Dream Toy Design

Overview

In this 45-minute lesson, children will use their learning from the previous lessons in the "Toys Through Time" unit to imagine and plan a new toy that could be popular in the future. This activity promotes creativity, application of historical knowledge, and forward-thinking while developing spoken language, drawing, and design skills. The lesson aligns with the National Curriculum for England (Year 1 History) and other relevant areas such as Art and Design and English.

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Learning Objectives

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

• History (National Curriculum - EYFS/Year 1 links):

  • Recognise how toys have changed over time and understand that today’s toys reflect children’s preferences and advances in technology.
  • Use simple historical language related to time, e.g. “old,” “new,” “before,” “after."
  • Demonstrate curiosity by asking and answering questions about the past and present.

• English (Spoken Language & Writing):

  • Use spoken language to explain ideas clearly and listen respectfully to others.
  • Develop vocabulary to describe objects, materials, and features.

• Art and Design:

  • Use drawing and design to communicate ideas.
  • Begin to select materials and features to suit a purpose.

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Resources

• Whiteboard and markers
• Large paper for group brainstorming (A1 or flip chart)
• Individual drawing paper and coloured pencils, crayons, or markers
• Toy images from previous lessons for reference
• Creative prompts sheets (e.g. "What does your dream toy do?", "What colours, shapes or sounds?")
• Toy feature cards (e.g. fun, safe, educational, interactive)

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Recap last lesson briefly: “We learned about toys from the past and today.”
• Explain the task: “Today, we will design a new, dream toy for children in the future!”
• Show examples/remind children of toys they know and what makes them special or fun.

Teaching Tip: Use clear historical vocabulary: “past,” “present,” “future.”

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2. Group Brainstorming (10 minutes)

• As a class, brainstorm answers to these questions, writing ideas on the board or on a large paper visible to all:
  • What do children like about toys today?
  • What new features or skills could toys have in the future?
  • What materials or colours would make the toy special?
• Introduce toy feature cards to guide thinking (safety, fun, learning, technology or nature-inspired features).
• Encourage use of descriptive adjectives: “soft,” “noisy,” “bright,” “moving,” “educational.”

National Curriculum links: Spoken language development, history vocabulary, creativity.

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3. Individual Planning and Drawing (15 minutes)

• Children receive drawing paper and colouring materials.
• Prompt them to draw their dream toy using ideas from the brainstorming session.
• Encourage them to label parts of their toy or describe its features using simple words or sentences.
• Circulate the room to support children in expressing their ideas verbally and helping with vocabulary.

Assessment opportunity: Observe children’s ability to link features with their purpose, use historical or descriptive vocabulary, and engage in creative thinking.

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4. Sharing and Explanation (10 minutes)

• Invite volunteers (aim for 6–8 children) to explain their toy to the class.
• Encourage use of key vocabulary and complete sentences: “My toy is… It can… Because…”
• Foster active listening by prompting other children for questions or positive comments.

Teaching Tip: Use sentence starters or prompts to support confident speaking.

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5. Plenary and Review (5 minutes)

• Highlight outstanding ideas and link back to the previous lessons on toys through time.
• Reinforce the understanding that toys are always changing and designed for children’s enjoyment and learning.
• Set up a simple reflection question: “What did you like about designing your dream toy?”
• Briefly introduce the next lesson: “Next time, we will learn about how toys can help us learn and play together.”

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide templates with initial outlines of toys for children who find drawing challenging; pair with a buddy for verbal idea sharing.
• Challenge: Encourage children who finish early to write a short story about a day with their dream toy or to think about how it might look in the future (e.g. changes as a child grows).

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Assessment

• Formative Assessment through observations:

  • Participation in group discussion and brainstorming.
  • Use of historical and descriptive vocabulary.
  • Creativity and relevance of features in individual toy designs.
  • Ability to verbalise ideas clearly during the sharing session.

• Recorded Evidence:

  • Pupils’ drawings and written labels/descriptions collected for a portfolio of work from the unit.

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Links to National Curriculum (England) - Key Points

• History

  • Pupils should be taught to:
    • Changes within living memory (toys)
    • Recognise similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods

• English

  • Pupils should be taught to:
    • Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play
    • Use talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings, and events

• Art and Design

  • Pupils should be taught to:
    • Use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination

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This lesson invites Year 1 children to synthesise history with creative design, language skills, and artistic expression — a multisensory and engaging approach sure to delight both students and teachers alike.