The Magic Toymaker
Toys and games
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The Magic Toymaker
Contents
Contents
2
Basic Information
4
Learning Goals
5
Assessment for Learning
8
The Entry Point
11
Knowledge Harvest
14
The Big Idea
16
Explaining The Theme
16
The Big Picture
17
History Learning Goals
21
History Task 1
22
History Task 2
24
History Task 3
26
History Task 4
28
History Task 5
31
History Task 6 (Bears)
33
History Task 6 (Dolls)
36
History Extension task
39
Science Learning Goals
40
Science Task 1
41
Science Task 2
44
Science Task 3
48
Science Task 4
50
Science Extension task
52
Technology Learning Goals
53
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Technology Task 1
54
Technology Task 2
58
Technology Task 3
60
Technology Task 4
62
Technology Extension task
65
Physical Education Learning Goals
67
Physical Education Task
68
Physical Education Extension task
70
ICT & Computing Learning Goals
72
ICT & Computing Task
73
International Learning Goals
77
International Task
78
International Extension task
80
The Exit Point
81
Resources
82
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The Magic Toymaker
Basic Information
This section details the time allocation for this unit of work, links to other subjects and Assessment for
Learning opportunities.
Timings
This unit of work is intended to last about 6 ½ weeks.
The following suggested timings are approximate guides and are dependent on each school's individual
context.
Entry Point, Knowledge Harvest, Explain the Theme
History
Science
Technology
Physical Education
ICT & Computing
International
Exit Point
No of Hours
4
14
8
16
2
0
4
4
No of Weeks
½
1¾
1
2
¼
0
½
½
Links to other IPC subjects
ICT & computing learning goals are included in the subject learning.
Language Arts and Mathematics links
Suggestions of how to include links to Mathematics and Geography are provided where appropriate at the
end of each learning task.
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The Magic Toymaker
Learning Goals
History Learning Goals
Children will:
1.01 Know stories about a range of people who have lived in a variety of cultures in the past
1.02 Know about a range of events that have happened in the past
1.03 Be able to ask and answer questions about the past
1.04 Be able to use key words and phrases relating to the passing of time
1.05 Be able to order events and objects into a sequence
1.06 Be able to identify differences between their own lives and those of people who have lived in
the past
1.07 Be able to find out about aspects of the past from a range of sources of information
1.08 Be able to communicate their historical knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways
1.10 Understand that the past is represented in a variety of ways
ICT & Computing Learning Goals
Children will:
1.01 Know about some of the applications of ICT and computing in everyday life
1.07 Be able to plan and give instructions to make things happen using a floor robot, program, or
app
1.08 Be able to describe what they have done
1.09 Be able to use simulations to explore what happens in real and imaginary situations
1.10 Understand the importance of using ICT and computing safely and respectfully and how to
report any concerns
International Learning Goals
Children will:
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1.01 Know that children within the class and school have different home countries
1.02 Know the names and approximate locations of the home countries of children within the class
(and/or school)
1.03 Know about some of the similarities and differences between the lives of children in the
different home countries and in the host country
1.04 Be able to respect one another’-s individuality and independence
1.05 Be able to work with each other where appropriate
Physical Education Learning Goals
Children will:
1.02 Be able to perform simple activities with control and coordination
1.03 Be able to repeat and develop simple actions
1.05 Be able to apply movements in sequence
1.07 Be able to observe, copy and develop actions performed by others
1.08 Be able to improve performance through observation and repetition
1.10 Understand principles of safe activity
Science Learning Goals
Children will:
1.01 Know that scientific enquiry involves asking questions, collecting evidence through observation
and measurement
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.24 Know the names and properties of a range of materials
1.25 Know about the uses of different materials
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1.26 Know what happens when various materials are squashed, bent, twisted, stretched, heated or
cooled
1.27 Be able to describe similarities and differences between materials
1.28 Be able to sort materials into groups according to their properties
1.29 Understand that the uses to which materials are put depend on their properties
1.31 Know how simple electrical circuits operate and the effects they have on different devices
1.33 Know how a range of forces, including pushes and pulls, can move object
1.38 Be able to describe the actions that result in changes in light, sound or movement
Technology Learning Goals
Children will:
1.01 Know that products in everyday use have an effect on peoples lives
1.02 Be able to plan what they are going to make
1.03 Be able to describe their plans in pictures and words
1.04 Be able to use simple tools and materials to make products
1.05 Be able to choose appropriate tools and materials for their tasks
1.06 Be able to comment on their own plans and products and suggest areas of improvement
1.07 Be able to comment on the usefulness of products in everyday use
ICT & Computing Opportunities
The table below shows you where you can cover the following ICT & Computing Learning Goals.
Task
History Task 4
History Task 6
International Extension Task
International Task 1
Goals
1.5
1.5
1.1, 1.4
1.5
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The Magic Toymaker
Assessment for Learning
Are your children busy, or are they busy learning? This is the question that we need to be able to answer
throughout each IPC unit – what improvements are being made to children’s learning as a result of
studying this theme?
There are three areas of learning to reflect on, and three types of learning to assess.
The Three Areas of Learning: Academic, Personal and International
The three areas include academic, personal and international learning. To reflect on these, you will need
access to the IPC Learning Goals for each subject (including International) and the IPC Personal Goals – a
list of these can be found in Appendix A of the IPC Implementation File. You can also find a full list of IPC
Learning Goals in the Assess section of the Members’ Lounge.
The Three Types of Learning: Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
The three types of learning include knowledge, skills and understanding. We believe that differentiating
between knowledge, skills and understanding is crucial to the development of children’s learning. We
also believe that knowledge, skills and understanding have their own distinct characteristics that impact
on how each is planned for, learned, taught, assessed and reported on. The implications of these
differences are therefore far-reaching and deserve proper consideration.
Knowledge refers to factual information. Knowledge is relatively straightforward to teach and assess
(through quizzes, tests, multiple choice, etc.), even if it is not always that easy to recall. You can ask your
children to research the knowledge they have to learn but you could also tell them the knowledge they
need to know. Knowledge is continually changing and expanding – this is a challenge for schools that
have to choose what knowledge children should know and learn in a restricted period of time.
The IPC does not provide examples of knowledge assessment (tests or exams) as the knowledge content of the
curriculum can be adapted to any national curricula requirements.
Skills refer to things children are able to do. Skills have to be learned practically and need time to be
practiced. The good news about skills is the more your practice, the better you get at them! Skills are also
transferable and tend to be more stable than knowledge – this is true for almost all school subjects.
The IPC supports skills tracking and assessment through the IPC Assessment for Learning Programme. This
programme includes Teachers’ Rubrics, Children’s Rubrics and Learning Advice.
Understanding refers to the development or ‘grasping’ of conceptual ideas, the ‘lightbulb’ moment that
we all strive for. Understanding is always developing.
The IPC units can’t assess understanding for you, but they do allow you to provide a whole range of different
experiences through which children’s understandings can deepen.
(Please note: as well as the IPC Assessment for Learning Programme, we also offer an online Assessment
Tracking Tool, developed in partnership with Classroom Monitor. Please email members@greatlearning.com
for more information on how to sign up to this tool.)
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The Magic Toymaker
Planning for Assessment
Once you have planned for the different IPC Learning Goals for each subject it is important to plan for
assessment opportunities within each unit of work. Assessment needs to be balanced but rigorous to
ensure that the children have learned what we planned for them to learn. The diagram below illustrates
the processes you may want to use to ensure this happens.
Helping Children Reflect on Their Own Learning
In addition to teacher assessment, it is also vital to include children in reflecting on their learning and
setting next steps for improvement. Ask the children to carry out self-assessments throughout each unit
(using the Children’s Rubrics to assess skills, and other methods chosen by the school for knowledge and
understanding).
They could use the following headings to list/make notes on their newly acquired knowledge, skills and
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The Magic Toymaker
understanding – ‘new things I now know’, ‘new things that I can do’ and ‘new things I am beginning to
understand’.
Ask the children to evaluate different aspects of their learning – what did they do well, what could
improve next time and how, what did they find the most/least interesting? How did they prefer to learn –
as an individual/in pairs/small groups/large groups/as a whole class? What was their preferred method of
researching and recording - writing/talking/making, etc.? This evaluation aspect will also support the
development of the IPC Personal Goals.
Further Information
For more information on assessment, and knowledge, skills and understanding, please refer to:
The IPC Implementation File
The Assessment for Learning Implementation File
The IPC Self-Review Process
Or contact the Membership Support team at members@greatlearning.com
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The Magic Toymaker
The Entry Point
The following can take place over the course of a day. The idea behind this session is to introduce the
children to the ‘magic toymaker’s workshop’ and to encourage the children to start thinking imaginatively
about the toys that they like to play with.
Setting up the classroom
Prior to the session, you will need to decorate your classroom so that it becomes the ‘toymaker’s
workshop’. You want it to fill the children with a sense of wonder when they first enter. The level of
decoration is entirely up to you, based on the materials that you have available. Some ideas for
decoration include:
The special ingredients – the toymaker has many magical ingredients to makehis toys special. Set up
a small area of the classroom with some objects that have been labeled and decorated to suit their
theme. These could include ‘imagination’ (an empty bottle – you must imagine what is inside!),
‘colours of the rainbow’ (have different coloured ribbons or tinsel spilling out of a box or bottle), ‘lots
of fun!’ (you could place a pop-up toy inside a can, which springs out when it is opened) and ‘magic
dust’ (could be a special wand, decorated with sparkling glitter and stars).
The magic mail box – this is where the orders for new toys will arrive, in the form of sealed letters.
The box itself could be decorated with silver paper and stars, and made to look suitably impressive
and magical. The mail box should have an area for the letters (either a tray or lift-up flap, revealing a
secret compartment). This can be used throughout this project – see the big picture.
The toy display – collect some new and old toys to have on display. Try and avoid any breakable
objects (or those that are particularly valuable!) as the children will be handling and talking about
these. This collection can also feed into the History tasks.
Construction area – provide an area labeled ‘construction’ with various boxes/trays of different
buildings bricks (LEGO, Mega Bloks, etc.). These can be left out for the duration of the unit, so that
children can use these freely whenever they wish.
The think tank – this is a box decorated with cotton wool clouds. Here, the children can post answers
to questions about toys. Books and other resource materials should be placed near by, for the children
to use. See the knowledge harvest.
The ideas machine – this could be a large bottle/jar or box, which contains pieces of
folded/scrunched up paper, with an idea written on each. If children are ever stuck for a toy
idea/theme then they can come to the ideas machine and choose one of the papers. For example: a
knight’s costume, a space rocket, a sports car, a magical hat and so on.
Making the magic key
You will also need to create a ‘key’ to the magic workshop. If your classroom has an actual key, then this
could be decorated with ribbons to make it look special. Alternatively, you could make a ‘magic key’ by
cutting a key from cardboard and decorating it in silver paper, glitter and so on. A ‘lock shape’ can then be
made out of black card and attached to your classroom door.
