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New Primary Mathematics Toolkit | Brick Addition Tables 7-12

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Hit the Button is an interactive maths game with quick fire questions on number bonds, times tables, doubling and halving, multiples, division facts and square numbers. The games, which are against the clock, challenge and develop mental maths skills. An untimed, practise mode is available in our Hit the Button app along with lots more extra features.

The activities can be matched to appropriate mathematical ability. Regular use of Hit the Button can help students to sharpen their recall of vital number facts in a fun way and learning multiplication tables need not be boring.

AGE

6-11 Years

SUBJECTS

Maths Times Tables Division Number Bonds Doubles Halves Square Numbers

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Hit the Button - Quick fire maths practise for 6-11 year olds

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Quick fire questions on number bonds, doubles, halves, times tables, division facts and square numbers against the clock. Superb!

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Please see Starfall's how-to-teach-reading page, Learn to Read with Phonics, Fluency, and Comprehension, and print the Free Phonics Printouts for children. Starfall™ books, games, movies, and songs follow a research-based method of systematic phonics starting with consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words. Emergent readers gain confidence as they progress to long vowels and other letter-sound relationships such as digraphs.

Brought to you by Zac the Rat™, Peg the Hen™, and Gus the Duck™.
Starfall™ Where Children Have Fun Learning to Read™

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Learn to Read with Phonics | Starfall Education

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Starfall's movies, games, and ebooks create an environment where children have fun as they learn to read. We use a proven sequential phonics method.

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Map of the World for Kids | World Map for Kids

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World Map for kids for free download or print. This Map of the World for kids is a good source to educate them on the boundaries of each continent with an example of the type of wildlife found there.

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Learning to read with phonics? Click the '+' for advice.

Learning to read with phonics

If you live in England, your child will learn to read using phonics. Their school is very likely to use either the Letters and Sounds phonics framework or the Read Write Inc. programme. Check with your school if you're not sure which one they use.

Using Letters and Sounds?

If your child is using Letters and Sounds, you can find this list of eBooks by Letters and Sounds Phases useful. Bear in mind the following:

If you don't know your child's Phase, you can check with your school. As a guide, most Reception children will be on Phases 1-4 and most Year 1 children will be on Phases 4-5. Beyond Phase 5, your child will be able to decode most books.

In Letters and Sounds, there are 'sets' within the Phases - so your child might not know all the sounds in every book within their Phase.

Some series contain occasional 'tricky words' that your child can't decode using phonics. Use the inside front cover notes to teach your child these words before they start the book.

Find out more about Letters and Sounds >

Using Read Write Inc. Phonics?
If your child is being taught to read using the Read Write Inc. programme, you can find books suitable for them by clicking on the 'Levels' menu below and using the 'Read Write Inc.' filter to select the right level.

Find more support and resources for Read Write Inc. in our parents' guide to Read Write Inc. >

Looking for printed books for phonics practice at home?

Not reading to practise phonics?

Sharing books and independent reading

If your child is reading simply for enjoyment, comprehension, or practice, just browse the library or use any of the other filters. You can check which level is right for your child with this simple test from Read with Oxford.

Reading for pleasure

Are you a teacher? Find out about the Oxford Owl for School eBook library.

More available on Oxford Owl for School

Schools who are registered with Oxford Owl can provide pupils with access to an additional 30 Oxford Primary eBooks, plus a separate library of 50 Read Write Inc. titles all for free using a class login associated with their Oxford Owl for School.
How to set up a class login >

If you need more eBooks, Oxford Owl for School has introduced a new annual subscription of up to 550 titles. For more information, please visit the OUP website.

Are you looking for your class login?

Accessing your class eBook library from home

The class log in link has moved. If your teacher has given you login details to use your class library at home, please use the log in link at the very top of this page and select 'Students'.

sign up log in

Songbirds

Levelled phonics books from the fabulous Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo.

Read Write Inc. Phonics

A step-by-step phonics programme to support reading. Learn at home with Read Write Inc. Phonics

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Free eBook library | Oxford Owl from Oxford University Press

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Browse our library of free children's eBooks to read with your child including Oxford Reading Tree adventures with Biff, Chip and Kipper.

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"Picker Power", a Picker Pals Adventure read by author, Patrick Jackson

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Our Irish Programme: Bua na Cainte (Conversations and songs on each theme to view at home)

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Our Irish Programme: Bua na Cainte (Conversations and songs on each theme to view at home)

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Add some information about the Bua na Cainte programme.

