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LC8: Reflection. Have all the changes been for the better?

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LC8: Reflection. Have all the changes been for the better?

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LC7: What style of clothes would your grandparents have worn when they were your age? 

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LC7: What style of clothes would your grandparents have worn when they were your age? 

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LC4: What sort of television programmes would grandparents have watched?

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LC4: What sort of television programmes would grandparents have watched?

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Bill and Ben the Flower Pot Men was first aired in 1952.
Bill and Ben has since been remade and it aired on cBeebies.
Do you think your parents would have watched the black and white version of Bill and Ben or do you think their televisions would have had colour?

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Bill & Ben : In Search of Lettuce : JimbleJam

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Bill and Ben search the garden for some lettuce for Slowcoach, and Thistle tricks them. Subscribe to JimbleJam: http://smarturl.it/JimbleJam JimbleJam is the home of pre-school entertainment on YouTube featuring classic programmes from yesteryear and new and original series that parents and kids can enjoy together.

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LC6: What would have been on my grandparents' Christmas list?

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LC6: What would have been on my grandparents' Christmas list?

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The toys that inspired a generation

The toys of our childhood were certainly simpler than today. No computer games, no internet, in fact we rarely needed batteries let alone a wireless connection! The ultimate high tech toy was probably Scalextric and you were very lucky to have one of those.

We still loved simple games from the past like Jacks, but toys influenced by TV and film characters were the new thing - from Sooty puppets to James Bond's Aston Martin and the ultimate... Thunderbird 2. It was F.A.B.!

Times were changing but play time still tended to be dolls and home making for the girls; cap guns and Airfix models for the boys. It was the likes of the Etch-a-sketch and Spirograph we all loved.

Here we've cherry picked 10 of our favourite toys from the 1950s and 1960s. Bet you had at least one of them and we bet you wish you'd kept the box!

1. Dinky toys

Few things were more exciting than a bright yellow box containing the latest model. Wall to wall Dinky, Matchbox and Corgi in the toyshop just waiting for our pocket money.

2. Spirograph

The most amazing invention ever. Countless hours spent creating incredible, magical patterns and shapes with a few coloured pens and some plastic discs.

3. Etch-a-sketch

The laptop of its day! The instructions were simple: Turn the knobs to draw. To erase, turn it upside down and shake. I never quite mastered curves though...

4. View Master

Another bright red classic and a must on the Christmas list. Cartoons, Batman and Doctor Who in glorious Stereoscopic vision.

5. Sindy

'The doll you love to dress'. Our own, far more wholesome, truly British alternative to Barbie and we loved her. Remember her Beatles era boyfriend, Paul?

6. Action Man

Dolls have never come more macho than this. He even had gripping hands. Deep sea diver, soldier, cricketer, martial arts expert. Was there anything he couldn't do?

7. Scalextric

Days spent mastering the fine art of keeping those little cars on the track. Hours spent mesmerized by cars going round and round and round the racing track. Heaven.

8. Play doh

"Don't play with that in the front room. You'll ruin the carpet!". Oops! Too late.

9. Dolls house

Usually made by Dad, with scraps of carpet on the floors and tiny curtains in the windows. Miniature versions of the home girls dreamt of living in with Prince Charming.

10. Space Hopper

We grabbed it by the ears (or where they horns?) and bounced our way into the 70s!

Has our pick of toys from simpler times put a smile on your face? Before you rush up to the attic in search of your original Mr Potato Head or Hornby train set, why not take a moment to share your play time memories with us?

SunLife offers a range of straightforward and affordable products including over 50 life insurance, funeral plans, life insurance, pet insurance, home insurance, car insurance, ISAs and Will writing services.

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Britain's Top 10 Toys From The Past | SunLife

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The toys of our childhood were certainly simpler than today. No computer games, no internet, in fact we rarely needed batteries let alone a wireless connection! The ultimate high tech toy was probably Scalextric and you were very lucky to have one of those.

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LC5: Would my grandparents have gone to McDonalds for their birthday parties?

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LC5: Would my grandparents have gone to McDonalds for their birthday parties?

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LC1: What was Grandma and Grandad's day like at school?

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LC1: What was Grandma and Grandad's day like at school?

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Watch this video to see how school and daily life changed for children during World War Two.

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'No movies, no neighbours, no shops.' Over one million children were moved to the countryside during World War Two as part of a government evacuation plan. Prompted by bomb threats on towns and cities across Britain, Operation Pied Piper, set in motion in September 1939, was an initiative that affected the children who moved and the communities who absorbed them.

Being an evacuee provoked both fear and excitement for many children. With name and school labels around their necks, a bag of belongings and a gas mask, they set off to begin their new lives. Some returned home after a few weeks when no bombs had fallen yet, but others stayed in the countryside for the rest of the war.

