Childhood Games Today

Overview

In this lesson (Lesson 6 of 9), students learn how children’s play included games and skills in the past. They compare today’s play with games their parents or grandparents played, then practise one simple traditional game using visual instructions.

Learning intentions

WALT learn about games children played in the past, and describe one game using simple time words (then/now) and clear details.

Success criteria

• I can tell a game my parents or grandparents played.
• I can describe what people did in the game (rules/turn-taking).
• I can say what is the same and what is different between then and now.
• I can speak to a partner or small group using a beginning, middle and end.

Curriculum links

• History (Year 1): AC9HS1K02 — continuity and change between aspects of daily life, by comparing students’ lives with parents’/grandparents’ childhood games.
• History (Year 1): AC9HS1S05 — draw conclusions about continuity and change from collected information (family stories, photos, classroom observations).
• English Literacy (Year 1): AC9E1LY07 — create and deliver a short oral/multimodal presentation with an opening, middle and concluding statement.
• Play-based language support (if used as a teacher cueing strategy): AC9L1F2C02 — guided, play-based language activities with visual and spoken cues (useful for game instruction routines).

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Hook and recall. Teacher shows 2–3 picture cards of old-fashioned toys/games (or simple classroom photo posters) and asks: “What game do you think children played?” Students do a quick think-pair-share and use thumbs up/down if they can explain what they think.

2. 4–10 min · Explicit teaching: compare then/now. Teacher models a “game talk” using sentence starters:

• Opening: “When my grandparent was little…”
• Middle: “In the game, you…”
• End: “Now, we usually…” Teacher emphasises continuity/change words (then/now, same/different) and turn-taking language (my turn/your turn). Students repeat the model as a class (choral practice) and practise with a partner using one sentence each.

3. 10–16 min · Gather information from families (quick share). Teacher reminds students they completed listening at home (or will have a short family story today). Students choose one game from a class “Game Bank” worksheet/photo they brought/remembered and place it on a board category: “Skills with hands” or “Chasing/running” (or teacher-chosen categories relevant to your class responses). Teacher circulates, prompting with: “What did you do first?” “What happened next?” (If no family game knowledge is available, teacher supplies a short teacher-read game story and students choose from that.)

4. 16–24 min · Hands-on game practise (visual instructions). Teacher introduces one simple traditional game that matches Year 1 needs (example options):

• “Ring games” style circle tag with safe boundaries, or
• “Knuckles/beanbag toss” into a taped target line, or
• “Treasure hunt” counting game with picture clues. Teacher gives a 4-step visual instruction card sequence and demonstrates once slowly. Students play in small groups (5–6). Each group rotates after one round so everyone experiences practising rules and turn-taking.

5. 24–30 min · Share conclusions and exit ticket. Teacher asks groups to choose one sentence to share: “The game is the same/different because…” Students complete a quick exit ticket (draw + one sentence):

• Draw: “My game”
• Sentence frame: “When my ___ was little, we played ___.” Dyslexia-friendly option: students can point to picture cues and record a teacher-scribed sentence.

Resources

• Picture cards/posters of childhood games (old-style if possible)
• “Game Bank” chart or board categories (Skills / Chasing / Other)
• Family game sentence starter strips (opening/middle/end)
• One set of 4-step visual instruction cards for the chosen game
• Taped boundaries for a safe playing space
• Cones/markers, beanbags or soft items (depending on chosen game)
• Exit ticket sheets with large picture prompts and sentence frames
• Clipboards/pencils, coloured pencils
• Teacher-made short story cards (for students without family info)

Assessment

• Teacher observation checklist during game practise: students describe rules/turn-taking using simple language.
• Oral language check: partner talk includes an opening, middle and end.
• Exit ticket: draw + one sentence showing a game and then/now comparison (or same/different idea).

Differentiation

• Support for dyslexia and literacy needs:
• Use visual instruction cards only during the first round, then add spoken words.
• Provide picture-based sentence starters (then/now, same/different) and allow pointing or teacher scribing.
• Support for understanding:
• Pre-teach 3–4 key words for the chosen game (e.g., turn, catch, toss, tag) using gestures.
• Keep rules to 2–3 key points initially, then add one more rule after practice.
• Extension for advanced learners:
• Add a “change” challenge: “What would you do differently to play it today at school?” Students explain one rule change using a complete sentence.
• Inclusion and behaviour support:
• Use clear roles in groups (timer, rule-holder, picture reader) so every student participates.

Extension (optional)

• Organise a class “Traditional Game Day” plan: students propose one traditional game to include, list materials needed, and rehearse a 30-second presentation using opening–middle–end structure.