Visit the Jersey Museum as part of your topic on Toys. In the Merchant's House we have an interactive playroom where children can play with replica toys from a bygone era - jigsaws, cup-and-ball, bagatelle, a doll's house and the ever popular rocking horse.
Elsewhere in the Merchant's House real toys from the Victorian period can be seen in the restored bedrooms and in the main museum more real toys can be found in the Everyday Lives, Everyday Things section of the Story of Jersey.
The word ‘toy’ first appeared in the context which we now know in the 1580s, referred to as a “thing” (object) for a child to play with.
A' game' is an activity in which players have to play according to a set of rules: the game of Snakes and Ladders, cards or chess. In this sense the word was first used about 1300.
Downloads
Download the Lesson Plan.
The Tasks
Old and New Toy Worksheet. Draw one of the Victorian toys and then compare it with one of your modern toys. Write down what the toys are called and what they are made from.
My Photo Trail. The pupils can take photographs of the toys they see. These can be downloaded onto computers and these can be shown while the class report on their visit.
Toys Photo List. Make a table describing what the toys are made of and how they are different from toys today.
My Trip in Summary. Worksheet to fill in to record how the visit went.