All British children were affected by the war, as were the communities that welcomed them into their homes and schools. One way of dealing with the large numbers of children in small schools was to split the day into two. For half of the day local children played games and did outdoor activities while the newcomers used the classrooms. For the other half they swapped.

Watch this film to find out more about how British children lived as evacuees during World War Two.

See below to find out about the related educational resources.

Age 7-14. The Impact of World War Two on British Children's Lives

Subjects covered: English, History, Drama, Media studies

Connecting Classrooms themes: conflict and peace, identity and belonging

Core Skills: creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, media literacy, historical interpretation

Learning Outcomes:

To gain an understanding of the impact of evacuation in the Second World War on children's lives

To develop communication and historical interpretation skills

Example Activity: Reflecting on the evacuee experience using photographs
Many children had happy life changing experiences when they were evacuated but others did not.

Ask the children to work in pairs, choose two children in the photograph and write about their evacuation experience.

Use excerpts from children's fiction and non- fiction accounts listed in the resources section for inspiration.

Click here for more activity ideas relating to children's experiences of World War Two and evacuation

When the children were evacuated from towns into the countryside to stay with people they had never met they had no idea how long the war would last or if they would see their families again. The commentator in the film says that as they left, many regarded evacuation as a holiday. Do your pupils think they would have thought this way?

Bring in an object that is precious to you wrapped up in a bag. Can the children work out what the object is by asking a series of questions. You can only answer yes or no.

If your pupils had been evacuees what precious objects would they have packed in their bag?

Exchange lists and/or photos of your precious objects with your partner school and discuss the results.

Give groups of your pupils copies of the stills from the film. Ask them to look very carefully and discuss the following questions:

What is happening in the photograph? Who do they think took it and why?

Describe the expression on the children's faces. What might they be thinking? What do you think might be beyond the borders of the photograph that you cannot see?

What might have happened before the photograph was taken and what might happen afterwards?

Ask them to add thought bubbles showing what the children in the photograph might be thinking and speech bubbles to show what they are saying to each other.

In a drama session, recreate the scenes in the photographs using freeze-frame techniques. At a signal, bring the characters to life to create a short piece of improvised drama.

Many children had happy life changing experiences when they were evacuated but others did not. Ask the children to work in pairs, choose two children in the photograph and write about their evacuation experience. Use excerpts from children's fiction and non- fiction accounts listed in the resources section for inspiration.

The scenes of evacuation may now seem to be from a long time ago but there are children across the world today who are growing up amongst wars and conflict. Ask your pupils to use resources such as the British Council/BBC Schools World Service films to find out how children around the world are currently being affected by conflict.

What similarities and differences can they find?

Additional Resources:
BBC World War Two evacuation Guardian article about Children of the wartime
Children's fiction about the period includes: Johnny and the Bomb by Bernard Ashley, Friend or Foe by Michael Morpurgo, Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian, Carrie's War by Nina Bawden, War Boy by Michael Foreman.
BBC archive of World War Two memories, writen by the public

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Film Resource: A 1940s Childhood in Wartime

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A 1940s Childhood in Wartime This film gives a brief look at the life of British children during World War II. All children in Britain were affected by the war, regardless of where they lived. The British government thought that cities would be bombed so in order to protect children, decided to move them away from cities to the countryside.

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LC2: What sort of phone did our grandparentnt use? 

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LC2: What sort of phone did our grandparentnt use? 

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/world_war2/daily_life/

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KS2 History learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers organised by topic.

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LC3: Were the Beatles really better than 'one direction'? 

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LC3: Were the Beatles really better than 'one direction'? 

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1963 TV Concert: 'It's The Beatles' Live

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LC3: Were the Beatles really better than 'one direction'? 

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LC3: Were the Beatles really better than 'one direction'? 

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The Beatles, or the Fab Four, were one of the most famous bands in the history of pop music.
The line-up:

John Lennon (vocalist): born 9 October 1940, died 8 December 1980
Paul McCartney (vocalist and guitarist): born 18 June 1942
George Harrison (vocalist and guitarist): born 25 February 1943, died 29 November 2001
Ringo Starr (drummer): born 7 July 1940

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CBBC - Newsround - Who were The Beatles?

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The Beatles, or the Fab Four, were one of the most famous bands in the history of pop music.

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LC4: What sort of television programmes would grandparents have watched? 

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LC4: What sort of television programmes would grandparents have watched? 

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The first  Television was created in 1927.

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I used to watch this when I was 3 or 4 years old and living in High Wycombe, England. This clip is dedicated to all of us that thought this show was a figment of our young imaginations. I searched for years until I found this episode.