Toys
Testing Toys for Safety
This is a wonderful learning resource that highlights the testing toys go through before they are allowed to be sold.
Your class can watch the video clip and learn the different techniques used to determine the safety of a toy and discuss what they have found out.
You can also create your own class cylinder test to see which objects must not be around young children.
Mechanical Toys
This video clip shows the creation of a mechanical toy.
This is a useful resource as children should be shown that not all toys with moving parts are electrical or battery powered.
Toy Museum
This activity encourages your children to think and use their observational skills to decide whether a toy is old or new.
Once they have decided, they must then sort them into two piles.
This is a also a useful activity to complete as a whole class activity as the children can give explanations for their choices.
Pushes and Pulls in real life
A compilation of pushes and pulls. A variety of ‘real life’ examples are used, including jumping on a springy toy in a playground or hitting a ball. Note: There is no narration in this clip.
Descriptive Language
This activity allows the children to think of words that are associated with the images that are displayed in the box. This activity gives children the opportunity to create simple descriptive statements and make comparisons using new vocabulary. There is the option to type in words that the children come up with and another option to show some words to assist.
Counting Toys to 20
This activity allows your children to develop their counting skills up to 20.
The first sheet has the toys mixed and the other has the toys in rows to make it easier to count. Click the image to download.
Old and New Toys - Pictures
This resource is a 53 page booklet which shows images of both old and new toys. In a small group the children could sort the images according to materials, age or other criteria, linking with numeracy. You can discuss with the children the differences and similarities between toys from the past and present. You could also go on to talk about simple mechanisms of toys, how they have been made, push or pull toys, different shapes in them and the materials that have been chosen. Great visual resource!
Toys Present and Past
This interactive resource enables children to explore the different toys that they would have today. The children could think of a few more that are not on the screen and make a simple list. Next they could click on the newspaper and travel back in time. The next image shows the toys that were popular in the 1950s. The children could explain how the toys are different and compare the two in terms of materials, size, colour etc. This is a great opportunity for a talking and listening activity.
