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Toys Unit - Ideas Please

by Sarah
(Melbourne, Australia)

I have a grade 1 class and this term we are looking at toys. This is a new unit for me and I'm having trouble coming up with many fun ideas.

I found a scienceworks unit with some sciences experiments but apart from that I'm coming up blank. I'm looking for some inspiration.

Anyone got any ideas for me? Activities? Display wall ideas?

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Toys Unit - Ideas Please

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Aug 23, 2010
 Toy ideas
by: Josephine

Hi I was wondering if you got the activities from Jane (Blooms) and if so could I please have a copy. My email is venner.josephine.m@edumail.vic.gov.au
One of the activities I have done with the children is get them to make a list of home toys and school toys. It is amazing the discussion this opens up. Great way to help those who aren't good at sharing.

Thanks Josephine
Aug 17, 2010
 Toys Unit Ideas
by: Laana Carr

Media/ advertising
-Toy catalogues;
-View TV ads for toys:
Discuss targeted audience. Who is ad for? Why? Who wants this toy? What things make boys/girls like it more? How did the advertiser do this? Eg. music, voice over, writing (action, movement), colours, children in ad? Which toy would you like? Why? I like___________ because________________.
Maths
Sort toys according to attributes
-Toy shop, money and trading
-Survey and graph favourite toys
Science/ Technology
Design and advertise a toy, write the instructions for making a toy and present the finished product for display.
Which materials are best for making a plane? eg. wood, aluminium foil, cardboard, fabric, plastic, paper, etc. Test materials, make paper plane and test.
-Investigating energy, push, pull, roll, slide, etc.
-electricity, battery operated toys
Literacy/ English
-Toy Descriptions
-Toys A-Z
Teddy Bears Picnic
-Healthy food choices, manners, invitations,etc.
-Awards for teddies, eg. 'Most Loved Bear', etc, every bear gets an award (children bring their teddy to school)
Jun 19, 2010
 Toys
by: Barb

Hi jane.
Could you please e-mail that info on toys to me. I am doing a toys unit next term too.
np.lockharts (at) xtra.co.nz
Thanks
May 01, 2010
 Toys
by: Maggie

RIC produce a cross curricular theme book
ISBN 1-86311-793-8
Mar 13, 2010
 toys to make
by: Lorraine

http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/
has some great toys to make (+ the science behind how they work)
eg climbing creature, spinning top, oscillating woodpecker.......
Jan 04, 2010
 Toy ideas
by: Penny

I have done toys push/pull for 2 yrs now, we use the push/pull resource from primary connections mentioned above for science.

One of the things we got the kids to do was to bring a toy from home to share for news (make sure you specify nothing expensive, e.g. no electronic games!!) The kids loved hearing about each other's fave toy and I had a few chn who were very shy, rarely told news but really enjoyed sharing their favourite toy and spoke for ages. A great start of year topic as you learn about the kids interests/hobbies at home.

We also designed a poster to sell a toy, which the kids loved. They labelled their toys, invented slogans and prices.. it was great!

Toy catelogues are great for maths - ordering by price, buying three toys under $20 etc.
Oct 09, 2009
 Toys Unit ideas
by: Karen

Sarah, this link to the DEECD website has a sample unit for Toys at a Prep Level but is suitable for using with Level 2 classes. Hope it helps. http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/teachingresources/science/samplesci/su1movement.htm#1
Oct 01, 2009
 toys
by: Lauren

Im also doing toys this term with my R/1 class.. Anything you have to share would be great. My email address is sweetgirl_916(at)hotmail.com

I am starting the unit off by watching Toy story to engage them in the topic. We will then look at the characters and do some writing on what their toys might say if they could talk.

We will be looking at toys from other countries.. bringing some in and letting them play with them and get a feel for them.

Making kites, and talking about gravity and how things fly (in science).
Oct 01, 2009
 toys
by: Di

Jane I am preparing a toys unit for my year ones if you still have the ideas from the blooms book i would appreciate them. Thanks. If anyone else has some great ideas i would appreciate them too. Thanks in advance. dmac2231(at)bigpond.net.au
Sep 13, 2009
 Toys ideas
by: Julia from Adelaide

In Adelaide there is a 'Museum of Childhood' which I have used on a number of occasions whilst at different schools.

The coordinator of the museum has toys through history, toys from different decades, toys organised into themes ... If you don't have a similiar museum where you are, as part of a unit on the 'History of Toys' I have got students do interview a family member about the toys they played with most or remembered when they were 5 (or whatever age your current students are) including a photo and/or drawing and words by student or interviewee describing why it was popular.

