Old and New Toys Sorting

Year 1 HistoryToys Past and Present3 pages

About this worksheet

Curator Polly's museum delivery has mixed up all the toys. On this three-page Year 1 history sheet, pupils read twelve toy labels and write each one under Toys from the Past (Old) or Modern Toys (New). The Toy Bank tells them to check what each toy is made of and whether it uses batteries, plugs or screens. Two History Detective Questions follow. Pupils name the hardest toy to place and add one old and one new toy of their own. The answer key sorts all twelve and explains why the teddy bear and the glass marbles can trip pupils up. It follows the England National Curriculum.

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Old and New Toys Sorting: Toys Past and Present - page 1

Old and New Toys Sorting: Toys Past and Present - page 2

Old and New Toys Sorting: Toys Past and Present - page 3

Curriculum objectives covered

Changes within living memory

“Changes within living memory. Where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life”

The sort asks pupils to tell toys from the past from toys of today, and question 2 asks them to add one of each. It compares old and new rather than tracing change in national life.

What's inside this worksheet

Toys Past and Present: Museum Mix-Up

A short story about Curator Polly, with a picture of her holding a wooden rocking horse beside a modern toy robot.

Toy Bank

Twelve toys to sort, including a cup and ball, a porcelain china doll, a plastic fidget popper and a tablet computer.

Sorting Display Cases

Two columns, Toys from the Past (Old) and Modern Toys (New), for pupils to write each toy in.

History Detective Questions

Pupils explain which toy was hardest to place, then think of one more old toy and one more new toy.

How teachers use it

Handling session

If your school or local museum has a loan box, put a real tin toy or wooden top on each table before pupils sort the list.

Grandparents' toys

Send question 2a home and ask pupils to find out what an older relative played with. Add the answers to a class display case.

Talk partners

Let pairs argue about the teddy bear with wood shavings before they write. Children still have teddies, so they must look at what this one is made of.

More Year 1 History worksheets

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