The Toymaker’s challenge
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The Magic Toymaker
Prior to the session, collect together a series of collage and junk materials. Anything and everything will
do: cardboard rolls, coloured paper and card, sequins, beads, ribbons, fabric, glitter, polystyrene balls and
cubes, straws, pipe cleaners, and so on. Divide these materials up and place inside boxes for the children
to discover on the day. These boxes can then be wrapped up and decorated. Leave in the middle of the
classroom.
Start the session by arranging to meet the children in an area of the school other than the classroom. It
could be your hall or the playground. Tell the children that you have received a rather curious object
through the post. Show the children an envelope and let a volunteer open it. They will find the key
inside. Ask the children what the key might be for.
Take the children to your classroom and ‘unlock’ the door. Then let the children enter. Hopefully there
will be gasps of surprise as they look around their new classroom. Leave a note on one of the wrapped
presents for a child to discover. You can then read out the special message:
What’s inside the box, you ask
Why, this is your special task!
A toy, a toy for you to find
But remember, you’ll have to use your mind!
Let one of the children open one of the boxes. They will discover the collage and junk materials inside.
Act surprised at the discovery. ‘How can this be a toy? It is just some junk! What do you think the
toymaker wants us to do with it?’
Hopefully the children will arrive at the conclusion that the toymaker wants them to use the materials to
imagine and make their own toys. Assign a group to each box and let them tip their contents onto a
tabletop. They can then work together (or in pairs, within each group) to use the materials to create a toy.
If children are stuck for ideas, then they can visit the ideas machine (see above) for a theme for their toy.
As the children plan and make their toy, encourage them to talk about the toys and games that they like
to play with at home.
At the end of the session, let the children present their toy to the rest of the class. Why did they choose
to make that particular toy? Set these up as part of a special display. (If you run out of time, children can
always go back and finish their toys at a later date.)
A well-earned reward!
Have a teacher or assistant enter the classroom with another sealed box and an envelope. Again, act
surprised at this. Read the note that is attached to the box:
Congratulations! You proved your point
So now it is time for me to appoint My new workers –
I hope you’ll stay Because I’m off on holiday, hip hip hooray!
The Toymaker is very impressed with their toy-making skills. As he is going on holiday, then he is happy
for the children to run his workshop while he is away. Invite a volunteer to open the box, to reveal cakes
and sweets for the children to share, as a special thank you from the toymaker.
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The Magic Toymaker
As the children enjoy their treats, you can let them explore the other elements of the workshop,
explaining their function (such as the mail box and the think tank).
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The Magic Toymaker
Knowledge Harvest
Explain to the children that the toymaker’s think tank has stopped working. The toymaker has left special
instructions. The children must fill the think tank with everything they know about toys, to help it to work
again.
Provide each child with a large sheet of paper. Ask them to fill their sheet with everything that they
associate with the word toys. They could record their thoughts as a mixture of drawings, words and
phrases. Prompt them to think about:
Toys that they enjoy playing with
Toys they might have played with in the past
Toys other children might enjoy playing with
Also encourage them to consider why toys are important. What do they give us? How do they make us
feel?
Ask each child to present their ‘think tank’ ideas to the class. Record some of these as part of a whole
class ‘think tank’ on the board. Contrast and compare the different ideas.
See if the children are able to describe what a toy is to someone who might never have come across the
word before. (It is an object used for play.) Is a board game or a fancy- dress costume also a toy? (Yes,
because we use them for play.)
At the end of the session, praise the children on their knowledge of toys. Thanks to them, the toymaker’s
think tank is now working – and can be used throughout this project. Explain how the think tank works.
The think tank
The think tank display should have three areas:
Question area: display a daily (or weekly) question about toys for the children to find out the answer.
Books and other resource materials can be placed in this area for the children to use.
Post box area: children can write their answer and their name on a piece of paper and then post it
through a slot in the think tank. Remove the answers at the end of the day to check.
Answer area: the next day (or week), display the answer to the previous question for the children to view.
If you wish, you could choose one of the correct answers at random and award a prize to the child who
posted it.
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The Magic Toymaker
Examples of questions might include:
Where is the biggest toyshop in the world?
What country does LEGO come from?
What is a Rubik’s Cube and who invented it?
How do you know if a toy is safe to play with?
Who invented the game of Dominoes?
In which country was Chess first played?
In the game of Chess, which piece can jump over others?
How many points would the word ‘Scrabble’ score in a game of Scrabble?
You could also include picture questions, where the children have to find out the name of a toy/game or
who created it.
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The Magic Toymaker
The Big Idea
Toys come in many shapes and sizes. They are made of different materials but all are designed for us to
have fun with, to learn new skills and to exercise our bodies and our imagination.
Explaining The Theme
In History, we’ll be finding out:
About toys and games from the past
How to decide if a toy is new or old
How to create our own toy museum
How we can learn about the past in different ways
In Science, we’ll be finding out:
How to sort toys based on what they are made out of
Which materials can be bent, squashed, twisted or stretched
What materials are best for making a bath toy
About pushes and pulls, and how things move
In Technology, we’ll be finding out:
About ‘magic’ toys that fool our eyes
How to design and make our own board game
How to design and make our own puppets
In Physical Education, we’ll be finding out:
About how different toys move
In ICT & Computing, we’ll be finding out:
How to make our own space-themed computer game
In International, we’ll be finding out:
About a popular game from another country and teaching others to play it
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The Magic Toymaker
The Big Picture
Dolls and action figures
Dolls are believed to be one the earliest forms of toy to exist. Since prehistoric times, people have
crafted ‘characters’ using bone, clay, fur and wood. Often these would be to depict religious figures, such
as gods and spirits, but they were also used as playthings.
Dolls made from clay and wood have been found in Egyptian graves dating back to 2000 B.C.E. Tombs of
wealthier Egyptians have included pottery dolls. There are many examples of Ancient Greek and Roman
dolls too. In Ancient Rome, it was not uncommon for children to have a doll of a famous gladiator (an
early form of ‘Action Man’!).
Up until the 1800s, dolls were mainly made out of rags, wood or wax. Germany and Britain were major
manufacturers of wax dolls. One of the first dolls to resemble a new-born baby was made in England from
wax at the beginning of the 19th century.
By the mid-1800s porcelain and china dolls had become popular. China was replaced by bisque (unglazed
porcelain) in the 1860s, which produced a more realistic looking skin tone. At this time, rag dolls were
also popular. They were cheaper and easier to make. The first mass-produced rag dolls were created at
this time.
After World War II, manufacturers began to experiment with plastics. In the 1940s, the first plastic dolls
went on sale. By the 1950s and 1960s, rubber and vinyl dolls were also widely available. Vinyl was
perhaps the most significant advance, as it allowed doll makers to root hair into the head rather than
painting on the hair or using wigs.
The most famous and successful doll in the world is the Barbie doll. It was invented in 1959 by American,
Ruth Handler, who named the toy after her daughter, Barbara. This was the first example of a teenage
fashion doll that reflected not only young girls’ aspirations, but also the society of the time. Barbie (and
her boyfriend Ken) would go through many changes of fashion and shape, keeping up with popular
trends.
With the success of Barbie, it wasn’t long before a boy version was developed. Tin and plastic soldiers had
always been a popular toy with boys, so the first ‘action figure’ to be developed was G.I. Joe. Like Barbie,
he came in a number of different outfits to represent different branches of the armed services.
From the 1970s and ‘80s, action figures have largely been linked to major films, cartoons and television
series. The most popular of these were the Star Wars figures, linked to the trilogy of films of the same
name. Their success paved the way for other popular action figure franchises, including The Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Harry Potter franchise.
The teddy bear
The teddy bear got its name from the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. His
nickname was ‘Teddy’. While on a hunting trip in 1902, he famously refused to shoot a tethered bear. The
scene was famously depicted in a cartoon, published in the Washington Post. The cartoonist had originally
drawn the bear as a fierce-looking predator, but then had a change of heart and changed the bear to a
more cuddly bear cub. The cartoon and the story behind it became an instant hit.
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In the same month, shopkeepers in Brooklyn New York (Morris and Rose Michtom) made a soft bear toy,
which they named ‘Teddy’s bear’ and displayed in their shop window with a copy of the cartoon.
Suddenly, every child wanted their own ‘teddy bear’ and a new craze had started.
In Germany in the same year, Richard and Margarete Steiff, who owned a stuffed-toy business, developed
their own prototype toy bear. The Steiff bear looked more like a real bear than the Michtoms’ bear, with a
long snout and humped back. Later, the Steiff bears had a button sown into their ears, to differentiate
them from other toy bears.
The board game
One of the oldest table-top games comes from China. ‘Mah Jongg’ dates back to the Tang Dynasty, about
4000 years ago. It is a game that is played with wooden or plastic cards, in which players have to get a
winning hand of symbols before their opponents.
‘Weiqi’ (or ‘Go’ as it is commonly referred to today) also dates back to Ancient China. It used a board, with
players represented by black or white stones/pebbles. The goal was to capture territory by blocking your
opponent and taking possession of the board.
The oldest complete board game to be found by archaeologists is believed to date back to 5500 B.C.E. It
was found in tombs in what is now Iraq and is known as ‘The Royal Game of Ur’. Other examples of this
same game have been found at numerous sites in this region, suggesting that it was a popular game of
the time, played by people from all walks of life. Some boards are of simple wooden design, while others
are more ornate, fashioned from shell and lapis lazuli. The game was played with pyramid-shaped dice
and required players to move their counters off the board before their opponent.
All great civilisations have had their examples of board games, usually found buried in tombs or graves.
The Egyptians and Romans had their own examples/variations of chess and backgammon, which spread as
lands were conquered or explored.
The first board game to be manufactured and mass-produced, was created in the USA in 1843. It was
called ‘The Mansion of Happiness’. Its success led to a number of companies producing their own games.
By the beginning of the 1900s, thousands of board games were being made each year, including popular
titles such as ‘Snakes and Ladders’ and ‘Ludo’ (based on the Indian game, Pachisi).
Monopoly was developed in 1930, by Charles Darrow, an out of work heating engineer. It was the time of
the Great Depression, with money and resources scarce. He made the game himself to play with friends,
so that they could pretend they were rich property tycoons. He ended up selling the idea to Parker
Brothers, who went on to sell over a million sets of the game in 1935.
Since the 1950s, board games have had to compete with other entertainment forms, such as film and
television – and in more recent years, computer and console games. Nevertheless, old-time favourites
such as Monopoly, Chess, Cluedo, Ludo and Scrabble still remain popular today with a new generation of
games players.
Electronic toys/computer games
The battery, followed by the computer micro-chip have revolutionised children’s toys. Whereas before,
children had to ‘move’ toys themselves and provide the noises and effects themselves, battery and
computer toys can now ‘power’ themselves, offering new opportunities for play. From the early batteryoperated train sets to the modern day consoles and tablet apps, technology now dominates children’s
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The Magic Toymaker
playtime. Even many of the best loved classic toys, such as teddy bears and dolls, now have microchips to
give them added interactive features.