Have also drawn up a time-line of toys for past 50 or 100 years, researched on internet and then assigned students particular periods eg 50s or 70s to research and draw pictures to illustrate on time-line. Hope these are helpful.
Sep 09, 2009
 toys
by: Anonymous

Would you please be able to send me the same e-mail Jane sent you with the activities out of the Multiple Intelligence book as I am also doing toys as a topic next term. It would be muchly appreciated as I am also stuck for ideas like you were. My e-mail is ash_sivi(at)hotmail.com
Thank-you,
Ashlyn
Aug 03, 2009
 toy unit
by: Anonymous

Collect toy catalogues and look at all the different toys. Make charts- cut and paste- choose a toy for each member of your family, your best friend, etc. Why did you choose these toys for these particular people? Children each choose say, five toys, and rank them from most to least favourite.

Classify toys in lots of ways.eg: colour, how they move, what they are made of, toys aimed at particular age groups-babies, toddlers, young children, teenagers,etc.

Look at toys from the past. How are they different to toys now? Get parents, grandparents to bring a toy they may have from their childhood to share with a group or the whole class. Make a toy museum. Hope this helps
Jul 18, 2009
 Just stumbled on this...
by: Jen

Hi,

Just stumbled on this which might be of use...

http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/curric/k_6/toys.html

It's actually more or less a list of links to other places but there are lots of ideas...

Jen :)
Jul 18, 2009
 Science activities
by: Sharon

Start the unit with placing children in groups. Bring in a collection of toys e.g. little cars, rocking toy, magnetic toys, little trains, toys you use air to propel- in brief: toys that move.Have mixed collections of toys on tables- children rotate with their group from table to table. Aim: To find out how the toys move (and what you did to get them to move)

Secondly, some great ideas for this age group in "Push-Pull power" published by Primary Connections (Aust'n Academy of Science) available via internet for $13-95
Jul 13, 2009
 Toys
by: Lou

Last term my year 2 class read the story Knuffle Bunny and Knuffle Bunny Too by Mo Willems.It is a story about a small child and her beloved bunny. My class loved these stories and we did all sorts of activities around our own "Knuffle Bunnies".

At the end of term we had a "Knuffle Bunny" picnic.

In SOSE we did a toy unit comparing games/toys from the past and now. We played with knuckle bones/pick up sticks/ pogo sticks/ hopscotch and lots more. We also had a guest speaker come in to tell us what sorts of games they played as a child.

For T and E we then designed/made and appraised a dolls house out of recycled materials.The kids loved it !
Jul 13, 2009
 Thanks Jane
by: Sarah

Jane,
yeah if you could email me whatever you have that would be great.
mooey18au@hotmail.com
Thanks
Jul 13, 2009
 Endless ideas
by: sue

Why not have your children design a new toy using various ideas from children. What do you want your toy to do, what age group are you designing for, how much would you sell it for, what materials would you use, draw your design first. Make the finish product. Have the children's buddy class judge the best designs or ask your buddy class to give feed back on the children's designs - why they would buy this toy or why they would not.

Have a toy sleep over . The children leave the toys at school for the night they set up the sleep over area. Before the children come in make it look like the toys got up to mischief the night before.

Have done this in preprimary the childrens expressions in the morning are unforgettable.
Jul 12, 2009
 Toys
by: Anonymous

My students were fascinated with toys from other countries. I have a set of Russian Nesting Dolls and some other toys from the Ukraine.

They were also interested in toys of the American pioneer toys. Are there any book characters that you are reading about that have toys?

You could study a simple toy design and have them make their own. They could compare and contrast similar toys or toys of today and yesterday.

You could read Corduroy and compare the main character's feelings regarding her feelings before and after meeting Corduroy. If they could have any type of toy, what would it be and why would they want it?
Jul 12, 2009
 Toys Unit
by: Jane

The book Blooming into Themes with Multiple Intelligences has a Toys unit in it. There's not enough space here to write all the ideas but I'm happy to send them to you via email if you like?
Jul 12, 2009
 more ideas
by: Susan

Several ideas come to mind.
Set up a toy store and put price tags on them then have the students count the coins they need to buy a specific toy.

Have them bring their toy in a sack and be prepared to answer yes/no questions that help identify what is in the sack.

Have students weigh and measure the toys, then put them in order by length, height and such.

Use the toy names to put in ABC order.

Jul 12, 2009
 Toys
by: Anonymous

How about a writing piece/prompt interviewing a favorite toy or one another about a toy?

was thinking of other ideas what about looking at "old" toys (Barbies, Gi Joe's etc) and have kids make a pros/cons list?
Jul 12, 2009
 Toys from Trash
by: Ced Paine

"The best thing a child can do with a toy is break it !" HOW TO MAKE TOYS FROM TRASH

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