Self & Community · Kindergarten

Active learning ideas

Then & Now: Toys & Games

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.

• Common Core State Standards
• C3: D2.His.2.K-2
• C3: D2.His.3.K-2

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 25 min · Small Groups

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.

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.

What to look for

Provide students with two pictures: one of a historical toy (e.g., wooden spinning top) and one of a modern toy (e.g., electronic robot). Ask students to point to one thing that is the same and one thing that is different between the two toys.

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

Activity 02

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 30 min · Whole Class

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.

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.

What to look for

Show students a picture of a simple toy from the past, like a rag doll. Ask: 'How is this doll different from the dolls you might play with today? What materials were used to make this old doll? What materials are used for dolls now?'

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

Activity 03

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 20 min · Pairs

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.

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.

What to look for

Give each student a drawing of a simple toy. Ask them to draw one way this toy could be different in the future and write one word to describe the new feature (e.g., 'lights,' 'music,' 'flying').

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

Activity 04

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 15 min · Individual

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.

Compare toys from long ago with toys we play with today.

What to look for

Provide students with two pictures: one of a historical toy (e.g., wooden spinning top) and one of a modern toy (e.g., electronic robot). Ask students to point to one thing that is the same and one thing that is different between the two toys.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

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.

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.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Small Groups: Past and Present Toy Sort, watch for students saying that past toys were boring or not fun.

  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.’

• During Small Groups: Past and Present Toy Sort, watch for students assuming all toys were made of plastic.

  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.’

• During Whole Class: Toy Timeline Walk, watch for students thinking the past was recent.

  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.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inside-Outside Circle