe how it feels, then name the material. Say, ‘Plastic wasn’t always used—feel how this one is different.’
Common MisconceptionDuring Whole Class: Toy Timeline Walk, watch for students thinking the past was recent.
What to Teach Instead
Point to the 100-year mark and say, ‘This is when your great-grandparents were born.’ Have students take big steps back to see how far 100 years is, then small steps to show 10 years.
Assessment Ideas
After Small Groups: Past and Present Toy Sort, hold up a picture of a wooden spinning top and an electronic robot. Ask students to point to one thing that is the same and one thing that is different, and listen for material and function language.
During Whole Class: Toy Timeline Walk, pause at a rag doll replica. Ask, ‘How is this doll different from dolls today? What materials were used then? What materials are used now?’ Listen for mention of cloth, wood, or natural materials versus plastic or synthetic fabrics.
After Individual: My Toy Story, collect each drawing. Ask students to draw one way their toy could be different in the future and write one word to describe the new feature, such as ‘lights’ or ‘music.’ Use these to assess creativity and understanding of change over time.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge early finishers to create a poster showing their future toy with a slogan like ‘Most fun toy of 2030!’.
- Scaffolding for struggling students: provide a sentence stem like ‘This toy is from the past because it is made of ______.’ during the sort.
- Deeper exploration: invite students to interview family members about a favorite toy from their childhood and share findings with the class.
Key Vocabulary
| Vintage | Something that is old but still valued, like a toy from your grandparents' time. |
| Contemporary | Something that belongs to or happens in the present time, like toys children play with today. |
| Material | The stuff that something is made from, such as wood, metal, plastic, or cloth. |
| Function | What a toy is used for or how it works, like rolling, building, or making sounds. |
Suggested Methodologies
Planning templates for Self & Community
5E Model
The 5E Model structures lessons through five phases (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), guiding students from curiosity to deep understanding through inquiry-based learning.
Unit PlannerThematic Unit
Organize a multi-week unit around a central theme or essential question that cuts across topics, texts, and disciplines, helping students see connections and build deeper understanding.
RubricSingle-Point Rubric
Build a single-point rubric that defines only the "meets standard" level, leaving space for teachers to document what exceeded and what fell short. Simple to create, easy for students to understand.
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