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A*List! English Learning Videos for Kids

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Poem: Our Teacher Likes Minecraft! by Kenn Nesbit

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Poem: Our Teacher Likes Minecraft! by Kenn Nesbit

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Our Teacher Likes Minecraft – Kenn Nesbitt’s Poetry4kids.com

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Pick an Art Activity from the National Art Gallery!

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Pick an Art Activity from the National Art Gallery!

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The Early Years, Children and Families Programme plays a major part in encouraging learning through art at the National Gallery of Ireland. It is informed by research in the field, working with highly engaging early years and family learning specialists, and has developed through ongoing project evaluation and in dialogue with the core audience. This strand is for all the family, from babies and toddlers to younger teens and their parents/carers.

We embrace play, enquiry, problem solving, independent thinking and collaboration through multi-disciplinary sensory activities responding to the national collection. We programme general activities onsite for everyone from seasoned museum visitors to tourist families on holidays, and offsite through outreach projects for families who have not visited the Gallery before and are less likely to connect with cultural institutions for geographical, social, or financial reasons.

We offer drop-in workshops, tours and activities, all with a family focus. Our Atrium Creative Space is open everyday, and free art packs are available to borrow to support independent creative activity. Our scheduled workshops and events are designed with age-appropriate learning in mind. We are currently developing our existing online strand for Early Years, Children and Families which aims to take learning through art out of the gallery and into the home.
Types of Activities

Family-friendly tours

New parents' tours

Baby workshops

Drop-in family workshops

Seasonal events e.g. mid-term break camps

Workshop series for older children

Special events e.g. Halloween activities, bespoke theatrical and performance events

Creative packs

Resources

Outreach - one-off workshops, series of activities, or long-term projects

Find out more
General children and families queries: contact Joanne Drum T: 01 663 3505 | E: [email protected]

For more info on family drop-in workshops and activities contact Caomhán Mac Con Iomaire

T: 01 663 3507 E: [email protected]

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Early years, children and families programme

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Story: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

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Story: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

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Europe Map, Map of Europe, Explore Europe’s Countries and More

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Explore Europe’s geography, countries, and more with our Map of Europe. Click on any country for its map and information.

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Story: Oh the Places you'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

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Story: Oh the Places you'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

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Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss Read Aloud

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The Old Toy Room - A Twinkl Originals Story | Read Along at Home | Twinkl Kids Tv

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Poem: Halloween is Nearly Here by Kenn Nesbitt

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Poem: Halloween is Nearly Here by Kenn Nesbitt

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Halloween is nearly here.
I've got my costume planned.
It's sure to be the most horrific
outfit in the land.

If you should see me coming
you may scream and hide your head.
My get-up will, I guarantee,
fill every heart with dread.

My costume may cause nightmares.
Yes, my mask may stop your heart.
You might just shriek and wet yourself,
then squeamishly depart.

And yet, I won't be dressing as
you might expect me to.
I will not be a vampire
or ghost that hollers "boo!"

I won't look like a werewolf
or a goblin or a ghoul,
or even like a slimy blob
of deadly, dripping drool.

I will not be a zombie
or some other horrid creature.
No, this year I'll be much, much worse...
I'm dressing as a teacher.

- Kenn Nesbitt

Reading Level: Grade 3

Topics: Halloween, Holiday Poems, Monster Poems, School Poems

Poetic Techniques: Alliteration, Descriptive Poems

From the book The Armpit of Doom

Use This Poem

Would you like to use this poem in your classroom? Would you like permission to reprint, record, recite or broadcast this poem, or set it to music? Please click on one of the following links for permissions and reprint rights information:

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Halloween is Nearly Here - Kenn Nesbitt's Poetry4kids.com

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Halloween is nearly here. I've got my costume planned. It's sure to be the most horrific outfit in the land. If you should see me coming you may scream and hide your head. My get-up will, I guarantee, fill every heart with dread. My costume may cause nightmares.

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Yoga Shapes: Learn fun kids yoga with shapes! Music + Movement for kids.

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ABCya! * Uppercase and Lowercase Letter Matching for Kids

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My Body Is My Body -  Safeguarding Children

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Let's Try The Body Alphabet  -  My Body Is My Body ©2020

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Pick 1st Class: Caitheamh Aimsire (Hobbies)

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Add some information about the Bua na Cainte programme.

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Letters of the Alphabet | Capital Letters | Uppercase Letters | Alphabet Workout | Jack Hartmann

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Sit and Stretch | Brain Breaks for Kids | Cosmic Kids

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askaboutireland 
cultural heritage project

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gonoodle "go noodle" "brain breaks in the classroom" "brain break dance" "brain break songs" "brain breaks just dance" "movement break" "classroom movement b...