One of the most popular examples of new technology meeting old is the Skylanders franchise produced
by Activision. In Skylanders, children can purchase plastic action dolls/figurines which represent different
fantastical beasts and monsters. By slotting these figures into an electronic peripheral device (known as a
‘portal’) the characters immediately appear on screen in the accompanying video game, allowing the
children to control and interact with them in a virtual environment. Each character provides unique
abilities, allowing players to solve different puzzles and unlock new areas of the game. Due to the
phenomenal world-wide success of Skylanders, Disney have now launched their own version – Disney
Infinity – which uses characters from their many film franchises (Toy Story, Pirates of the Caribbean,
Monsters Inc., Cars, etc.).
Some observers believe that technology is creating generations of children who are more used to playing
a game alone on their computer/console than playing outdoors with friends. Certainly, it is true that how
people play and interact is changing. As online worlds develop and become more mainstream, it may not
be too long before our playgrounds are completely virtual instead of real.
The magic toymaker
The focus of this unit is the idea that your classroom has become the ‘toymaker’s workshop’. Promote this
as an area that belongs to the children – and one that they can take ownership of. As well as the tasks
described in this unit, the theme offers plenty of potential for additional activities, for example:
Toy shop – children could develop a toy shop role play area as an extension to their workshop. Here they
can pretend to sell toys to customers, create labels and posters, and handle play money. You could also
develop the Mathematical link by getting children to package and weigh different toys, pretending that
they are sending them to customers all over the world.
The magic mail box – this area could be used to provide additional technology-orientated tasks for the
children to design and make in their own time or as part of an extension session. These could be requests
from imaginary customers (‘I want a board game that will teach me about the sea.’) or actual instructions
from the toymaker on how to make a simple toy. Children can then follow these instructions, adapting
them and testing them as they see fit. The following websites are a good source of toy ideas:
www.vam.ac.uk/moc/kids_pages/things_to_make/index.html
The Museum of Childhood website features a useful ‘things to make’ section, including a tumbling
acrobat and a ‘cup and ball’ game.
www.sciencetoymaker.org
The Science toy maker website has an extensive selection of project ideas, from easy to advanced, that
children can make alone or with adult assistance.
The think tank – as already mentioned in the knowledge harvest, the toymaker’s ‘machine’ can be used to
pose questions to the class, which they then have to research. Answers can be posted into the machine
and then the answer revealed the next day (or during your next session). You might want to award small
prizes for those who get the answer correct to encourage participation. You will find that children start to
get excited about the next question – or about finding out if their answer was correct. As well as posing
your own questions, children should be allowed to ask their own. Research can then be done at home
with parents/siblings and answers ‘posted’ the next day.
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The Magic Toymaker
The ideas machine – some of the tasks and activities in this unit require the children to think of toy or
game ideas. If some children are struggling to think of a theme for their toy/game, then you could let
them visit the ideas machine to pick an idea at random. Try to ensure you update the ideas in the
‘machine’ (written on folded paper) so that they are relevant to the current task.
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The Magic Toymaker
History Learning Goals
Children will:
1.01 Know stories about a range of people who have lived in a variety of cultures in the past
1.02 Know about a range of events that have happened in the past
1.03 Be able to ask and answer questions about the past
1.04 Be able to use key words and phrases relating to the passing of time
1.05 Be able to order events and objects into a sequence
1.06 Be able to identify differences between their own lives and those of people who have lived in
the past
1.07 Be able to find out about aspects of the past from a range of sources of information
1.08 Be able to communicate their historical knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways
1.10 Understand that the past is represented in a variety of ways
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The Magic Toymaker
History Task 1
Learning Goals
1.03 Be able to ask and answer questions about the past
1.04 Be able to use key words and phrases relating to the passing of time
1.05 Be able to order events and objects into a sequence
1.08 Be able to communicate their historical knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways
1.10 Understand that the past is represented in a variety of ways
Research activity
(Prior to this session, ask the children to bring in a favourite toy from home to talk about
with the rest of the class. Also ask them to bring in examples of toys and/or photographs of
toys that they used to play with when they were younger.)
Ask the children to present their own favourite toy to the class. Encourage them to talk
about what makes it special. Listen out for vocabulary that describes the age of the toy.
Compare and contrast some of these toys. Which do they think is the oldest? (Perhaps a
favourite toy has been passed down through generations.)
Display your collection of old and new toys. Explain that, in the magic toymaker’s workshop,
sometimes the toys come alive at night and play. These toys must have forgotten to put
themselves back in their proper places!
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The Magic Toymaker
Recording activity
Ask the children if they can put the toys in order, from oldest to newest. Prompt the
children to share their views and opinions – and listen to the vocabulary that they use to
describe the toys. (If there are any differences of opinion, explore these openly, before
taking a vote on the final decision.)
Write some of the vocabulary on the board. This might relate to the materials that the toy is
made from, its level of wear and tear, style of clothing, and so on. Once the toys have been
put in order, reveal the correct answer. Talk about each toy in turn and what the children
notice about it. Refer back to the vocabulary you recorded. Also recap the term ‘timeline’.
Ask the children if, what they have created, is a timeline.
(As a follow-up to this task, try and take the children on a trip to a local toy store. Look at
how toys are sorted and displayed in the shop.)
Language Arts/Society link: ask the children to imagine that they have lost their favourite
toy. How would they feel? How might they comfort someone who had lost their favourite
toy? Talk about ways that they might go about finding the toy again. Ask the children to
create a ‘lost’ poster for their toy. This should feature a drawing of their toy and a short
description of it. Prompt the children to think about the characteristics of their toy which
makes it recognisable (age, markings, damage, etc.).The finished posters can then be
displayed in your ‘workshop’ area.
Geography link: ask the children to find out where some of their toys were made. They can
find this information out on labels or on packaging. Work together to find these countries on
a map. Talk about any patterns that the children notice. Do some countries feature more
than others? Were any toys made in the children’s home/host country?
Personal Goals
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness
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The Magic Toymaker
History Task 2
Learning Goals
1.01 Know stories about a range of people who have lived in a variety of cultures in the past
1.03 Be able to ask and answer questions about the past
1.07 Be able to find out about aspects of the past from a range of sources of information
1.08 Be able to communicate their historical knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways
1.10 Understand that the past is represented in a variety of ways
Research activity
Ask the children to think about how we can find out more about toys from the past. Where
would they find the best information? Make a whole class list of the children’s ideas. These
might include: books, posters, catalogues, people, films, paintings, photographs, museums,
and so on. Prompt where necessary.
Focusing on people, ask the children to think of ways they would use this ‘resource’ to find
out about toys. (Interviews, show-and-tell sessions, questionnaires, and so on.) Who would
they ask and why?
Tell the children that they are going to find out about their parents’ (and grandparents’, if
possible) favourite toys. Decide, as a whole class, which methods you will choose to find out
this information. Try and encourage the children to see that a combination of methods is
best. For example, combining a show-and-tell with an interview or questionnaire.
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The Magic Toymaker
Recording activity
Ask the children to work in pairs to devise a list of questions that they would ask their
parent/grandparent about their favourite toy. For example:
Who gave you the toy?
How old is it?
How old were you when you had the toy?
Why is it special?
Why do you still have it?
What is it made from?
Does the toy have a name?
Children can take their questions home to interview their parent/ grandparent. The answers
can then be shared in the next session.
Personal Goals
Enquiry
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The Magic Toymaker
History Task 3
Learning Goals
1.01 Know stories about a range of people who have lived in a variety of cultures in the past
1.02 Know about a range of events that have happened in the past
1.03 Be able to ask and answer questions about the past
1.04 Be able to use key words and phrases relating to the passing of time
1.05 Be able to order events and objects into a sequence
1.06 Be able to identify differences between their own lives and those of people who have lived in
the past
1.07 Be able to find out about aspects of the past from a range of sources of information
1.08 Be able to communicate their historical knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways
1.10 Understand that the past is represented in a variety of ways
Research activity
Ask the children to bring in an example of a toy (or game) that their parents or grandparents
used to play with. (Note: make sure that parents are happy for the toy to be brought to
school and handled by children. Try and avoid breakable objects! As an alternative, children
could take a photograph of the toy/game or have the parent come into school to talk about
it with the class.)
Allow time for the children to present their parent’s/grandparent’s toy and talk about it,
using the information that they found out using their questionnaire (see previous task).
Compare and contrast the different toys on display. Which do they think is the oldest toy?
Parents/grandparents may also be willing to come into the school to talk about their toys. If
so, children can listen and ask questions.
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The Magic Toymaker
Recording activity
Tell the children that the toymaker wants the children to add a museum display to his
workshop, for visitors to the shop to view. The children will be responsible for deciding how
to present the exhibits in the museum.
As a whole class, talk about the types of information that a viewer would like to find out
about a toy/game. How is such information displayed in a museum? Talk about the use of
captions and labels. Also consider how the exhibits might be ordered and arranged.
Individually or in pairs, the children can create a caption card for their parents’/grandparents’
toy. Then work together to create your museum display. Children may also want to add signs
and other elements to their museum. For example, ‘do not touch’ signs, arrows, exhibit
numbers, entrance and exit markers and so on.
Other children from the school can then be invited to view the exhibits and ask questions. If
there are any questions that the class don’t know the answer to, you could set these as a
research task (adding them to your ‘think tank’ display).
Language Arts/ICT link: the children could create a brochure for their museum by taking
photographs of the exhibits and displaying these in a book. Captions and an exhibit number
can also be added to each image.
Personal Goals
Communication
Enquiry
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The Magic Toymaker
History Task 4
Learning Goals
1.04 Be able to use key words and phrases relating to the passing of time
1.05 Be able to order events and objects into a sequence
1.06 Be able to identify differences between their own lives and those of people who have lived in
the past
1.07 Be able to find out about aspects of the past from a range of sources of information
1.08 Be able to communicate their historical knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways
1.10 Understand that the past is represented in a variety of ways
Research activity
Look together at the painting, The Toy Shop by Peter Blake (1962). The picture is a type of
self portrait telling us all about the artist’s favourite toys that he played with as a child. He
has collected these objects, including badges, paints, masks, comics, records, jigsaws, trains
and cars, and arranged them to look like they are part of a toy shop window.
Ask the children if they think it is a modern toy shop or a toy shop from the past? Prompt
them to explain their reasoning.
Make a list of all the toys the children can identify in the painting. Are those types of toys
still available/popular today? Would they look the same if they were available today, or
would they be different? If so, how? (Materials, colours, packaging, theme, etc.)
Provide the children with sheets of paper and art materials.
