Creating Our Own Toy

Overview

In this 30-minute lesson (Lesson 8 of 9), students design a toy idea by considering what children enjoyed in the past and how a toy could be used by children today. The lesson builds on prior comparing and identifying similarities and differences in childhood toys by moving students towards their own toy concept.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• WALT design a toy idea that could be enjoyed by children today and in the past.
• WALT sketch their toy and explain how it is played with.
• WALT make choices about materials and how their toy’s moving part works (simple cause and effect).

Success criteria

Students can:

• I can sketch my toy clearly (with simple labels or a short caption).
• I can explain who the toy is for and how it is used.
• I can describe one change that makes my toy suitable for today.
• I can mention a simple movement or action the toy makes (for example, spins, slides, floats, or pops).

Curriculum links

• Humanities and Social Sciences: continuity and change between children’s daily lives and their parents’ and grandparents’ childhoods (comparing and commenting on toys and play, using examples from oral histories).
• Humanities and Social Sciences: draw conclusions and make proposals using collected information to make a proposal for a toy design.
• Design and Technologies: explore how technologies and materials affect movement in products.
• Design and Technologies: use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Hook (Photo + prompt). Teacher shows 1–2 pictures of childhood toys (past and present) and asks: “What makes a toy fun—playing, movement, rules, or a story?” Students share one idea with a partner.

2. 4–10 min · Explicit instruction: design steps. Teacher models a quick example: a simple sketch of a toy, then adds two sentences—(a) how you play, (b) what is the same/different from past toys. Teacher points out success criteria (sketch + explanation + simple movement). Students repeat the steps in their heads (no writing yet).

3. 10–18 min · Design time (sketch + explanation). Teacher gives each student a “Toy Plan” page. Students sketch their toy and add 1–2 simple labels/captions. They also complete an “Explain it” sentence frame:

• “My toy is for ____.”
• “You play by ____.”
• “It moves/does ____ because ____.”

4. 18–24 min · Share and refine (gallery walk). Teacher sets up a mini gallery in pairs or small groups. Students stand by their sketch and explain to another student for about 30–40 seconds. Listener gives one kind suggestion using a stem: “I like your toy because… / One idea to improve is…” Teacher circulates and checks understanding.

5. 24–30 min · Quick check + next step. Teacher collects the Toy Plan pages. Students complete a 1-minute self-check: “I can sketch my toy.” “I can explain how it is played with.” Teacher confirms that next lesson (or home task, if used) can lead to building.

Resources

• “Toy Plan” printable with sketch box and sentence frames
• Coloured pencils, markers, crayons (teacher choice)
• Simple toy reference images from the unit (printed)
• Safety instructions poster for classroom sharing time
• Clipboards (optional) for easier drawing
• Teacher example sketch on the board or chart paper
• Timer for partner explanations
• Dyslexia-friendly cards with icons (person/playing/movement)

Assessment

• Formative: teacher checks sketches for clarity (shape, parts) during design time.
• Formative: teacher listens to partner explanations for key ideas (who it’s for, how it’s played, one movement/action).
• Summative for today (lightweight): Toy Plan page submitted—used to guide next lesson building.

Differentiation

• Support for students needing extra help:
• Provide a “plan strip” with pre-drawn options for movement (spin/slide/fall/float) as a visual choice.
• Offer sentence starters with fewer words (choose one option card).
• Allow use of building blocks or paper folding shapes to help them decide the toy parts before sketching.
• Dyslexia-friendly reading options:
• Sentence frames provided as “readable prompts” with icons and colour-coding (one colour per sentence).
• Teacher reads the task instructions aloud and repeats key sentence starters.
• Students can dictate their explanation to a peer or teacher scribe if needed (then student traces key words).
• Extension for advanced learners:
• Students add an extra detail: “A rule for using my toy is…” or “People in the past could use it by… (today version is…)”.
• Students label at least two parts (for example, “wheel”, “handle”, “string”) and describe how one part causes movement.

Extension (optional)

• Build a model of the toy using recycled materials next time.
• Provide an “Ideas for Recycled Materials” list (cardboard, bottle tops, paper fasteners, tape, straws, bottle caps).
• Students trial one movement idea (slide/spin) before finalising their model.