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Welcome To GoNoodle! GoNoodle gets kids moving to be their strongest, bravest, silliest, smartest, bestest selves. Join the party and get ready for a fun-filled day of dancing, stretching, running, jumping, deep breathing, and wiggling with GoNoodle. We post new videos every Sunday, Monday, and Thursdays!

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EXPRESS YOUR CLASSROOM'S INTEREST IN JOINING PICKER PALS EXPRESS YOUR CLASSROOM'S INTEREST IN JOINING PICKER PALS Make a better future. Have fun doing it. We provide the motivation and tools for children, teachers and families to create a better environment for our shared future. How Picker Pals Works We love to engage with classrooms, create [...]

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environment education litter environmental educational trash litter-picking volunteering "beach clean"

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Picker Pals is a hands-on environmental project connecting classroom learning with real local action. It inspires children to care for their local environment through stories, songs and real world litter picking. Encouraging students to take responsibility for stewardship of their neighbourhood. Making strong home-classroom links .

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Learning to count is fun with this range of free educational games for Key Stage 1 children. Start with the simple counting games and progress to numbers up to 100. There are also matching and sequencing numbers activities.

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Free, interactive, learning to count games for 5 to 7 year olds involve numbers from 1 to 100.

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Learning is fun with Learning Blocks | Alphablocks | Numberblocks | CBeebies shows

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Find out more about Alphablocks and Numberblocks

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Emer Pigott Scoil Na Maighdine Mhuire VocabularySpellingCity.com

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Teaching spelling and vocabulary is easy with VocabularySpellingCity! Students can study and learn their word lists using vocabulary and spelling learning activities and games. Students can take final or practice spelling and vocabulary tests right on this engaging site. Premium games and automated student record keeping are available to Premium Members.

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In Jolly Phonics, the 42 main sounds of English are taught; not just the alphabet. Hear all the letter sounds here.
The video below goes through all of these sounds, in British English, or you can view the American English version of this video by clicking here. Alternatively, you can listen to any of the letter sounds by clicking on the icons below the video.
Click the icons below to hear each letter sound in British English. Alternatively, you can download all 42 letter sounds by clicking here. Click the icons below to hear each letter sound in American English . Alternatively, you can download all 42 letter sounds by clicking here.

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In Jolly Phonics, the 42 main sounds of English are taught; not just the alphabet. Hear all the letter sounds here. The video below goes through all of these sounds, in British English, or you can view the American English version of this video by clicking here.

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1

QR CODE

Scan this on mobiles and tablets to quickly open this web page.

Robot More or Less is a flexible addition or subtraction matching game for primary aged children, and is useful for developing mental maths skills. It is particularly useful for children who are beginning to add or subtract because the numbers involved can be controlled. Robot More or Less can be played with or without the support of a number line up to 20.

Drag the robots with questions onto robot placeholders featuring the correct answers. The game can be replayed many times as the questions are presented randomly. The game lends itself well to being played on an interactive whiteboard.

AGE

5-11 Years

SUBJECTS

Maths Addition Subtraction

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Practise quick recall of addition and subtraction facts in this matching game for 5 to 11 year olds.

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Selection of excellent educational maths and literacy games, organised by topic and age group - Topmarks

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Today's Number has a series of mini-games based on the numbers 1 to 20. The interactive tasks include fun number formation, number recognition and ordering, and counting activities.

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Picker Pals Programme Welcome Video 2021-22

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numberblocks "numberblocks full episodes" "numberblocks episodes" cbeebies "learn to count" "learn maths" "maths for kids" "learning cartoons for kids" "cart...

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We are the Numberblocks! Little blocks with big ideas, having a ton of number fun. Learn how to add, subtract and count the fun and educational way! For more, download the official Numberblocks apps; https://www.learningblocks.tv/numberblocks/apps Visit the Numberblocks on; Twitter: @numberblocks Facebook: facebook.com/numberblocks/ Instagram: @numberblocks © 2022 Alphablocks Ltd.

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alphablocks "alphablocks cbeebies" alphabet "learn to read" "learn the alphabet" "learn to spell" phonics education "kids tv" "cartoons for kids" "kids shows...

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The Alphablocks are 26 living letters who discover that whenever they hold hands and make a word, something magical happens. With adventures, songs and silliness, it's tons of fun with words - all built on a firm foundation of key phonics skills.