Ask them to divide their paper into four boxes, to represent their toy shop window. In the
first box, they will be drawing/showing toys that their grandparents would have played with;
in the second box, the toys that their parents would have played with. The bottom two
boxes can feature toys that the children like to play with today (present day toys) and what
toys might be available in the future, when they are older:
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The Magic Toymaker
The children might find the scrapbooks by Robert Opie useful for this task. Each book is
large format, containing detailed photographs of toys and games from each decade:
Scrapbook series, by Robert Opie, Pi Global Publishing, 1999 Titles in the series: 1910s,
1920s, 1930s, Wartime Scrapbook (1940s), 1950s, 1960s, 1970s.
The following websites also provide useful reference photographs:
thedailybeast.com/galleries/2010/12/14/christmas-toy-fads. html
The Daily Beast is a US news website, which features an article on toy crazes over the last 30
years.
entertainment.howstuffworks.com/toy-pictures.htm
How Stuff Works features an image gallery showing the most popular toys from the 1960s to the
present day.
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The Magic Toymaker
Recording activity
Allow time for the children to complete their pictures. Toys can be drawn, painted, printed
from computer and/or cut out of magazines/brochures to create a mixed media piece.
If you wish, children could use separate sheets of paper for each panel and then add the
frame afterwards, joining them together. Each child should end up with a complete shop
window, showing four time periods/eras.
Invite volunteers to share their shop windows. Encourage the children to note any
similarities and differences in the toys from each era. How have they changed over time?
Which toys would they most /least want to play with and why?
The completed windows can be displayed side-by-side to create a ‘shop front’ for the
toymaker’s workshop or for a shop role-play area.
Personal Goals
Communication
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness
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The Magic Toymaker
History Task 5
Learning Goals
1.03 Be able to ask and answer questions about the past
1.04 Be able to use key words and phrases relating to the passing of time
1.06 Be able to identify differences between their own lives and those of people who have lived in
the past
1.07 Be able to find out about aspects of the past from a range of sources of information
1.08 Be able to communicate their historical knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways
1.10 Understand that the past is represented in a variety of ways
Research activity
Display the painting Children’s Games by Flemish artist, Pieter Bruegel (1560). In this
painting, Brueghel shows over 80 different games that were played in the 16th century. You
can find out more about the painting and some of the games on the following website:
gamesmuseum.uwaterloo.ca/VirtualExhibits/Brueghel/index.html
The Games Museum website, established by the University of Waterloo in Ontario, has an
impressive collection of objects, which can be viewed on their site.
If you wish, you could try out some of the games that are shown in the painting (see the
above website for instructions). Talk about what all these games have in common (they are
games that are played with the minimum of ‘equipment’ – using only one or two everyday
objects, or just the imagination).
Why might these games have been popular?
How are they the same/different to the types of games we would play today?
You might want to consider the technology we have available today, such as televisions,
computers, consoles and handheld games (such as iPad apps). Are we more likely to play
alone than with other people?
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The Magic Toymaker
Recording activity
Help the children to find out about a game that was popular in their home or host country in
the past. They could use books, the internet or ask their parents/grandparents. The children
can then draw a picture of their game and teach others how to play it. Again, compare and
contrast the different games.
Art link: ask the children to create their own playground picture, to show the games and
activities that are played outdoors today. Children could work individually on this or in larger
groups, drawing/painting the activities and then sticking them onto a larger collage. These
can then be displayed alongside Brueghel’s painting to compare and contrast.
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Enquiry
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The Magic Toymaker
History Task 6 (Bears)
Learning Goals
1.01 Know stories about a range of people who have lived in a variety of cultures in the past
1.02 Know about a range of events that have happened in the past
1.03 Be able to ask and answer questions about the past
1.04 Be able to use key words and phrases relating to the passing of time
1.05 Be able to order events and objects into a sequence
1.07 Be able to find out about aspects of the past from a range of sources of information
1.08 Be able to communicate their historical knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways
1.10 Understand that the past is represented in a variety of ways
Note: two versions of History Task 6 are provided. One exploring teddy bears and one focused on dolls.
The children could decide which type of toy they want to learn about, or you could base your decision on
the resources that you have available. You may decide to explore both over the course of your unit!
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The Magic Toymaker
Research activity
Ask the children to bring in their teddy bear from home, if they have one. (It could be a
parent’s or grandparent’s – but check permissions first!) Make a collection of bears, for
discussion later in the session.
Begin by asking the children if they can guess how the teddy bear got its name. Tell them
the story of American President Theodore Roosevelt. His nickname was Teddy. While on a
hunting trip in 1902, he famously refused to shoot a tethered bear.
This scene was famously depicted in a cartoon, published in the Washington Post. Look
together at the cartoon. Note the way the bear has been depicted. Talk about the value of
the cartoon as an historical source of information.
In the same month, shopkeepers in Brooklyn New York (Morris and Rose Michtom) made a
soft bear toy, which they named ‘Teddy’s bear’ and displayed it in their shop window with a
copy of the cartoon. A new craze for teddy bears had started!
Provide groups with different photographs of bears. (Include examples of the early ‘Teddy
Bear’ and the Steiff bears, produced in Germany in 1903. Steiff bears are famous for having
a metal button sewn onto the left ear. Also provide more modern examples for comparison.)
The following websites provide helpful information and images:
teddybear-museum.co.uk
The Teddy Bear Museum is a site for collectors, providing images and information on teddy bears
from the first half of the 20th century.
museumofchildhood.org.uk/collections/teddy-bears-and-soft-toys
The Museum of Childhood website has an excellent section on teddy bears, with information on
how bears can be classified based on their characteristics.
Ask the children to look at the pictures and to note the similarities and differences. They
should discover that older teddy bears have bigger ears, pointed/triangular faces, longer
limbs and curved paws. Challenge the children to put the pictures in order, from oldest to
newest, explaining their reasoning. Afterwards, talk about the bears that have been provided
(such as the Steiff bear) and their defining characteristics.
Move onto the display of teddy bears and see if the children can identify the oldest bears. If
possible, have the information from the bear owners on hand so that you can verify the age
of some of the bears. Note the different materials used, such as glass or button eyes on the
older bears and plastic on the newer.
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The Magic Toymaker
Recording activity
Tell the children that the toymaker has asked them to make a guide, to help someone to
identify if a bear is old or new. What things should they look out for?
Children should work in pairs to decide what information their guide will need, before
working on their guides individually. The children should be demonstrating their
understanding that older bears have identifiable characteristics. Use your teddy collection
and the photographs to provide prompts.
Children can then swap their guides with a partner, to evaluate how clearly they present the
information. These can then be collected and displayed as a whole class ‘Spotter Guide to
Teddy Bears’ book for your workshop.
Personal Goals
Communication
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness
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The Magic Toymaker
History Task 6 (Dolls)
Learning Goals
1.01 Know stories about a range of people who have lived in a variety of cultures in the past
1.02 Know about a range of events that have happened in the past
1.03 Be able to ask and answer questions about the past
1.04 Be able to use key words and phrases relating to the passing of time
1.05 Be able to order events and objects into a sequence
1.06 Be able to identify differences between their own lives and those of people who have lived in
the past
1.07 Be able to find out about aspects of the past from a range of sources of information
1.08 Be able to communicate their historical knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways
1.10 Understand that the past is represented in a variety of ways
Note: two versions of History Task 6 are provided. One exploring teddy bears and one focused on dolls.
The children could decide which type of toy they want to learn about, or you could base your decision on
the resources that you have available. You may decide to explore both over the course of your unit!
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The Magic Toymaker
Research activity
Ask the children to bring in a favourite doll (or dolls) from home. For the boys, remind them
that this also includes action figures! Allow time at the beginning of your session for the
children to present and talk about their dolls. Look at any similarities and differences. Areas
you might want to focus on, include:
Materials
Size
Link to film/cartoon/television series
Accessories
In groups, provide the children with pictures of older dolls. Try and include examples of
wooden, wax, porcelain, paper, peg and rag dolls. How do these dolls compare with the
dolls/figures that we play with nowadays? Challenge the children to sort them from oldest
to newest. Invite groups to talk about their timelines and what they based their decisions
on. Then reveal the correct timeline, talking through the history of each of the dolls.
The following websites provide some helpful background information, to support this task:
dianesdolls.co.uk/dolls.html
Diane’s dolls website has a good overview of the history of dolls, from prehistoric times to the
modern day.
youtube.com/watch?v=VIfJiqbgHDY
YouTube hosts this short documentary exploring the origins and history of the Barbie Doll.
(To watch a YouTube video in safe mode, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the
‘safety’ tab which brings up the ‘Safety mode’ information. Under this section, select the ‘on’
option, then click ‘save’)
You may be able to invite a local collector to visit the class to share and talk about their
doll/figure collection. Ask the children to think about why people might collect
dolls/figures. What makes something collectable?
Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Assign one of the doll photographs to each group
and ask them to find out more about that type of doll. You may wish to work with the
children to write three or more questions beforehand, that they can use to base their
research on.
Let each group decide how they will find the answers to their questions. Provide a selection
of books, posters and CD-ROMs for the children to use. It may also be possible to email
questions to a historian/museum.
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The Magic Toymaker
Recording activity
Ask the children to imagine that their doll can speak. They are new to the toymaker’s
workshop and must introduce themselves to all the other toys. What will they say?
Using speech bubbles or hot-seating techniques, the children can use their research to
introduce/speak for their doll, explaining how old they are, what they are made from, where
they were made and who might have owned them. While the children may want to
embellish their stories, remind them to use the historical facts from their research as a
starting point for their ideas.
Language Arts/Technology link: ask the children to design and make a doll based on a
character from a storybook. Try and focus on one or two stories that you have shared
together in class. Encourage the children to think about one particular scene and what their
character would be wearing/doing in that scene. Children may also want to think about
accessories that might come with their toy, which represent their character and their role in
the story.
Personal Goals
Communication
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness
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The Magic Toymaker
History Extension task
Learning Goals
1.01 Know stories about a range of people who have lived in a variety of cultures in the past
1.02 Know about a range of events that have happened in the past
1.03 Be able to ask and answer questions about the past
1.04 Be able to use key words and phrases relating to the passing of time
1.06 Be able to identify differences between their own lives and those of people who have lived in
the past
1.07 Be able to find out about aspects of the past from a range of sources of information
1.08 Be able to communicate their historical knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways
1.10 Understand that the past is represented in a variety of ways
Extension activity
Invite an Antiques Dealer or Museum Curator to come into the school for the day to host a
class antiques fair.
Children and staff can bring in some of their old toys to find out more about them. (Ensure
that everything is carefully labelled and looked after – and try to avoid breakables!)
If possible, try to work together as a whole class to find out more about the old toys that
have been brought in, using clues and information provided by the toy and its owner.
Children may be able to use some of their previous knowledge and research from the unit
to help guess at whether something is new or very old.
