Playing Along
WINTER, 2006-2007
Why do people play? Did my great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents play? Did they play the same way I do? What toys and games have been the most important in the last 100 years? The kindergarten class explored answers to these questions throughout this expedition.
Fieldwork at Strong Museum guided students through a look at toys and play over time, beginning in the late 1800s until modern times. Through interviews and surveys, students gathered data about how parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents played and how children play today.
As a result of their research, the class made a video presentation to the National Selection Committee in which we nominated toys for their consideration to be inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame. Each child also became an expert on one toy already in the Toy Hall of Fame. They created note cards featuring drawings and text about their toys.