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Art For Kids Hub - Art Lessons - How To Draw For Kids

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Welcome to Art For Kids Hub! Here you’ll find all kinds of art lessons for kids, including how to draw for kids, even painting and origami for kids.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Kiddle is a safe search engine, offering a safe web, image, and video search. Results are vetted by editors.

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Shark Numbers || To know what each digit in a 3-digit number represents - mobile friendly

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Shark Numbers is a mobile-friendly place value game.

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Here are my newest funny kid’s poems for you to read and rate. I post new poems as I write them, so please check back often. Have fun!

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QR CODE

Scan this on mobiles and tablets to quickly open this web page.

Place Value Basketball helps you to understand the concept of hundreds, tens and ones. You need to recognise the Dienes base ten blocks and match to numbers up to three digits on the basketballs.

Place value is a difficult concept and this game can help you to know the value of each number depending on its position.

As with all of our games, Place Value Basketball works well on an interactive whiteboard.

AGE

5-8 Years

SUBJECTS

Maths Place Value

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Place Value Basketball - Dienes Game for 5 to 8 Year Olds

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Place Value Basketball is a fun, base ten blocks game which helps children aged 5 to 8 to know what each digit in a either a two or three digit number represents.

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Find the Letters A, B, C & D Game - ELA Games - SplashLearn

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The letters A, B, C & D are trapped in bubbles. Do you think your little tyke can find the letters quickly? Play this game to test your child's letter identification skills.- SplashLearn

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Read Aloud Story Time: All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan!

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Toys Of The Past Collection from TTS Group

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The Nature of Thingies: The Mystery of the Northern Lights | CBC Kids

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1. 1910s - Teddy Bear

The story behind this timeless toy goes back to 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a tied-up, defenseless black bear during a hunting trip in Mississippi. After Brooklyn shopkeeper Morris Mictom saw a political cartoon about the incident, he and his wife made a stuffed fabric "Teddy's bear" and put it in their shop window, sparking immediate customer interest. Around the same time, a family-owned toy company in Germany began making stuffed bears of its own. Bought in bulk by a U.S. manufacturer, the German bears officially became known as teddy bears in 1906. Other companies jumped on the bandwagon, launching an international teddy craze that hasn't really stopped since.
Honorable mention: Erector sets, Lionel trains
2. 1920s - Yo-Yo

All hail the Yo-Yo! This classic is actually an ancient invention, going back to China circa 1000 B.C. Or was it ancient Greece? The Philippines? Historians may be divided as to its exact origins, but variations of the spinning-disk-on-a-string toy had certainly been around for centuries before 1928, when Pedro Flores began manufacturing the yo-yo in the United States, calling it by its Filipino name. Flores soon sold his toy company to a competitor, Don Duncan, a marketing whiz whose promotional Yo-Yo trick contests would launch the toy's popularity into the stratosphere.
Honorable mention: Tinker Toys, Raggedy Ann
3. 1930s - Shirley Temple doll

Those curls, those dimples...who wouldn't want a doll version of Shirley Temple? For Christmas in 1934, the Ideal Toy and Novelty Company began manufacturing a doll based on America's favorite child star, whose hit movie "Bright Eyes" was released just after the holiday. Only 6 years old at the time, Temple already had some 20 films under her tiny belt. By singing, dancing and being generally adorable, she helped countless people escape their worries during the Great Depression, when they desperately needed to. Priced at around $3 to $5 (a large sum of money at the time) the dolls made some $45 million for Ideal over seven years of production and enjoyed an afterlife as prized collectors' items: As of 2010, an original Shirley Temple doll went for more than $1,500 on eBay.
Honorable mention: Monopoly, Red Ryder BB gun
4. 1940s - Slinky

This cheap, outrageously fun little toy launched just in time for Christmas 1945. Mechanical engineer Richard James had stumbled on the inspiration for the Slinky after accidentally knocking over some ship springs he was working on, which "walked" instead of falling. James came up with a machine that coiled 80 feet of wire into a 2-inch spiral, his wife gave it the name "Slinky" and a legend was born. After Christmas demonstrations at Gimbels Department Store in Philadelphia, the first 400 Slinkys sold within minutes. Seventy years-and more than 300 million Slinkys-later, the toy remains a popular seller.
Honorable mention: LEGOs, Silly Putty
5. 1950s - Mr. Potato Head

