A two-hour programme for a maximum of two classes
led by a facilitator
Suitable for KS1 classes
Lunchroom included
1:5 adult:pupil ratio requested
Information about the organisation of the
session
The session is split up into two hour long sessions. One is the
'Toys' session which is led by a museum facilitator, and the other is the
'Discovery' session which is led by the school. Between one session and the
next you will have the use of our lunchroom.
Toys
For one class, one hour. Led by a
museum facilitator
Session Objectives
- To encourage children to discover the Museum's toy
collections by handling, observing and asking questions
- To encourage children to recognise the value of our
collections, whether contemporary or Victorian, or anything in between.
- To introduce children to the idea of caring for
collections
Session Outline
For the 'Toys' part of the session, the children
will need to be divided up into five groups as there are five different
activities for the children to take part in. Each group will need an adult
helper to support them when working on the activities.
The facilitator leading your session will
introduce the children to the 'Toys' activity. They will explain that the
children are here to learn about toys from the past and to compare them with
toys from the present. We will discuss what the job of a museum is and why a
museum collects toys. The children will then be introduced to our special
handling rules for use when handling our museum objects.
The facilitator will then give a brief outline of
each of the different activities the children will be taking part in. There are
five boxes containing different toys and five mats which host different
activities. With the class divided up into its five groups and the activities
explained, the groups will then rotate around the mats to participate in the
activities described below. Depending on the speed at which the children work,
they may complete all five activities, but at the very least they will
participate in three. Instructions are provided with each box to support the
adult helpers working with each group.
Activity boxes
Toy timeline
This box contains toys
that have been played with over the last 100 years. The children are invited to
find a place for them on our Toy Timeline Mat.
The Toy Box
This box has all kinds of
toys - some old, some broken, some cuddly - in a "fictional" toy box from your
attic. Children are encouraged to sort the toys on the Value Mat- something to
give to the museum, something to give to the car boot sale, something to throw
away, and something precious to keep because it reminds you of happy times.
Clearly there are no right and wrong decisions - but much valuable conversation
and discussion.
For Ever
Some of the most precious
toys are in this box. Using the Museum Display Mat, children are encouraged to
lay the toys out and decide which label belongs with which toy. They are also
encouraged to think about how we look after these collections for children of
the future to enjoy.
Old & New
The ideas for the most
popular toys and games have been copied many times during the last hundred
years. Using the Pairs Mat children are encouraged to match old and new toys -
e.g. a Victorian skipping rope with a modern one. Once all the toys are
matched, further questions can be asked to prompt thinking about the changes in
toys.
Super sorting There are all sorts of toys
in this box and the children are provided with a range of criteria for sorting
them into groups using the Venn diagram mat.
Conclusion
At the end of the session
the facilitator will lead a session to summarise the learning activity with the
whole class. This will include discussion on some of the toys they have seen
and what they are made out of and what this tells us about their age.
Discovery
For one class, one hour.
Guided by teachers and adult helpers; supported by museum staff.
Session Objectives
- To provide activities appropriate for 5 - 7 year olds to
help with exploration of the museum
- To engage in role play wearing 1930s/1940s costumes
- To use visual investigation to locate objects from our
collections
- To follow clues to learn more about household objects from
the past
Session Outline
For this part of the session, the class will need
to be divided into three groups who rotate around three activities, each
lasting about 20 minutes. There should be a 'spare' adult who is not allocated
to a group who can manage this activity and monitor the groups to ensure they
rotate around the activities at the correct time. This will normally be the
teacher of the class. The adult leading each group will be given information
which tells them what the activities involve and which order they will do them
in plus a map to show where the activities take place.
The activities
Dressing up
We have a range of
1930s/40s outfits especially for young children to dress up in with Velcro
fastenings. The clothes rail displays photographs of the outfits and each
outfit hangs in its own bag. You can request the use of our easy-to-use digital
cameras on your visit to record pupils in costume (you will need to bring your
own floppy discs).
Can You Find Me?
