Toys from the Past Box 1 - Elmbridge Museum: Elmbridge Museum Website

Toys through history

The world's oldest toy

The oldest toy in the world is a stick! Before people started making toys they played with things they found. There are lots of sticks around and it is easy to make a game using them.

Can you think of a game you could play using a stick?

Playing outside

When people started making toys they were made by a toy maker. This made them very expensive and most families could not afford them. For many years, children in Elmbridge played outside and created their own toys and games.

Can you think of a game you can play without any toys at all?

The Victorian Period

In the Victorian period people started making toys in factories. Factories were able to make lots of toys very quickly. This meant that more children were able to have them!

In the Victorian period people also started inventing lots of different types of toy. Children now had more options to choose from.

This is a picture of a family from Elmbridge. Can you recognise any of the toys in the picture? Do they remind you of any toys you have at home?

The invention of plastic!

For a long time toys were made out of materials like metal, wood and cloth. Then scientists discovered an exciting new material – plastic! Lots of toys started to be made in this new material.

How many of your toys at home are made of plastic? Why do you think this material is good for making toys?

Video games

Recently there has been another big change in the toys we play with. Computer games have only recently been invented, but are very popular!

Do you play video games? How are video games different from other toys?

Guessing game!

Can you guess what materials these toys are made out of? Hover over the pictures to find out the answer, as well as learning a bit more about the toy!

This spinning top is made from metal The spinning top was a popular Victorian toy. Pushing down on the handle on the top makes it spin really fast!

This flick book is made from card and paper A flick book makes pictures look like they are moving. Hold the book in one hand and use your other hand to flick through the pages as fast as you can! What story is in the flick book in the discovery box?

This iron and trivet is made from metal This old fashioned iron would have been found in Victorian kitchens, and the trivet was used to put the iron on when it was hot so it didn't burn! When you find them in the discovery box, you will see they are very small! Which toy would contain small versions of everyday objects?

This Shirley Temple doll is made out of paper Paper dolls have been popular for a long time because they are so easy to make! They come with lots of outfits that wrap around the doll. When you find the doll in the discovery box, see if you can count how many outfits she has! The little girl in this set is Shirley Temple, who was a famous film star! Which famous person or character would paper dolls be designed around today?

This ram has been carved out of wood Before the invention of plastic, many children would have played with wooden toys. Wood was easy to find and could be carved into lots of different shapes. When you look at the toy in the discovery box, think about whether it would have been easy or hard to make.

This Busy Body electrician is made out of plastic Plastic made it easy to make very bright, colourful toys. How many colours can you spot in this toy? Toys are often based on things around us, like the jobs people do. This toy is based on an electrician. What other toys can you think of that tell us about people's jobs?

This toy dinosaur is made of plastic. Toys can help us learn about things we can't see today like dinosaurs! What other toys can you think of that help us learn?

This yo-yo is made out of wood and string The yo-yo is a very old toy and has been around for thousands of years. Hold the wooden yo-yo in your hand with your finger through the loop in the string. Let the yo-yo drop and see if you can get it to climb back up the string!

This 5 stones game is made from wood, leather and string This game was popular during the Tudor period and has been played for hundreds of years. There are lots of different way to play this game, but to start lay all the stones on a table. Throw one stone in the air and see if you can pick up a stone from the table and catch it again. See how many stones you can pick up each time!

This rubik's cube is made of plastic The rubik's cube was invented in the 1970s. It is a puzzle and you have to try and make all the colours match up on each of the faces like in the picture. It is very hard to do! Why not have a go when you find it in the discovery box!

Teacher's Area

Toys from the Past Discovery Box 1 Teacher's Notes

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Toys from the Past Discovery Box 1 Inventory

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