Inventor George Lerner turned to the family dinner table for inspiration for this classic: Though many kids don't like to eat their vegetables, they might want to play with them instead. Lerner originally created a bunch of silly face parts to be used with actual potatoes and other vegetables (beets anyone?) as part of a cereal box promotion. The Hassenfeld brothers, future founders of Hasbro Inc., purchased the toy idea in 1952, packaging 28 plastic facial and body parts with a Styrofoam head, which was later changed to plastic as well. By the end of its first year, Mr. Potato Head made history as the first toy with its own TV commercial (catchphrase: "Can I have that? I want that!") and generated more than $4 million in sales.
Honorable mention: Hula Hoop, Barbie, Play-Doh, Tonka Trunks (The '50s was a golden age for toys!)
6. 1960s - G.I. Joe

Introduced as a kind of male counterpart to Mattel's iconic Barbie, Government-Issue Joe (as ordinary soldiers were known during World War II) was marketed to little boys as an "action figure," not a doll. Hasbro launched the first generation of foot-tall G.I. Joe figures-available in Action Soldier, Pilot, Marine and Sailor-at the height of the Cold War, to massive success. In 1970, amid growing protest over U.S. involvement in Vietnam, G.I. Joe was reinvented as more of an adventurer, and later as a space traveler, but no one much liked these changes. G.I. Joe went into retirement in 1978, but roared back into action (in a shrunken, 3 ¾-inch size) in the 1980s, after the tremendous success of Star Wars made action figures cool again. He's been around ever since, spawning comics, a TV series, video games and a feature film (2009's "G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra").
Honorable mention: Etch-a-Sketch, Easy Bake Oven, Playmobil
7. 1970s - Star Wars action figures

No one predicted the massive success of George Lucas' "Star Wars," released by 20th Century Fox in May 1977. By Christmas of that year, toy company Kenner hadn't even started production on movie-related action figures. Instead, lucky children unwrapped vouchers to be redeemed for 3.75-inch versions of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Hans Solo, Chewbacca, Darth Vader and more than 100 other characters. Released in 1978, Star Wars action figures sold briskly until 1985; they were relaunched in the mid-1990s ahead of the release of three more installments in the space saga. Now, with "Episode VII: The Force Awakens" on its way, the franchise is hotter than ever, and original 1978 figures are collector's items worth up to $200,000.
Honorable mention: NERF ball, Speak and Spell
8. 1980s - Cabbage Patch Kids

For Christmas 1983, all bets were off. Every kid wanted to "adopt" one of Coleco's squishy-faced Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, and parents were willing to take extreme steps (Pushing! Shoving! Fist fights!) to make it happen. As Cabbage Patch mania swept the nation, the dolls sold on the black market for 10 times their retail price of $25. By the end of the first year in 1983, 3 million Cabbage Patch Kids were sold (adopted). The product continued to exceed all expectations in 1984 resulting in $2.5 billion in retail sales. Though the craze eventually subsided, and the company went bankrupt in 1988 after costly failed ventures in video and computer games, Cabbage Patch Kids are still available from Wicked Cool Toys. Babyland General Hospital, the Cleveland, Georgia, home of the Cabbage Patch Kids is the only place in the world where you can witness the birth of a hand-sculpted doll.
Honorable mention: Rubik's Cube, Transformers, Koosh ball, Teddy Ruxpin
9. 1990s - Beanie Babies and Tickle Me Elmo

Parents of young children in 1996 were hit with a double Christmas whammy of must-have toys. Tickle Me Elmo, a stuffed version of the popular Sesame Street character that giggled when squeezed, caused a Cabbage Patch Kid-style frenzy that year, complete with stampeding crowds and injured store workers. Meanwhile, Beanie Babies, squishy stuffed animals with cute names, had enjoyed respectable sales for several years before toymaker H. Ty Warner decided to "retire" some of the successful animals, instantly turning them into hot commodities. Warner racked up more than $250 million in sales by the end of 1996, as kids and parents scoured the stores that Christmas season for the soon-to-be-collectibles, often settling for new, less sought-after babies instead.
Honorable mention: Furby, Nintendo Game Boy
10. 2000s- Wii

In November 2006, Nintendo introduced this affordable, family-friendly game console alternative, featuring wireless remote controllers and other cool new features. Holiday shoppers waited for hours for the Wii, which was cheaper than its competition (Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft X-Box 360), and by Christmas Nintendo had sold some 3 million units. Despite reported cases of tennis elbow among early adopters, the Wii emerged victorious among its generation of game consoles, selling more than 100 million units in its seven-year run.
Honorable mention: Razor Scooter, Bratz dolls, Webkinz, Zhu Zhu Pets

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The story behind this timeless toy goes back to 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a tied-up, defenseless black bear during a hunting trip in Mississippi. After Brooklyn shopkeeper Morris Mictom saw a political cartoon about the incident, he and his wife made a stuffed fabric "Teddy's bear" and put it in their shop window, sparking immediate customer interest.