Children have the
chance to explore the domestic objects in Collections Corner using simple poems
by writer David Orme which focus on the appearance and use of objects found in
the home.
1930s I Spy Trail
Use the visual I Spy
Trail to find typical features of a 1930s street - eg telephone box, adverts,
zebra crossing beacon. Pupils will be asked to explore the streets with their
adult ticking off all the items on their trail as they see them.
Free time
When you have finished Toys
and Discovery you may have some time left in the museum before you leave, which
we call free time. You are welcome to visit other areas of the building e.g.
the Victorian Streets, but please bear in mind that other schools may have
activities to complete in these areas with resources set out for them.
Notes for teachers and adult helpers - Toys
and Discovery
You will be visiting Milestones, Hampshire's
living history museum in Basingstoke, which is a large, modern building housing
recreated streets and buildings from the Victorian period and the 1930s. You
will be supporting a class of pupils participating in a two hour programme
called Toys and Discovery and mainly spending your time in the 1930s area.
The teacher organising the visit will give you a
timetable for the day, as well as a copy of the museum's Guidelines for
Education groups.
A facilitator will meet you on arrival and you
will be able to leave your coats and bags somewhere convenient and use the
toilets.
The session is split up into two parts, each
lasting an hour. One is the 'Toys' session which is led by a museum
facilitator, and the other is the 'Discovery' session which is led by the
school. In between one session and the next you will have the use of our
lunchroom (tea/coffee facilities provided). You may also have some free time in
the museum after your programme has finished.
Toys - led by museum staff
This lasts for one hour and all members of the
class (including adults) will have been asked to wash their hands in
preparation for handling items from our toy collection. The facilitator will
explain that you will be handling toys from the Victorian period through to
today, from the museum's collection. The class will divide into five groups,
each with an adult, and each group will sit around an activity mat. The groups
will then rotate around the mats participating in different activities.
Provided with each mat is a set of instructions for the adult helper to follow.
The facilitator will still be there to support the class and at the end will go
over the pupils' findings.
Discovery - led by the school (teachers
and adult helpers)
This lasts for an hour, with the class breaking
into three groups and rotating around three activities which each last 15 - 20
minutes. These activities are designed to encourage the children's exploration
of the museum.
- 1930s I Spy trail - We have clipboards, pencils and an I
Spy Trail activity sheet for pupils to use in our 1930s streets. Pupils will be
asked to explore the streets with their group leaders, ticking off the items as
they see them.
- Can You Find Me? - 10 poems about everyday items from the
home which can be found in Collections Corner. Each card also has a photograph
of the object on the reverse to help!
- Dressing Up - We have a range of 1930s/1940s outfits
especially for young children to dress up in, with Velcro fastenings.
Free time When you have finished Toys and
Discovery, you may have some time left in the museum before you leave. You are
welcome to visit other areas of the building e.g. the Victorian streets, but
please bear in mind other schools may have activities to complete in these
areas with resources set out for them. The teacher leading the visit will
advise you if there is anything specific to see or do during this time.
Timetables for Toys and Discovery
| Morning Timetable |
| 10am |
You will be met in
Reception and shown to the Education Suite (pegs, lunchroom & toilets)
where you can put your belongings away and visit the toilets
Class 1 will
be asked to wash their hands
Once this is done, you will be taken into the
museum and introduced to Milestones and your programme |
| 10.30am |
Begin programme
no later than 10.30am
Class 1 - Toys
Class 2 - Discovery |
| 11.30am |
Lunch in the
Education Suite lunchroom
Tea & coffee provided for adults
Class 2
will be asked to wash their hands |
| 12.15pm |
Start second part
of programme
Class 1 - Discovery
Class 2 - Toys |
| 1.15pm |
End of programme
- free time begins Free time is the period between the end of your programme
and when you leave Milestones. You are welcome to visit other areas of the
museum during this time, but please remember other schools are likely to be
visiting Milestones and using resources for the programmes they have
booked. |
Also see Victorian
Britain Session Plan