Personal Goals
Enquiry
Respect
Thoughtfulness
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The Magic Toymaker
Science Learning Goals
Children will:
1.01 Know that scientific enquiry involves asking questions, collecting evidence through observation
and measurement
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.24 Know the names and properties of a range of materials
1.25 Know about the uses of different materials
1.26 Know what happens when various materials are squashed, bent, twisted, stretched, heated or
cooled
1.27 Be able to describe similarities and differences between materials
1.28 Be able to sort materials into groups according to their properties
1.29 Understand that the uses to which materials are put depend on their properties
1.31 Know how simple electrical circuits operate and the effects they have on different devices
1.33 Know how a range of forces, including pushes and pulls, can move object
1.38 Be able to describe the actions that result in changes in light, sound or movement
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The Magic Toymaker
Science Task 1
Learning Goals
1.24 Know the names and properties of a range of materials
1.27 Be able to describe similarities and differences between materials
1.28 Be able to sort materials into groups according to their properties
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The Magic Toymaker
Research activity
Explain to the children that the toymaker is very pleased with how well they are looking
after his workshop. In fact, he is so pleased, he has a special favour to ask. His own toy
cupboard is in a terrible state and he can never find the toy he is looking for. He needs the
children’s help to sort and label the toys so that they are easier to find.
Provide a chest or box filled with a collection of toys. Let the children remove the toys and
line them up on a table or on a carpet. Ensure that your collection provides a variety of
different materials, e.g. wood, plastic, glass (marbles), rubber (balloons or bouncy balls),
metal (scooter), fabric, pottery and rock (garden ornament). You may choose to include a few
other items, apart from toys, to provide a wider selection of materials.
Provide two hoops. Ask the children if they can help you sort the toys into two groups.
Decide what groups you will sort the toys into and then create a label for each one. Children
may begin by suggesting size (large and small toys). For each criteria, challenge the children
to decide on the limits (when does a toy become ‘small’ or ‘large’?). Overlap the hoops to
create a space for toys that could sit in either category.
Divide the class into groups. Provide each group with a small selection of toys, two sorting
hoops and some blank labels. Challenge them to find as many different ways of sorting all
their toys into two groups as they can.
Prompt the children to think about the materials that the toys are made of and their
individual properties. For example:
Shiny/dull
Soft/hard
Bends/does not bend
Tough/brittle
Cold/warm to touch
Waterproof/not waterproof
Light/heavy
Lets light through/does not let light through, etc.
This will provide a perfect opportunity to develop useful and scientific vocabulary, e.g.
waterproof and absorbent; transparent and opaque. If the children are struggling to think of
sorting criteria, then you could provide ideas (or provide suggestions in the toymaker’s ideas
machine).
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The Magic Toymaker
Recording activity
Children should record their ideas on paper, drawing their circles as a Venn diagram and
then labelling the categories. The toys can then be drawn, written or photographed inside
each circle. The children should be able to sort the toys by material and by property.
Where toys may fall into both categories, the children can overlap their hoops. For example,
a toy might have both shiny and dull surfaces if it is made from more than one material.
Invite groups to share their favourite sorting categories with the rest of the class. Which
criteria were the most successful for sorting their entire collection of toys?
End the session with a quiz. Set up some hoops and sort the toys into them. Then challenge
the children to guess how you sorted them. Children can then provide the labels and check
that their suggested criteria works. Through this activity, the children should know how to
distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made. They should be able
to name and compare a variety of everyday materials, describe their basic physical
properties and sort into groups according to these properties.
ICT link: take photographs of the children’s and parent’s toys from the previous History tasks.
These can then be placed into an Interactive Whiteboard program and sorted by the
children into relevant categories.
Personal Goals
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
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The Magic Toymaker
Science Task 2
Learning Goals
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.24 Know the names and properties of a range of materials
1.25 Know about the uses of different materials
1.26 Know what happens when various materials are squashed, bent, twisted, stretched, heated or
cooled
1.27 Be able to describe similarities and differences between materials
1.29 Understand that the uses to which materials are put depend on their properties
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The Magic Toymaker
Research activity
Display a collection of different toys, including baby toys, cuddly toys and also toys for pets.
Talk about the different toys and ask the children who they think might play with each toy.
Pick out some examples and ask the children if they can name and describe the material it is
made from (fur, plastic, wood, fabric, rubber, etc.).
Recall the previous task and ask the children what they think the toymaker’s favourite
material is. Invite suggestions from the class. The children should name what they think his
favourite material is and give reasons why. For example, they may say rubber - because it’s
stretchy, it makes good balloons. They may say he prefers furry materials to make teddy
bears. Ask the children if they think the toymaker uses metal or glass in his toys. Why would
a metal teddy bear be a bad idea? Although metal is not a suitable material for making soft
toys, it is useful for other products - can the children think of any? (bicycles, scooters, cars)
Glass may not be a favourite material for the toymaker (apart from making marbles!) but it is
excellent for other uses - what are they? (windows, windscreens, lightbulbs, drinking
glasses)
Tell the children that before the toymaker creates a new toy, he tests his materials first to
find out which are going to be the most suitable. While the toymaker is on holiday, the
children are going to be the testers. How does the toymaker test his materials and what
does he test for? For softness, bendiness, stretchiness, waterproofing, strength, etc? Invite
ideas from the children. In groups, the children should then decide what they are going to
test for and how.
You should encourage the children to set up their own investigations to test a variety of
everyday materials, including wood, plastic, rubber, brick, rock, glass, paper, cardboard,
fabric, etc. Use toys, swatches or small samples for testing - DIY stores might be a good
source for this. You will need to provide guidance on methods of testing and some basic
equipment. Start by asking the children, in groups, to present their ideas for the tests so that
you can discuss any potential issues.
Safety note: ensure that the children follow your school’s guidelines for safety at all times
when testing the materials.
The children should compare the suitability of these materials for particular uses by the
toymaker. Some may not be very useful for toy making, but they will have other more
general uses that the children should be able to identify. Through their investigations, the
children should discover that the shape of some materials can be changed by squashing,
bending, stretching and twisting (in scientific terms, this is called a compression test) while
others cannot easily be changed in this way. Toys such as Slinkies, modelling clay and
stretchy putty that are designed to change shape would be a useful additional resource for
the children’s research.
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Recording activity
Ask the children to record the results of their tests.
For example:
The children could then divide the materials into two groups using sorting hoops or trays:
those that can be changed (by their squashing, bending, stretching and twisting tests) and
those that can’t be changed. For the buoyancy experiment, the children will probably
conclude that lighter objects will float and denser objects will sink.
You could then extend this by looking at how materials can float or sink by changing their
shape/density. For example, a plasticine ball will sink – but plasticine shaped like a boat,
with a hollow centre, is more likely to float. Similarly, a hollow rubber object (like a rubber
duck) will float (as it is less dense than the water) but a dense piece of rubber might sink.
Based on the results of their investigations, the children should choose the material that
they think would be the best for the bath time toy. Ask groups to share their results and
discuss these as a whole class.
Extension activity
Tell the children that the toymaker wants to make a bath time toy suitable for a toddler to
play with. He isn’t sure what material/s would be best, so he has asked the children to help.
Let the children plan their own investigations. They will need to start by considering what
properties their material/s will need. It should be:
Tough/durable enough for a toddler to play with
Non-absorbent
Buoyant (optional)
Light (to be picked up and played with)
Smooth (no sharp edges to scratch or cut)
Based on their criteria for a good material, the children can go on to devise suitable tests for
their materials.
Technology link: children could go on to design their bath toy, deciding what theme they
will give it and what features will make it appeal to a toddler.
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Personal Goals
Communication
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness
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The Magic Toymaker
Science Task 3
Learning Goals
1.01 Know that scientific enquiry involves asking questions, collecting evidence through observation
and measurement
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.33 Know how a range of forces, including pushes and pulls, can move object
1.38 Be able to describe the actions that result in changes in light, sound or movement
Research activity
Ask the children to bring in an example of a toy that can be pushed or pulled. Also assemble
your own collection of ‘push’ and ‘pull’ toys for the children to investigate. These might
include, wheeled toys, string toys, rocking toys, spring toys (jack-in-the-box), and so on.
Begin the session by asking the children to demonstrate how they would play with one of
the toys. What are they doing to make it ‘work’?
Use the vocabulary ‘push’ and ‘pull’. Explore some of the other toys. Discuss how they move.
For example, toys that are pulled might ‘roll’ along (on wheels) or they might ‘slide’ across
the ground.
How can they make something move faster or slower?
What parts of the body are we using to provide the push or the pull?
Pose the question: If we didn’t provide the ‘push’ or ‘pull’ would the toys still be able to
move? Help the children to understand that for something to move, it requires a ‘force’. For
these toys, we are providing the force to make them move.
Divide the class into groups. Provide each group with a collection of toys. Ask them to
investigate their collection by sorting them into three groups:
Toys we push
Toys we pull
Toys we can push and pull
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The Magic Toymaker
Recording activity
Ask the children to decide in their group how they will record their investigation. If
necessary, prompt them to think about how they sorted their toys in Science task 1 (Venn
diagrams). However, children may wish to come up with other methods of sharing their
learning.
End the session by asking the children if they can think of any other ways that different toys
could move. Look at some examples of these (battery, clockwork, wind, solar energy, etc.).
What do we need to do to make each of these work? (Press a switch, wind a handle, etc.)
What makes these toys different to the other toys we have investigated?
Technology link: tell the children that the packaging that the toys came in has been
damaged. Before the toymaker can put them on sale in his shop, he must provide some new
packaging. This packaging must show someone how to play with/use the toy.
Ask the children to choose a toy from one of the categories. Provide each child with a sheet
of paper and art materials. Ask them to imagine that the sheet of paper is the front of their
box. Their box needs to give a name for their toy and to show how the toy can be played
with. It should also use the appropriate word/s (push, pull) on the box. For example: Hot rod
racer. Push the car to see it go! Super spinning top. Push the button and see it spin!
Personal Goals
Communication
Enquiry
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The Magic Toymaker
Science Task 4
Learning Goals
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.27 Be able to describe similarities and differences between materials
1.33 Know how a range of forces, including pushes and pulls, can move object
1.38 Be able to describe the actions that result in changes in light, sound or movement
Research activity
According to the toymaker, when the toys come alive at night, the toy cars hold races
around the workshop to see who is the best! (You might want to watch a clip from the Pixar
Movie, Cars (2006) or Cars 2 (2011) to get the children in the mood!)
Divide the class into groups and provide each group with three or more toy cars of different
types. (Try and include ones with different sized bodies, wheels, number of wheels, grip and
so on.) Also ensure that each group has access to a variety of different surfaces to race their
cars on (carpet, tiles/ wooden floor, concrete, grass, etc.) and measuring equipment.
Children may want to think of inventive and exciting names for each of their car
competitors. They should then devise a fair investigation to see which car travels the
furthest across each surface. For each race, children will need to mark out a starting line and
decide how they will make each ‘push’ as fair as possible. (Children may want to start each
car at the top of a ramp, angled at a certain height.)
