Pastimes and Play

Overview

This 60-minute lesson explores traditional Irish games and hobbies from the past, encouraging Year 3 pupils (8-9 years old) to understand cultural heritage and compare it with their own modern experiences. It aligns with the Irish Primary School Curriculum (1999), Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE) – History strand, focusing on the objectives of understanding people’s lifestyles in the past and recognising change over time.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Recall at least three traditional Irish games and hobbies from the past.
• Describe similarities and differences between past and present hobbies and games.
• Explain why some games or hobbies have changed or disappeared over time.
• Develop listening and storytelling skills through oral history sharing.

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Curriculum Links

• SESE – History (1999 Curriculum):

  • Strand Unit: “The Past and Present” – Developing awareness of change over time and understanding aspects of daily life of people in the past.
  • Skills: observing, describing, recounting, comparing and discussing change using appropriate vocabulary.

• Language Development:

  • Use of oral language to recount and describe.
  • Listening skills through storytelling and discussion.

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Resources Needed

• Picture cards/photos of traditional Irish games and toys (e.g. ring toss, hopscotch, hurley and sliotar, marbles, conkers)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Large Venn diagram poster (or drawn on whiteboard) labelled “Past Hobbies” and “Present Hobbies”
• A short prepared story or audio narrative about children playing games in Ireland 50+ years ago
• Worksheets for the assessment activity (simple matching or drawing exercise)
• Props or simple toys to demonstrate (optional)

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction & Engagement (10 minutes)

• Warm-up question: “What do you like to do in your free time? What games or hobbies do you enjoy?”
• Teacher charts pupils’ answers on the whiteboard under “Modern Hobbies and Games.”
• Introduce the lesson theme: “We’re going to find out what children’s games and hobbies were like when our grandparents were young!”
• Show a few picture cards of traditional games and toys to spark interest.

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2. Exploring Traditional Games and Hobbies (15 minutes)

• Group Discussion: Introduce and briefly explain each traditional game/hobby with visual aids. For each:

  • Name the game/hobby.
  • Describe how it was played or what it involved.
  • Invite any pupil prior knowledge or opinions.

• Examples to include:

  • Hopscotch (scotchies)
  • Marbles
  • Hurley and Sliotar
  • Ring toss / quoits
  • Skipping rope
  • Making conkers

• Use a prop demonstration for a couple of games where possible to deepen understanding.

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3. Storytelling: Life of Children in the Past (10 minutes)

• Read or play a recorded story recounting a day of play for Irish children 50+ years ago, highlighting the games and pastimes described previously.
• Follow-up questions: “Which games did you hear about in the story? How do you think the children felt playing these games? Are these games still played today?”
• Encourage personal connections: “Do you have any similar games or hobbies?”

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4. Comparing Past and Present Hobbies (15 minutes)

• Using the whiteboard, draw a large Venn diagram with two circles labelled “Past Hobbies” and “Present Hobbies.”
• Engage the class in placing games/hobbies into the chart:
  • Games only played in the past (e.g. marbles, quoits).
  • Games only played today (video games, tablet apps).
  • Games played then and now (e.g. skipping rope, hopscotch).
• Discuss reasons why some games have disappeared or changed (e.g. technology, urbanisation, safety).

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5. Assessment & Reflection (10 minutes)

• Hand out a worksheet with two parts:
  • Part 1: Match pictures of traditional games with their correct names.
  • Part 2: Draw and label their favourite game/hobby from the past or present and write one sentence explaining why it’s their favourite.
• Circulate and support individual pupils as needed.
• Quick round of sharing a few pupils’ favourite drawings/sentences.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide picture-word matching cards for less confident readers. Use paired talk for sharing.
• Extension: Challenge more able pupils to describe in detail how a traditional game was played and suggest how they might adapt it for today’s playtime.

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Classroom Management Tips

• Use group discussion norms (raise hands, listen respectfully) to create an inclusive environment.
• Incorporate movement by having pupils act out short clips of games during the discussion to maintain engagement.
• Use praise and positive reinforcement especially during the storytelling and creative drawing activities.

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Reflection and Follow-up Ideas

• Invite pupils to ask grandparents or older relatives about their favourite childhood games and report back.
• Organise a traditional games day where children can experience playing some of the games learnt about.
• Link learning to geography by locating the regions of Ireland where specific traditional games originated.

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This lesson brings history alive through active participation and personal connection, while respecting the developmental stage and interests of Year 3 pupils. It also provides a strong foundation in historical inquiry skills aligned with Irish curriculum expectations.