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History: Gallery of Old Toys (scroll down for photos)

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History: Gallery of Old Toys (scroll down for photos)

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Toys are the objects that we play with. They can be anything from simple pieces of string and plastic to fancy dolls and flashy computers.

At any point in history, whether you're looking at the Iron Age Celts or the World War II era, children played with toys. The toys may have looked different depending on what materials were available to make things from.

Top 10 facts

1. Every civilisation at any time in history made toys for children to play with.

2. Even though toys have changed throughout the ages, some toys have always been around but just look different now, such as dolls.

3. The way toys have changed over the centuries shows what materials people had to work with, such as stone, wood, clay, iron or plastic.

4. You can tell what era a toy came from by looking at what it was made from.

5. Toys don't have to be complicated - if you can make a game from a piece of string, it's a toy!

6. One of the oldest toys found in Britain is around 2,000 years old.

7. To find out what toys children played with in past times, you can visit a museum and look at the exhibits of old toys.

8. Just because a toy moves doesn't mean it's modern - moving toys can have wheels and hinges instead of batteries.

9. You can also ask your parents and grandparents about the toys they played with, and which ones were their favourites.

10. Teddy bears were made in the early 1900s, and are named after Teddy Roosevelt, an American president.

Did you know?

One of the oldest toys in Britain was found near Stonehenge - it's a carving of an animal, but we're not sure what kind of animal it is. Archaeologists think it's about 2,000 years old!

Even a piece of string can be a toy! Tie both ends together to play a game called cat's cradle.

Toys can be any shape and size. Tiny finger puppets are toys, and so are large dollhouses.

Children have always played with toys, whether they were born 2,000 years ago or last week. The toys have changed over the centuries in the way the look and what they're made from - dolls that you may see in a museum about ancient Rome won't look the same as the ones on sale in shops today, but children still play with dolls for the same reasons that children in ancient Rome did.

The teddy bear was named after an American president, Teddy Roosevelt. The first teddy bears were made in America in 1902, and in Germany in 1903. The two makers didn't know that they were each making teddy bears because they lived so far apart!

Have a look through the gallery and see if you can spot each of these toys:

A Noah's ark toy boat with animals, popular in Victorian times

Toys from ancient Rome

Dolls from ancient Roman and Greek times

Toy cars and trucks

A porcelain doll

Sand toys: a bucket and spades

A modern dolls' house

Doll house toys

A girl and her baby doll

A motor loop baby toy

The Nintendo Switch gaming system

Building blocks

A Rubik's Cube

Toy railway carriages

A spinning top

Matryoshka dolls (Russian nesting or stacking dolls)

A teddy bear

A video game console

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Some toys move when you press a button, pull a cord or turn a handle or plug a co. Moving toys don't have to have batteries or electricity to make them move, though - some toys are designed with levers, wheels and hinges so they move when you push a button or turn a handle, and some toys just need a bit of a tug with some string.

You can learn more about toys in lots of different ways. Visit a toy museum to look at toys that were made when your grandparents and parents were small, or ask them about the toys they like to play with when they were your age.

See if you can guess whether a toy is old or modern just by looking at it. Some things to think about are what it's made from, how it's painted or dressed, and how it works. An older toy might be made from metal, which most modern toys aren't made from, and it might show characters from an old TV show or be dressed in a way that isn't how we dress today.

Toys changed a lot after the television was invented. Toys would be made based on shows that children liked to watch, which still happens today.

Related Videos

Just for fun...

Best children's books about the history of toys

Find out more about the history of toys

Look at images of an ancient Egyptian doll and toys from Roman times, Tudor toys, Victorian toys, 20th-century toys and toys from around the world

The V&A has hundreds of pictures of toys from across history

Learn about how some of the most popular toys and games for children were invented

Information about toys with a long history, including hoops, marbles, yo-yos and kaleidoscopes

A history of popular toys from Babylonian times to the present

See a list of TIME Magazine's 100 Greatest Toys

Read about Tudor toys and Victorian games

From Barbie to LEGO, learn more about how your favourite toys were invented

Watch BBC videos about mechanical toys, games and toys in Roman times and find out how toys have changed in the last 100 years

The Rubik's Cube is one of the world's best-selling toys

See toys, games, and puzzles from the Smithsonian collections in the USA

Information about the history of popular games including Snakes & Ladders, marbles and Snobs

Look through pictures of toys, dolls, board games, video games, electronic games and other play-related artifacts from the National Museum of Play in the USA

Peer into beautiful dolls' houses, preserved at the V&A Museum of Childhood in London

Explore a range of Canadian-made and Canadian-played toys

A brief history of the doll's house

Find out more about wax dolls and other toys from the 19th and 20th centuries

See for yourself

Why not visit some of the UK's toy museums?

