Colonial Games

Back in the colonial days children could not drive to the toy store after school and pick out a new toy to play with. Children only had a couple toys in their lifetime. The majority of those toys were hand made by either somebody in their family or by a toy maker that lived in their town. The toys were very gender specific because they were preparing them for their adult lives. Young girls played with dolls to help teach them how to be good mothers, they had sewing kits to teach them how to make and fix clothing, and they had toys to help teach them how to cook and serve. Boys had toys that would teach them more hands-on coordination so they were prepared to get a job and work with their hands when they grew up. Older children played games more than they played with toys. Some examples of games that they played are checkers, dominos, marbles, and hoops. They also played bowling games just like we do today. There were no electronic toys, just things made by hand and played with by the imagination.

I have some examples of the games that the children used to play to keep busy here in the classroom. On the back table I have the materials for bowling, hoops, marbles, and dominos. Each game has a set of instructions with it that you will need to read fully before you begin. You will break up into groups of three and I will assign you a game or play with and tell you when to switch. The group that does not have a game will be looking over an example of some of the toys that they would have played with in colonial times. On my desk there is a church doll, a dancing soldier and Hotch Potch. Be gentle when playing with the toys. After every group has taken a turn with all of the games and toys. You will write a paragraph about which game or toy was your favorite and why.  

You will now break into groups of three and go to your assigned game. Each group will have 10 minutes to play the game or look at the toys. This lesson will be longer than our other history lessons that we normally have. I want everyone to picture yourself as a child in the colonial days actually playing the games with your friends. Think about what life would look like. What would the colony you live in look like? Would you be living in the middle of town or would you own a farm in the contry and be playing with your siblings? Once everyone has finished you need to take a seat at your desk and pick out which game or toy was your favorite. In a paragraph, 5-7 sentences, explain why you picked that game or toy.

When children in the colonial times were bored and wanted to play with their friends they did not call them up on the phone and tell them to get on the internet. They had to walk to each other's house or meet them somewhere to play a hand-made game. In some circumstances they made the game themselves, such as making marbles from clay they found at the river. I hope you enjoyed putting yourself in the shoes of colonial children and playing the games that they played. Next time you get on your Xbox or Playstation think about what you would be doing 200 years ago.

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/multimedia/13298

Watch the attached video to see other games and toys that colonial children played. You may have some of these at your home today!

Having children watch the attached video and play some of the games that colonial children did.  It is a wonderful way to have the students put themselves in the shoes of those children and compare and contrast from games they play today.