Children should predict which car will win/come last before they start each race.
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Recording activity
Groups measure and record how far each car travels. Different cars may win different races
depending on their characteristics. (For example, an off-road truck with big wheels might
perform better on the grass than it does on a tiled/polished floor.)
Allow time at the end of the session for children to feedback their findings. How did the
type of surface affect the speed and distance that the cars travelled? Encourage the
children to describe in their own words why they think some surfaces were harder to travel
across than others. (Rougher surfaces slow things down; they provide more resistance.)
If you wish, you could hold a special ‘Champion of champions’ contest, where each group
chooses their best car to go up against the other teams’ best cars. Who will emerge the
winner? Perform the races and discuss the results.
Mathematics link: children can record their data using a comparative line or bar graph. (Type
of surface for the x axis and distance travelled for the y axis.) This can then be used to make
comparisons and notice patterns in the data.
Personal Goals
Cooperation
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness
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The Magic Toymaker
Science Extension task
Learning Goals
1.01 Know that scientific enquiry involves asking questions, collecting evidence through observation
and measurement
1.02 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.03 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.04 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
1.31 Know how simple electrical circuits operate and the effects they have on different devices
1.38 Be able to describe the actions that result in changes in light, sound or movement
Extension activity
In pairs, get the children to create a simple electric circuit to light up a bulb. Then introduce
a switch to the circuit, so that the light can be turned off and on again.
Ask the children to think of a use for their circuit as part of a toy/game. (They may have
already created a toy as part of the Technology tasks or Mail Box challenges, which they
could adapt.)
Children can make their toy (or adapt an old one) to incorporate their circuit. They will need
to think about where they position their switch so that someone can easily turn the light off
and on again.
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Enquiry
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The Magic Toymaker
Technology Learning Goals
Children will:
1.01 Know that products in everyday use have an effect on peoples lives
1.02 Be able to plan what they are going to make
1.03 Be able to describe their plans in pictures and words
1.04 Be able to use simple tools and materials to make products
1.05 Be able to choose appropriate tools and materials for their tasks
1.06 Be able to comment on their own plans and products and suggest areas of improvement
1.07 Be able to comment on the usefulness of products in everyday use
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The Magic Toymaker
Technology Task 1
Learning Goals
1.01 Know that products in everyday use have an effect on peoples lives
1.02 Be able to plan what they are going to make
1.04 Be able to use simple tools and materials to make products
1.05 Be able to choose appropriate tools and materials for their tasks
1.06 Be able to comment on their own plans and products and suggest areas of improvement
1.07 Be able to comment on the usefulness of products in everyday use
Research activity
As the children enter the ‘workshop,’ have some examples of illusionary and optical toys for
them to explore. These might include, spinning tops, zoetropes and thaumatropes (the ‘bird
in the cage’ illusion). Examples can be viewed at:
museumofchildhood.org.uk/collections/optical-toys
The Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood website has some excellent resources on toys and
games from different historical periods.
youtube.com/watch?v=yD0ovANHdqQ
YouTube hosts this simple demonstration of a thaumatrope.
youtube.com/watch?v=wHdpzDluyhs
YouTube demonstration of a spinning top product, which shows how it can be used to create
simple animations and patterns.
(To watch a YouTube video in safe mode, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the
‘safety’ tab which brings up the ‘Safety mode’ information. Under this section, select the ‘on’
option, then click ‘save’)
Explain to the class that the toymaker has left some of his ‘magical’ toys for the children to
explore. Let the children play with the toys and discuss what happens. Is it really magic?
How is the movement of the object affecting what we see? How do they ‘fool’ our eyes?
The children can go on to create their own ‘magic’ toys, working individually, in pairs or
small groups.
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The Magic Toymaker
To make an optical spinning top:
1. Using white card, draw round a circular object (such as a plate) and cut out the circle. Find
the centre of the circle by measuring or folding the circle.
2. Children can paint or draw their own patterns on the circle (spiral patterns are very
effective).
3. Pierce the centre hole with a pencil. Then spin the spinner and observe the effect!
To make a thaumatrope:
1. Cut out a circle of card. On one side draw a bird (or an object). Then flip the card vertically
and draw the cage (or another object).
2. Make two tiny holes near each edge. Thread a length of string through each pair of holes.
3. Hold the string with each hand and twist until both strings are wound tight. Then pull the
string tight and watch the card circle spin!
To make a zoetrope:
1. Cut a large circle from card. Find the centre of the circle by measuring or folding the
circle.
2. Make a hole in the centre. Push a lolly stick or other ‘handle’ through the hole and then
tape it in place (so the child is able to spin the circle).
3. Measure and cut a thin strip of paper to fit around the circle. Draw a simple sequence of
pictures on this (such as a bouncing ball).
4. Measure and cut a wider strip of black card to form the walls of the zoetrope. Cut slits in
the black card, roughly aligned with the pictures on your previous strip.
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The Magic Toymaker
5. Tape the white strip to the bottom of the black strip. Then tape around your cardboard
circle.
6. Children can now spin the zoetrope using the handle and watch their pictures moving by
looking through the slits.
While the designs may be similar, encourage the children to think imaginatively about the
pictures and patterns they will use on their toy.
Recording activity
Allow time for the children to make their models. Provide assistance where necessary. To
save time, card circles and strips could be measured and cut prior to the session.
The finished toys can be shared with the rest of the class at the end of the session. Ask the
children to view and evaluate each design. How well do they work as optical toys? How
might they be improved?
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The Magic Toymaker
Personal Goals
Resilience
Thoughtfulness
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The Magic Toymaker
Technology Task 2
Learning Goals
1.01 Know that products in everyday use have an effect on peoples lives
1.02 Be able to plan what they are going to make
1.03 Be able to describe their plans in pictures and words
1.07 Be able to comment on the usefulness of products in everyday use
Research activity
At the start of this unit, ask the children to bring in a board game from home to add to a
whole class collection. These games should be made available for the children to play
(during playtime, dinnertime, as part of an after-school club, and so on). You could provide
evaluation cards for the children to complete after playing each game. They should keep
hold of these cards to share during this task.
An evaluation card might include the following:
Name of game:
Number of players:
Difficulty: •••••
Fun factor: •••••
Start your session by looking at some of the games and asking children to share their
feedback. Compare the games that were the most/least popular. What was it about each
game that made it enjoyable/not enjoyable? (Remind the children to respect each other’s
opinions; everyone will have their own favourites and there are no right or wrong answers.)
Tell the children that the toymaker is pleased with the children’s inventiveness. He believes
that they are ready for his next challenge – to design and make a board game for two or
more players.
Divide the class into groups. Using art materials, ask the children to work together to design
a simple board game. Explain that they will be making their game in the next session, so
they should use this time to plan what they want to make.
Visit each group in turn and provide assistance to help them develop their ideas. Some areas
to consider:
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The Magic Toymaker
How will the players move around the board?
How will you show their positions?
How many players will take part in your game?
How do you win?
Will there be any parts of the board that reward or disadvantage the players?
Will there be any cards or collectable tokens?
What tools and materials will you use?
What will your game be called?
What else will you need to consider? (For example, will it be fun to play?)
If children are struggling for ideas then they could visit the toymaker’s ideas machine for
inspiration. (This could provide themes, such as ‘space’, ‘under the sea’, ‘jungle explorers’,
and so on.) Also encourage them to think about the games they are already familiar with –
and what they like about them. Children may be able to take all the elements of their
favourite games and combine them into one!
Recording activity
Invite each group to present their ideas to the rest of the class. Encourage feedback from
the rest of the class, exploring any problems that might arise when making the game. Other
children might have additional ideas that the game makers could take on board (excuse the
pun!).
If possible, allow time for the children to revisit their designs, to make any
changes/additions based on their peer feedback.
Geography/History link: children may base their board game on a historical period that they
have studied (e.g. Romans or the Ancient Egyptians) or an environment (jungle, arctic, and so
on). If so, provide appropriate resources (books, posters, etc.) for the children to use, to add
factual detail to their game.
Personal Goals
Cooperation
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness
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The Magic Toymaker
Technology Task 3
Learning Goals
1.01 Know that products in everyday use have an effect on peoples lives
1.04 Be able to use simple tools and materials to make products
1.05 Be able to choose appropriate tools and materials for their tasks
1.06 Be able to comment on their own plans and products and suggest areas of improvement
1.07 Be able to comment on the usefulness of products in everyday use
Research activity
Using collage and art materials, the groups can make their board games based on their
designs (see previous task). You may wish to provide grids of squares on large sheets of
paper, for the children to cut up and arrange to make their boards (it saves time and avoids
children having to measure out each and every square).
Prompt the children to explore the materials that are on offer. These might provide
additional ideas as to how the boards/cards/playing pieces can be made and decorated.
Recording activity
The proof of a good game is in the playing! Ask each group to play their game to test out
the rules and check that everything works. (You may wish to allow time for the groups to
make last minute changes if something is not working.)
Ask each group to present their finished game to the rest of the class. They should talk
through their original idea and how it was translated to the finished product. Focus on any
changes that were made during the making and testing process, and anything they would do
differently if they had more time.
Children can write up instructions for their game (see Language Arts/ICT link) so that other
members of the class can play it.
Language Arts/ICT link: children can use a simple word processor to write up the
instructions for their game. Less confident children may require an adult to help. This is a
good opportunity to explore the format and language of instructional texts (numbering, lists
of materials/ equipment, time connectives, and so on).
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The Magic Toymaker
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Resilience
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The Magic Toymaker
Technology Task 4
Learning Goals
1.02 Be able to plan what they are going to make
1.03 Be able to describe their plans in pictures and words
1.04 Be able to use simple tools and materials to make products
1.05 Be able to choose appropriate tools and materials for their tasks
1.06 Be able to comment on their own plans and products and suggest areas of improvement
1.07 Be able to comment on the usefulness of products in everyday use
Research activity
If possible, invite a local puppet show company to visit the class and perform to the
children. Allow time for the children to ask questions. The puppeteers should be
encouraged to talk about how they operate the puppets and make them perform.
Look at and discuss different types of puppet performances/techniques. The following links
might be useful:
youtube.com/watch?v=UV938f46Wpg
YouTube video providing a short explanation and demonstration of the Japanese art of Bunraku.
youtube.com/watch?v=mlBX3zOrsrM
YouTube video showing an Indonesian Wayang performance (shadow puppet theatre). The video
gives a ‘behind the scenes’ view of how the show is put together, showing the musicians and
the puppet operator.
youtube.com/channel/UC81dB7A-te0taf75bsdYtKg
This YouTube channel features a selection of videos showcasing examples of Kathputli, a string
puppet theatre native to India.
(To watch a YouTube video in safe mode, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the
‘safety’ tab which brings up the ‘Safety mode’ information. Under this section, select the ‘on’
option, then click ‘save’)
museumofchildhood.org.uk/collections/puppets-and-toy-theatres
The Museum of Childhood website has an informative section on puppets from around the
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The Magic Toymaker
world.
