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Toys Teach History

Toys Teach History could be considered a skit or a story lesson. This is an important part of the "A Day in the Life at Cornell School" visit for 1st graders. The students learn about toys from the past and also about items that were part of everyday life in the 1880's and beyond.​​

Click on the image to see the name of the toy. Not all the toys mentioned in the skit have images. 

Tricycle

Ice Skates

Covered Wagon

Washboard, Iron and Clothesline

Ice Wagon

Milk Wagon

Scubbing Board (Washboard) and Iron

Jar of Marbles

Hobby Horse on a Stick

Cookstove and Wooden Blocks

Dolls, teddy bear and tea set

Sewing Machine

Hoops Toy

Boy playing with a hoop toy

Have all students close their eyes and put their heads on the desks. Quietly pass out a toy to each student. 

• If you have a toy that can be ridden, bring it to the front of the room. (Ask each child to name their toy).
  • 1. ​Tricycle. Why is this called a tricycle? Name something else that starts with tri. (Triangle, tricertops)
  • 2. Scooter. This toy looks very much like scooters today. Do you see anything different?
  • 3. Ice Skate. this skate clamps onto your shoe. It expands for a larger shoe. 
• If you have a toy that takes wrinkles out of clothes, bring it to the front of the room. 
  • 4. Iron. Explain how it was heated by placing it on the pot-bellied stove. This particular iron had a removable base. That way the mother could continue ironing with the second base which was already heated on the stove and leave the cold on to reheat. 
• For the next toy, a man would shout "Ice for Sale! Come buy some ice!" Who has this toy? Why would you need to buy ice?
  • 5. Ice Wagon. Explain that there were no refrigerators yet. Most homes had iceboxes. An icebox was similar to the lectern in the front of the room, however, it had a door that opened and shelves inside to hold food. There was a shelf for a large block of ice and a pan to catch the melting water. In a few days you would buy a new block of ice.  
• This man would shout, "Milk for sale! Come get your fresh milk!". Who has this toy?
  • 6. Milk Wagon. Explain that unless you had your own cow, you would need to buy milk from the milkman. 
• This person would shout, "Fresh fruit! Buy fresh apples and peaches!" Who has this toy?
  • 7. Fruit Wagon. Explain that this was another job and you could buy fresh foods right outside your door. 
• This man wasn't selling anything but he would also bring something right to your house. Who has the toy for this job?
  • 8. Mail Wagon. Explain that mail was delivered by a man driving a wagon also. Ask why all these people didn't drive a truck or van?
• Ask if there is any other wagon pulled by horses on someone's desk? Bring it to the front. What do you think this was used for?
  • 9. Fire Wagon. Explain that when neighbors heard the fire bell they immediately ran to the house or barn that was burning, bringing their buckets with them. They would line up at the pump and fill their buckets with water. Then they would pass them along to the men with ladders and pass them up the ladder to the man at the top who would pour the water on the fire. Hopefully they would be able to stop the fire, but many homes and barns burned down because this was just not a very efficient way to put out the fire. 
  • 10. Farm Wagon. Explain that this wagon was used for many things on the farm or it could be driven to town to the market or mill to get some corn or wheat ground. 
• Who has the toy that your baby brother or sister would ride pretending they were riding a horse?
  • 11. Hobby Horse. Have a student demonstrate how to ride a hobby horse. 
• Who has a toy that would help to wash and dry clothes? 
  • 12. Scrubbing board and drying rack. Explain that the scrubbing board was used to get the dirt out of socks or dirt out of blue jeans. The drying rack was used indoors for drying delicate items like petticoats and bloomers. (If you showed the students your petticoat, then ask them to remember what this was called.)
• Who has a toy like a real one that mothers often had in their kitchens ? 
  • 13. Stove. Explain that this stove used either wood or coal like the pot-bellied stove. Why does it have a chimney? Show pots, skillet and coal shuttle. 
• Who has a very precious toy that she would have asked Santa to bring her for Christmas?
  • 14. Doll. Explain that this doll was precious because it had ceramic arms, legs and a head that made it very delicate. Many dolls were also made from cloth. 
• Who has a bag with many different colors inside?
  • 15. Marbles. Explain how to play marbles and that sometimes you kept all the marbles you won. 
• Who has a game that uses a ball?
  • 16. Jacks. Explain and show how to play jacks. 
• Who has a toy that could be used to make clothes? What is it called?
  • 17. Sewing Machine. Explain that mothers made most of the clothes for their family. Liitle girls could practice using this machine that could really sew. 
• Who has a toy that has some ribbon? 
  • 18. Hoops. Show a picture on pg. 21 of Schoolyard Games. Have girls attempt to throw and catch hoops. 
• Who has a piece of sports equipment that is still played today? 
  • 19. Bat. What is different about this bat? Explain that baseball has been played since the early 1800's.
• Who has the toy that shows how people would travel when they wanted to get somewhere faster than by riding a horse.
  • 20. Train. Tell that trains were first tested in this country in 1826 so that by 1886 trains had become more and more prevalent. You could take a train to visit friends or relatives in Cincinnati or Cleveland or any city on the route. 
• When there is only one item remaining on a student's desk, ask that student to bring their item to the front. Ask what they think it could do. After several guesses explain that its purpose was to clean rugs. 
  • 21. Rug Beater. Explain how furniture could be moved from the rug and then the rug would be pulled outside and hung over a clothes line or porch railing or fence. Then the rug could be hit with the rug beater until there were no more billows of dust coming from the rug. ​

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