Also see

Give your child a headstart

FREE articles & expert information

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Interesting facts, did-you-knows, images and videos about the history of toys to support primary school topic work.

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Gruffalo World is the official YouTube channel for all things Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Stick Man, The Highway Rat, Zog, Snail & The Whale, Zog and the Flying Doctors and Superworm! Featuring exclusive clips created especially for children. ► Click here to watch our specials! https://www.bbc.co.…

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Story about emotions: The Colour Monster

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Story about emotions: The Colour Monster

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6wIEp-M4tg

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The Color Monster - Read Aloud by Mr. Joshua Brooks

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The Word Collector by Peter Hamilton Reynolds

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Fill A Bucket - A Guide to Daily Happiness for Young Children

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Christmas Song: We all Stand Together:) (The Frog Song:)

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Christmas Song: We all Stand Together:) (The Frog Song:)

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Paul McCartney - We All Stand Together (Official Music Video)

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Christmas Exercise Dance | Freeze Dance | Holiday Sing-a-long | Learn Festive Dance Moves

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Yes! I Want To Build A Snowman | Activities For Kids | GoNoodle

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Christmas Tree Crafts - Little Bins for Little Hands

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Christmas Tree Crafts - Little Bins for Little Hands

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Create one or more of these cute mini Christmas trees below. We love simple Christmas crafts for kids that look amazing but don't take a ton of time, supplies, or craftiness to do. Most use supplies you already have on hand, and are budget friendly. From cute Christmas tree ornaments, Christmas tree art to 3D Christmas trees, you will find easy Christmas tree crafts for preschoolers and beyond. Which one will you make first?

THE BEST CHRISTMAS TREE CRAFTS FOR KIDS

CHRISTMAS TREE CRAFTS

Watch the video below that includes a couple of our favorites!

We put together this fun 3D Christmas tree from supplies we already had. Use what you have and see what you can come up with.

A colorful Christmas tree craft for preschoolers and older.

Combine art and math, with this printable Christmas tree tessellation activity. Color the Christmas trees and then create your own tessellation pattern.

What can you do with coffee filters? Make a fun coffee filter Christmas tree, of course! Here's an easy Christmas tree craft that even non-crafty kids will love.

Great for little hands to develop fine motor skills and it uses cardboard you already have!

Make a Matisse inspired Christmas tree with our fun printable download.

A Christmas tree ornament with a fun Piet Mondrian spin to it. Learn about the famous artist, and make your own Mondrian inspired Christmas trees. Free printable included!

This 3D Christmas tree craft includes a free Christmas tree template for you to print. All you need are some colored markers to decorate your paper tree before assembling.

Super simple and great for preschoolers to practice their fine motor skills, make a Christmas tree from paper strips.

Popsicle sticks are an easy and budget friendly material to use for Christmas tree crafts. Combine them with some colorful pom poms for a cute Christmas tree ornament.

Learn about reverse painting on glass to create a fun and colorful Christmas Tree. This would make an easy homemade Christmas gift idea too!

We love this cute Christmas tree craft because it is simple enough for even toddlers to do.

Recycle your carboard boxes by making this fun stamped Christmas tree craft. Why not add in a homemade paint recipe as well!

Make these easy straw ornaments with simple and inexpensive paper straws.

Combine zentangle art and a fun Christmas tree theme for an easy art activity for kids. Draw zentangle Christmas patterns on our free printable Christmas tree template using a few basic supplies.

MORE CHRISTMAS FUN...

And after crafting with the kiddos, why not make some festive Christmas slime for the kids to play with, or explore science with these Christmas science experiments, or even create a new family Christmas tradition with our homemade advent calendar ideas. Plus, check out our printable Christmas games!

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Create one or more of these cute mini Christmas trees below. We love simple Christmas crafts for kids that look amazing but don't take a ton of time, supplies, or craftiness to do. Most use supplies you already have on hand, and are budget friendly.

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Kids are curious and always looking to explore, discover, check out, and experiment to discover why things do what they do, move as they move, or change as they change! My son is now 13, and we started with simple science activities around three years of age with simple baking soda science.

Here are great tips for making science experiments enjoyable at home or in the classroom.

Safety first: Always prioritize safety. Use kid-friendly materials, supervise the experiments, and handle potentially hazardous substances yourself.

