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How have toys and games changed?

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Toys and games from 100 years ago

Many toys were different in the past. Let’s look at what they were like 100 years ago. This may be when your great-great-grandparents were alive.

A boy sitting on the floor of a bedroom from World War One. The boy is playing with a toy army van. There is also a boat and a teddy bear in the room.
A bedroom with toys from 100 years ago.

Some toys are similar today. Children have had teddy bears for over 100 years.

Some toys are different today. The boy is playing with soldiers made of metal. Now they would probably be made from plastic.

These are the kind of toys children played with 100 years ago:

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  1. A spinning top made of wood and rope.

    A spinning top made of wood and rope. Children could pull the rope and make the top spin on its pointy end.

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What toys and games from 100 years ago are still popular?

A child playing hopscotch.

Outdoor games

  • Many outdoor games and sports played today were popular in the past too.
  • Children were kicking footballs 100 years ago. Games like hide and seek and hop-scotch are still played at school and home.
  • Children have been riding bicycles for over 100 years too. The design of the bikes has changed over time.
Snakes and Ladders board game.

Indoor toys and games

  • Some grown-ups you know may have played with dolls, which are still popular now.
  • Before computer games were invented, board games were even more popular than they are nowadays.
  • Children have been playing Snakes and Ladders for many years!
Snakes and Ladders board game.
An arcade machine for playing games.
An arcade machine for playing games.

Computer games

  • The first computer games were played on big machines in arcades (places with lots of games). One of the most popular games was Space Invaders and it was played in the 1980s.
  • Computer games are now played at home. The first handheld console was the Nintendo Gameboy. It came to the UK in 1990.
  • There have been lots of different games consoles since then. Games can also be played on phones and tablet computers.
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Activity: Toys from the past and present

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Fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art and design, computing and modern languages.

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