Talk about the different types of puppet and how they are operated. Explore some of the
mechanisms used for movement. For example, the arms and legs on a simple string puppet
are often operated by levers, and a puppet’s mouth can be opened via a sliding mechanism;
while on giant-sized puppets, wheels are sometimes used under the ‘feet’ to manoeuvre the
puppet around the stage. Note how, in some performances, the operator is visible (such as
the Bunraku show) whereas in others, they are hidden from view.
Divide the class into small groups. Each group will be putting on its own puppet show
performance (see extension). If you wish, children could base their puppet characters on a
story they have read in class – or make up their own story in their groups.
Within each group, children can work individually or in pairs to make a toy puppet. They will
need to decide how it will be operated. Challenge the children to include a simple
mechanism such as a lever, slider or wheel in their design to aid movement. Demonstrate
some ideas (see below) with the whole class – and then provide the materials for the
children to make their own. As much as possible, you should allow the children to choose
their own materials and components from a wide range. The children should be able to
compare the characteristics of different materials and to choose those that are best suited
for their product (links to Science Task 2).
Ideas might include:
Finger and glove puppets: take a black glove and then glue character shapes to each of the
fingers. Alternatively, decorate a coloured glove, mitten or sock to look like the head of an
animal/character. Children can operate the mouth by opening and closing their hand.
Flip puppets: use a paper bag or a paper plate and decorate a face on one side, then flip
over to create an alternative face on the other side. The faces could represent different
characters or display a different mood/expression of the same character. Attach a lolly stick
to the back of the plate so that it can be held by the child and flipped when required.
Shadow puppets: children should draw the outline of their character onto card and then cut
them out. When making shadow puppets, children will need to be aware that the shapes
must be kept simple so that they are recognisable by the audience. Children can add
moveable parts such as levers, sliders or cardboard wheels using split pins – and attach rods
to move them up and down, slide them from side to side, or rotate them.
String puppets: children can make people and animal characters from fabric or card. The
heads should be made from coloured circles of fabric (or the foot of a pair of tights), stuffed
with cotton wool and then sewn up or taped to create a ball. A length of string can then be
threaded through the head. Knot the two ends of the string together. Attach the finished
head to the body of the character/animal so that it can be moved using the strings.
Moveable limbs can be achieved by creating arms out of strong fabric/string and then
attaching fabric balls to the end, to make the hands. The hands can then be threaded with
string, so that they can be operated.
Bunraku puppets: making Bunraku puppets is a secret Japanese tradition that can take a
lifetime to perfect. You can, however, create something similar by getting the children to
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cut out characters from thick sheets of card (the larger the better) and using split pins to
hinge their joints. With Bunraku puppetry, there is no need to hide the presence of the
puppeteer. Therefore, children should remember that they can stand/sit behind their puppet
to operate it. Most Bunraku puppets are large – almost as big/tall as their operators. These
puppets are more effective when they are created on a larger scale.
Recording activity
Children should record how they made their puppet, using labelled pictures or video
recordings. Finished puppets can then be presented to the rest of the class. Children should
be encouraged to talk about how they made their puppet, any problems that they needed to
solve, and how they plan to perform using their puppets.
Invite the children to comment constructively on each other’s designs and to reflect on the
successes and weaknesses of their own designs.
For example:
Have they followed the design criteria you set out for them?
Have they included a moving mechanism?
Can any improvements be made? (e.g. to make their puppet stronger or stiffer?)
Encourage the children to share their views and, if time allows, make any necessary changes
to their products.
Mathematics link: children can create their own patterns/instructions for making a puppet.
These should provide enough information for someone else to follow, to make an exact
replica of the puppet. As part of this task, children will need to provide accurate
measurements and/ or provide scaled patterns that could be cut out.
Personal Goals
Enquiry
Resilience
Thoughtfulness
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Technology Extension task
Learning Goals
1.02 Be able to plan what they are going to make
1.03 Be able to describe their plans in pictures and words
1.04 Be able to use simple tools and materials to make products
1.05 Be able to choose appropriate tools and materials for their tasks
1.06 Be able to comment on their own plans and products and suggest areas of improvement
1.07 Be able to comment on the usefulness of products in everyday use
Extension activity
Using their puppets from the previous task, children can go on to plan and perform their
own puppet show. This will require the children to work on:
Further puppets to complete their cast
A theatre or area where they will perform
Backdrops, scenery and props to help tell their story (depending on their chosen
technique)
Children may also wish to add musical accompaniment to their piece (see Music link). Allow
time for the children to rehearse their performances. Based on this, the children may need
to make further modifications to their puppets and/or their theatre, for example, they might
need to consider how they can make their scenery more stable so that it doesn’t fall over, or
their props stronger and stiffer. Encourage the children to try out different methods - adding
extra layers of material for increased strength or fixing structural supports to the back of the
scenery.
Set aside a time for the children to perform their stories to each other. After each
performance, ask the audience for feedback. What did they like most about the story/
puppetry? How might each performance be improved?
Music link: groups may want to use instruments to add a sound track or music sequence to
their story (see the Indonesian Wayang performance in the previous task). These could be
recorded so that they can be played back during the performance (children will need to
practise their timings so that their movements and the music match up!) or members can
assign roles, with some group members providing music while others operate the puppets.
Children could also experiment with adding sound effects to their piece.
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Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Resilience
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The Magic Toymaker
Physical Education Learning Goals
Children will:
1.02 Be able to perform simple activities with control and coordination
1.03 Be able to repeat and develop simple actions
1.05 Be able to apply movements in sequence
1.07 Be able to observe, copy and develop actions performed by others
1.08 Be able to improve performance through observation and repetition
1.10 Understand principles of safe activity
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Physical Education Task
Learning Goals
1.02 Be able to perform simple activities with control and coordination
1.03 Be able to repeat and develop simple actions
1.05 Be able to apply movements in sequence
1.07 Be able to observe, copy and develop actions performed by others
1.08 Be able to improve performance through observation and repetition
1.10 Understand principles of safe activity
Research activity
Gather the children in the school hall. Remind them of the toymaker’s workshop and how his
toys come alive at night to play. The children are going to imagine that they are different
toys, leaving the toy box to dance and play, while the toymaker is away.
Designate an area of the hall as the toy box. This could simply be a large rectangle marked
out by skipping ropes or a series of mats placed together. All the children start in the toy
box. When you play music, the children are going to take on your chosen toy type, exploring
moving and dancing in that fashion.
Toy types might include:
Mechanical, like a robot
Floppy and loose, like a rag doll
Spinning and turning, like a spinning top
Hopping and jumping, like a jack-in-the-box
Fast and slow, like a wind-up toy
When the music gets quieter and quieter, the children must slow their movements, as if
they are getting tired, returning to the toy box at the end of the night. You may also want to
introduce a sound effect (such as cymbals or a clap) to signify that the toymaker has entered
the shop, and everyone must freeze and hold their positions.
Focus on key performers, asking the rest of the class to observe how they have interpreted
their toy character.
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Recording activity
Ask the children to choose one of their favourite toys (this might be one of the toys they
brought in and shared for the History tasks). Ask them to explore how their toy might move.
Consider its size, shape and the materials it is made from.
Let the children practise their sequences. Invite volunteers to perform these to the rest of
the class. Is it possible to guess the type of toy just from watching the child’s movements?
End the session, by playing music and letting everyone dance around the hall as their
favourite toy.
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
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Physical Education Extension task
Learning Goals
1.02 Be able to perform simple activities with control and coordination
1.03 Be able to repeat and develop simple actions
1.05 Be able to apply movements in sequence
1.07 Be able to observe, copy and develop actions performed by others
1.08 Be able to improve performance through observation and repetition
1.10 Understand principles of safe activity
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The Magic Toymaker
Extension activity
Share the story of ‘The Nutcracker’, a ballet that was set to Tchaikovsky’s music. In the story,
a young girl called Clara is given a nutcracker doll (a prince) by her father. Clara dreams that
the prince comes alive, whisking her away into a fantasy world. On their adventure, Clara
helps the prince and his army of toy soldiers to defeat the Mouse King, they travel through
the land of Snow and the Land of the Sweets (where they meet the Sugar Plum Fairy), and
finally are treated to the Waltz of the Flowers, before Clara wakes up – and it was all a
dream!
Introduce the children to some of the music from the ballet. Talk about what is happening
during the music. Focus on the March of the Toy Soldiers and the battle piece:
youtube.com/watch?v=cZtw4KekvVM
A music clip from ‘The Nutcracker’ ballet, with accompanying photographs.
youtube.com/watch?v=a8yyzBp0aIw
A video clip showing the battle scene from act 1 of ‘The Nutcracker.’
(To watch a YouTube video in safe mode, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the
‘safety’ tab which brings up the ‘Safety mode’ information. Under this section, select the ‘on’
option, then click ‘save’)
Work with the children to develop your own scene from the ballet when Clara wakes up and
finds herself in the midst of a battle between the army of toy soldiers and the mice.
Explore different movements to contrast the toys and the mice. You can also show the
prince getting wounded by the Mouse King – and Clara saving the day by throwing her
slipper (an imaginary one, as far as your performance is concerned!) at the Mouse King, to
distract him, while the prince delivers the fatal wound.
Your finalised dance could be presented to the rest of the school – or the children’s parents
and friends as part of a special evening performance.
Personal Goals
Communication
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ICT & Computing Learning Goals
Children will:
1.01 Know about some of the applications of ICT and computing in everyday life
1.07 Be able to plan and give instructions to make things happen using a floor robot, program, or
app
1.08 Be able to describe what they have done
1.09 Be able to use simulations to explore what happens in real and imaginary situations
1.10 Understand the importance of using ICT and computing safely and respectfully and how to
report any concerns
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ICT & Computing Task
Learning Goals
1.01 Know about some of the applications of ICT and computing in everyday life
1.07 Be able to plan and give instructions to make things happen using a floor robot, program, or
app
1.08 Be able to describe what they have done
1.09 Be able to use simulations to explore what happens in real and imaginary situations
1.10 Understand the importance of using ICT and computing safely and respectfully and how to
report any concerns
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Research activity
Ask the children if they like playing video games or computer games at home. Explain that
‘computer’ games include any games on devices such as mobile phones, iPads or other
tablets. Ask which games they like to play. Explain that computer games were only invented
around 60 years ago. They were very different to computer games today! Show them some
pictures to illustrate this, such as:
bit.ly/1BOu9Gy
bit.ly/1Em6oaQ
bit.ly/18o01FM
bit.ly/1KxKuFp
bit.ly/1aQkdC2
Does this look anything like the games they play today? What is the same, what is different?
Explain that despite looking very different, computer games are still made in the same way,
just by using imagination, programming and coding. When you play a game, you are
controlling what happens by using an input which could be a games controller, a mouse, a
keyboard or a touchscreen. A computer game always has a goal or a mission or a puzzle you
need to solve. It normally has levels which get more difficult as you go along.