Start with simple experiments: Begin with basic experiments (find tons below) that require minimal setup and materials, gradually increasing complexity as kids gain confidence.

Use everyday items: Utilize common household items like vinegar and baking soda, food coloring, or balloons to make the experiments accessible and cost-effective.

Hands-on approach: Encourage kids to actively participate in the experiments rather than just observing. Let them touch, mix, and check out reactions up close.

Make predictions: Ask kids to predict the outcome before starting an experiment. This stimulates critical thinking and introduces the concept of hypothesis and the scientific method.

Record observations: Have a science journal or notebook where kids can record their observations, draw pictures, and write down their thoughts. Learn more about observing in science. We also have many printable science worksheets.

Theme-based experiments: Organize experiments around a theme, such as water, air, magnets, or plants. Even holidays and seasons make fun themes!

Kitchen science: Perform experiments in the kitchen, such as making ice cream using salt and ice or learning about density by layering different liquids.

Create a science lab: Set up a dedicated space for science experiments, and let kids decorate it with science-themed posters and drawings.

Outdoor experiments: Take some experiments outside to explore nature, study bugs, or learn about plants and soil.

DIY science kits: Prepare science experiment kits with labeled containers and ingredients, making it easy for kids to conduct experiments independently. Check out our DIY science list and STEM kits.

Make it a group effort: Group experiments can be more fun, allowing kids to learn together and share their excitement. Most of our science activities are classroom friendly!

Science shows or documentaries: Watch age-appropriate science shows or documentaries to introduce kids to scientific concepts entertainingly. Hello Bill Nye and the Magic Schoolbus! You can also check out National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, and NASA!

Ask open-ended questions: Encourage critical thinking by asking open-ended questions that prompt kids to think deeper about what they are experiencing.

Celebrate successes: Praise kids for their efforts and discoveries, no matter how small, to foster a positive attitude towards science and learning.

Free Science Journal Worksheets

Create a science notebook with these easy-to-use science worksheets to accompany any experiment. Grab your free science process journal pack!

What is the Scientific Method for Kids?

The scientific method is a way scientists figure out how things work. First, they ask a question about something they want to know. Then, they research to learn what's already known about it. After that, they make a prediction called a hypothesis.

Next comes the fun part - they test their hypothesis by doing experiments. They carefully observe what happens during the experiments and write down all the details. Learn more about variables in experiments here.

Once they finish their experiments, they look at the results and decide if their hypothesis is right or wrong. If it's wrong, they devise a new hypothesis and try again. If it's right, they share their findings with others. That's how scientists learn new things and make our world better!

Go ahead and introduce the scientific method and get kids started recording their observations and making conclusions. Read more about the scientific method for kids .

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50 Fun Kids Science Experiments - Little Bins for Little Hands

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Over 50 fun science experiments for kids! Simple science activities you can do at home or in the classroom.

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All About Owls for Kids: Backyard Bird Series - FreeSchool

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Author of children's books Hans Christian Andersen

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Author of children's books Hans Christian Andersen

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The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen are popular today, just as they were when first published in Denmark in the mid-1800s. His stories include such favorites as "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Emperor's New Clothes."

Hans Christian Andersen was born on April 2, 1805, in a Danish fishing village called Odense. Andersen's family was very poor. As a boy, he attended school only occasionally. He visited the theater and found that he loved performing. When Andersen was 11 years old, his father died. Shortly after that, Andersen began working in various trades.

At age 14 Andersen moved to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, to try to become an actor or dancer. But he did not have much success. Andersen later studied at the University of Copenhagen.

Andersen's first collection of tales for young people was published in 1835. It included the story "The Princess and the Pea." Andersen wrote his tales as if they were being told out loud, often using expressions that people heard every day. He also drew on his own experiences to create characters who were poor or even outcasts. During his long writing career, he wrote more than 200 stories. Andersen also spent much time traveling throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa, and he wrote several travel books. He also wrote plays, poems, and novels. Andersen died on August 4, 1875, in Copenhagen.

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The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen are popular today, just as they were when first published in Denmark in the mid-1800s. His stories include such favorites as "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Emperor's New Clothes." Hans Christian Andersen was born on April 2, 1805, in a Danish fishing village called Odense.

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* SEAL * | Animals For Kids | All Things Animal TV

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All About Seals: The Irish Seal Sanctuary - protecting our seals

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All About Seals: The Irish Seal Sanctuary - protecting our seals

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The Singing Walrus - English Songs For Kids

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Transportation Song | Transportation for kids | The Singing Walrus