Toy Making Experience Days Workshop
Classroom Adventures
We provide children with the opportunity to surprise themselves about their own abilities through the medium of toys!Our fantastic toy making workshops for schools allow children to discover toys of the past and make their very own wooden toy, which they can keep at the end of the day.
These two-hour hands-on workshops allow children to follow the toy making process from start to finish and make their very own toy.
All pupils are completely involved in the toy making process and will be able to use a range of tools and techniques, including drilling and hammering (under one-on-one supervision).
Our toy workshops are aimed at children of all ages from 4 upwards and we can tailor the workshop to suit the age of the class.
All of our toys are based on examples from the last 3,500 years. We have around thirty different toys which we use in our sessions.
This is an engaging cross-curricular program including aspects of History, Science, Art and Design Technology.
Toy Museum and Handling Collection:
As an optional extra, while one class is engaged in the making of their toy, or afterwards if you have a single class, you can make use of our Toy Museum and Handling Collection.
The Toy Museum comprises of a selection of old toys, of differing ages, that demonstrate some of the toys that children had available to them in days gone by. By seeing these with their own eyes, children are able to put themselves in the shoes of children from years ago.
The Handling Collection is to be used separately from the museum and consists of replica old toys that children can try playing with themselves. We recommend that the school hall (if you have one) is reserved for the children to use the toys in should weather be inclement, as some of the toys require space to be used.
Where we travel to
We can visit your school in:
What activities are available during this school workshop?
Each child gets to make and take home their own wooden toy.
Children go through a range of DT processes including sanding and hammering to make their toy.
An initial presentation (with props./not ppt.) introduces the children to the world of toys and some of their stories.
Children go through a range of DT processes including sanding and hammering to make their toy.
An initial presentation (with props./not ppt.) introduces the children to the world of toys and some of their stories.
Which curriculum topics do we cater for?
Design Technology Workshop
Materials
Children learn about, and implement, some of the processes involved to make a toy out of wood.
Processes include:
- smoothing wooden surfaces with abrasive (sand) paper.
- decorating the toy by creating a design first and then applying colour.
- threading components together with string and locating components together with wooden dowels.
- adhesion using PVA wood glue (some super glue may be required for metal components).
- hammering components to secure them in place.
Art Workshop
Design Drawing Craft
Although our Toy Making Experience days have a strong Design Technology element, there is complete scope for the children to express their creativity on their toys. We advise them to create their design first and then apply colour, however the methodology and design is completely up to the pupil.
Physics Workshop
Forces and magnets Forces Gears and Pulleys
When discovering the toys at the beginning of the day we explore how the toys work through forces, focusing mainly on push, pull and gravity.
We look at about 30 different toys that all work very differently and other forces include: squeezing and spinning.
Children will also learn how some forces affect other forces i.e. inertia (though we don't use that term in the presentation).
Historic Events Beyond Living Memory Workshop
We often find that we are booked to tie in with topics along the lines of "Toys from the past".
Toys are an amazing medium to help children discover and connect with the past. Some toys they can relate to, whilst others appear completely foreign.
Each toy has a story to tell and sometimes the toy that a child takes home sparks a conversation about old toys.
Children are often surprised at the range of skill and ability required for toys, with some almost working by themselves, and others requiring considerable practice!
Toys Workshop
Studying the history of toys is an excellent way to engage children with the past, however it can be a struggle for younger children to engage with only visual observation.
In our Toy Making Experience Days, children get to step into the world of the toy maker. They get to see a range of toys and build one themselves. At the end of the workshop, they leave with "their" toy. It is "their" toy because it is their creation, and we love seeing the joy in the children's faces when they see it come to life and work for the first time.
If you also choose to book our Toy Museum and Handling collection then the children's journey goes even further. The museum comprises a collection of toys though the ages that all work very differently and each has their own story to tell about our past. To optimise engagement, we have kept the museum slightly smaller and included a handling collection for the children to play with. We have found this to be an excellent arrangement for children's learning.
Victorian Workshop
Toys
Throughout the Victorian era, children's accessibility to toys grew. However, the nurseries of the rich had far fewer toys than many children today, as for the poorer of society, some children only had toys if they, or their relatives, were handy and could make things themselves.
Many toys that were once popular in the Victorian era have fallen out of popularity with new inventions, advancements and different materials in toy manufacture being implemented.
Some however, see those older toys as having a better offer for a child's development as they offer more scope for creativity.
Whatever your reason, in our Toy Making Experience Day children get to experience toys from the Victorian era and beyond. They will marvel at things that they have never seen before, be surprised at how clever our ancestors were and get to compare toys from the past with the toys that they enjoy today.
What size groups do we cater for?
Workshops are approximately 2 hours long for a maximum of 30 children. For mainstream schools with classes of about 30 pupils, one class has their workshop in the morning, a second in the afternoon, third the following morning.
For schools with 3 - 4 classes, two consecutive days are required.
For schools with 3 - 4 classes, two consecutive days are required.
Access for visitors with disabilities
We have worked with children / organisations with disabilities before. Just let us know what needs you have so that we can advise if any adaptations may be required.
Visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)
We often work with SEN children and in mainstream schools we find often 1 -2 pupils per class that might need extra time/support. If you have a high percentage of pupils with additional needs, please let us know in case we need to adapt our days to your needs.
Our philosophy and practice is to give children the time that they need and sometimes they may struggle if their fine motor skills are still developing. We always take children at face value and let them see what they can do first. We have consistently had children shock themselves at their own capabilities.
Anything else?
In order to deliver our immersive Toy Making Experience Day, we simply require the following:
- secure onsite parking (either in a car park or on a playground)
- a classroom big enough for all of the children to work at their tables (with an extra table to be part of our workstation at the front)
- a clear hall with one trestle table to be used for the initial presentation (approx. 9 - 9.40 am)
- sufficient staffing to be with the children for the duration of the day
- secure onsite parking (either in a car park or on a playground)
- a classroom big enough for all of the children to work at their tables (with an extra table to be part of our workstation at the front)
- a clear hall with one trestle table to be used for the initial presentation (approx. 9 - 9.40 am)
- sufficient staffing to be with the children for the duration of the day
Who are Classroom Adventures?
Classroom Adventures has been providing educational experiences and events since 2016. Its members have varied backgrounds and interests including: organ building, biomedical science, furniture making, vaccine development, historical re-enactment, Morris dancing and more...
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