Tell the children that the magic toymaker has prepared a computer game for them to play
which was one of the first games ever invented. Give the children the opportunity to play
‘Space Invaders’ for about ten minutes. There are many different versions of the game
available to play with a PC online:
PC:
bit.ly/1lzoRZv
bit.ly/17Yg658
bit.ly/18o70yB
bit.ly/1MchmyU
bit.ly/1H7fFSj
bit.ly/1AOs3RE
iPad:
apple.co/1GqX2va
What is the goal of the game? How do you win or lose? Does it get more difficult as you go
on? What strategies did they discover for winning the game?
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Recording activity
Explain that the children are going to learn how to make their own space-themed computer
game. All computer games are made up of three things:
1. Pictures – pictures and colours set the scene for the game.
2. Algorithms – algorithms set the rules for the game and control what happens.
3. Code – code is the computer language which the computer uses to display the game.
Using a large projected display, access this website:
j2e.com/jit5?fileId=ar5v2sCoBLpFYBED
Which picture template do they think would be best for a space game? Ask them what they
think the goal of the game is. Hopefully they should agree that the spaceship should visit
each planet.
On the ‘simple’ setting, demonstrate how to do this by using the directional controls on the
spaceship. Point out how these commands appear in the left-hand pane. Explain that the
commands are written in the code language which the computer executes (carries
out/follows). Ask the children what they think the little pen is for. Show them how this puts
a ‘pen down’ (green) or ‘pen up’ (red). Drag this command in the left hand pane to the top of
the algorithm you have created and run the program, highlighting how the commands are
being executed in order. Did they notice what the ‘pen down’ command did? It draws a line
of the route. If we put ‘pen up’, it will not draw a line. Ask the children to help you control
the spaceship to visit the planets, pointing out that a little flag appears on each planet
visited. Demonstrate how to run the entire program by pressing the green triangle ‘Go’
button. Point to the commands in the left-hand pane as they are being executed. Explain
that together, these commands form the algorithm which sends the rocket on its interstellar
adventure. An algorithm is a set of steps or instructions to work something out or make
something happen.
Clear the commands by clicking on the eraser and change the setting to ‘advanced’ mode.
Now, when we select the commands on the spaceship they are not executed immediately,
they just appear in the left-hand pane. They will only be executed when we press ‘Go’. This
means that we need to predict which commands we want to use to control the spaceship.
Ask the children to help you to select a series of commands in ‘advanced’ mode to make the
spaceship visit planet Earth and then draw a line to the big green planet on the left. You
could help them to make predictions by executing their commands yourself, modelling how
to visualise the different commands by physically enacting them and saying the commands
out loud as you do so. Demonstrate how you can edit the commands in the left-hand pane
by either deleting them (clicking on the little cross) or changing their position in the
sequence by dragging them up or down. Include an error in the sequence. Execute the
program by pressing go. What is wrong with your algorithm? Can the children debug (fix)
your program? Model the process of editing and testing the program, de-bugging until the
spaceship draws a line between Earth and the green planet.
Challenge the children to create their own algorithms to make their very own space game in
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‘simple’ mode. It is helpful to work in pairs on this activity, as it should involve plenty of
focused discussion using the key vocabulary used in the program. The activity can be
differentiated by giving different challenges, such as:
Visit planet Mars (the red one)
Visit Earth and then Saturn (the planet with a ring around it)
Visit all the planets and then return to the original position
Draw a single line between the red and yellow planets
To end the session, demonstrate how to record an audio title for your space ‘game’. Point
out that there is a warning message which appears, asking you if the website can access
your computer’s webcam and microphone. Explain that when you press the green ‘allow’
button, it means that the website can see and hear you. For this game, we want to allow it,
because we want to record our voices. But if the children saw this message on a different
website or app, for example when they are playing games at home, what should they do?
Explain that they should always check with their parents first. When we allow websites
access to our webcams, it is like opening the door of our house to a stranger. We need to
protect ourselves on the computer as well. Tell children that if they see anything online that
they are unsure of, they should always check with their parents first, or close the website by
clicking on the cross.
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Resilience
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The Magic Toymaker
International Learning Goals
Children will:
1.01 Know that children within the class and school have different home countries
1.02 Know the names and approximate locations of the home countries of children within the class
(and/or school)
1.03 Know about some of the similarities and differences between the lives of children in the
different home countries and in the host country
1.04 Be able to respect one another’-s individuality and independence
1.05 Be able to work with each other where appropriate
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International Task
Learning Goals
1.01 Know that children within the class and school have different home countries
1.02 Know the names and approximate locations of the home countries of children within the class
(and/or school)
1.04 Be able to respect one another’-s individuality and independence
1.05 Be able to work with each other where appropriate
Research activity
In pairs, ask the children to find out about a popular team game/party game from their home
countries or a different country around the world. The following websites provide a useful
starting point:
edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/4h/4h05500.pdf
The University of Florida has produced this PDF document, which features over 50 games from
around the world. While most are flagged ages 9-12, they are very simple to learn and play.
topics-mag.com/edition11/games-section.htm
Topics Online Magazine has a section on traditional games from around the world. This site may
be too difficult for children, but provides useful ideas and background information for the
teacher.
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The Magic Toymaker
Recording activity
Children should record the rules for their game using words and pictures. They should then
explain the rules of their game to the rest of the class.
Each game can be played as part of a fun afternoon of ‘international games’. At the end of
the session, talk about the children’s favourites/least favourites. Compare the games from
different countries and highlight their many similarities.
As an extension, children could work in groups to choose one of the games and then add
their own extra rule or element to change it slightly. They can then try out their game and
evaluate it afterwards.
Mathematics link: let children vote on their favourite game. Children can collect and then
record these votes using a bar graph. Which international game is the most/least popular
with your class?
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Cooperation
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The Magic Toymaker
International Extension task
Learning Goals
1.01 Know that children within the class and school have different home countries
1.03 Know about some of the similarities and differences between the lives of children in the
different home countries and in the host country
1.04 Be able to respect one another’-s individuality and independence
1.05 Be able to work with each other where appropriate
Extension activity
With parents’ permission, take photographs of the children with their favourite toys. Each
child can then write a sentence or two about their toy to accompany their photograph, along
with their name and their host/home country. Place these in a PowerPoint presentationor an
online sharing tool such as Pinterest (pinterest.com), which can then be shared with another
school around the world. (The IPC Members’ Lounge provides an ideal opportunity to link up
with other IPC schools across the world.)
The linking school can perform the same activity with their children. If you can get several
schools involved, then you will have a rich resource that you can share with your own class.
Show children the photographs from the other school/s. Talk about children’s favourite toys
in different parts of the world. Look at the similarities and differences. Help the children to
find the different home/host countries on maps/globes.
Personal Goals
Communication
Respect
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The Magic Toymaker
The Exit Point
Tell the class that they are going to be opening up their toy workshop for their parents to visit and
celebrate all the learning that has taken place during the unit.
Each child should design a special invitation (or golden ticket!) to invite their parents to the toymaker’s
workshop. Children may wish to make their invitation more inventive, by putting it inside a box for
example, or turning it into a jigsaw that their parents have to put together to read the message.
Work with the children to decide how you will present your work and entertain your guests. Activities
might include:
Teaching people how to play a traditional game or board game
Explaining how a toy was made
Presenting toys in the museum or on the timelines
Putting on a puppet show
Performing your Nutcracker ballet
Obviously, not all activities will be able to be done in the classroom, so part of your
exhibition/presentation could take place in the school hall.
The toymaker returns!
If possible, arrange a special treat for the children by inviting a local entertainer/magician to come and
pretend to be the ‘toymaker’. He/she can congratulate the children on all their hard work – and then put
on a special show for both the children and their parents, as a means of saying thank you!
You may want to organise additional activities based around the toymaker’s return. For example, he could
teach the children to make balloon animal toys, help them to learn a magic trick, share his own ‘favourite
toy’ and so on. You may also want to have a competition element, where the toymaker judges the toys
that were made from the entry point (or another task throughout the unit) and awards prize/s to the best.
The IPC community would love to see examples of your learning, in any subject, at any stage in the
learning process. If you have any pictures or stories you would like to share please visit our Facebook
page at www.facebook.com/InternationalPrimaryCurriculum, tweet @The_IPC or email
stories@greatlearning.com.
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The Magic Toymaker
Resources
For this unit, you will need some, but not necessarily all, of the following:
Equipment
Decorations for the toymaker’s workshop (see entry point)
Collage and junk materials
Boxes and wrapping paper
Collection of new and old toys
Collection of dolls and teddy bears (old and new)
Collection of board games
Collection of pre-made optical toys
Books, posters and DVDs about toys
Computers and internet access
Sorting hoops
Art and craft materials (paints, scissors, card, glue, etc.)
Word-processing software
Graphing software
Toy cars (various sizes/types)
Samples of different materials
Small world toys
Construction toys
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Links
http://www.dianesdolls.co.uk/dolls.html
Diane’-s dolls website has a good overview of the history of dolls, from prehistoric times to
the modern day.
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/museum/childhood-collections/toys/dolls-soft-toys. htm
Hampshire Toys website has a useful background section, exploring the history of dolls.
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/toy-pictures.htm
How Stuff Works website features an image gallery showing the most popular toys from the
1960s to the present day.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2010/12/14/christmas-toy-fads.html
The Daily Beast is a US news website, which features an article on toy crazes over the last
30 years.
http://www.gamesmuseum.uwaterloo.ca/VirtualExhibits/Brueghel/index.html
The Games Museum, established by the University of Waterloo in Ontario, has an impressive
collection of objects, which can be viewed on their site.
http://www.museumofchildhood.org.uk
The Museum of Childhood website has an excellent section on teddy bears, with
information on how bears can be classified based on their characteristics.
http://www.teddybear-museum.co.uk/
The Teddy Bear Museum is a site for collectors, providing images and information on teddy
bears from the first half of the 20th century.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/4h/4h05500.pdf
The University of Florida has produced this PDF document, which features over 50 games
from around the world. While most are flagged ages 9-12, they are very simple to learn and
play.
http://www.museumofchildhood.org.uk/collections/optical-toys
The Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood website has some excellent resources on toys
and games from different historical periods.
http://www.topics-mag.com/edition11/games-section.htm
Topics Online Magazine has a section on traditional games from around the world. This site
may be too difficult for children, but provides useful ideas and background information for
the teacher.
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The Magic Toymaker
Books
Scrapbook series, by Robert Opie, Pi Global Publishing, 1999
Titles in the series: 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s.
This series of books focuses on British history, but provide plenty of talking points for
children in other countries studying this topic. Each double- page spread is filled with
examples of real historical artefacts (including children’s toys), beautifully photographed.
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From Fieldwork Education, a part of the Nord Anglia Education family.
©WCL Group Limited. All rights reserved.