Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Then and Now Toys Sort: Free Printable Game for Year 1
- ForYear 1
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Then and Now Toys Sort is a free printable history game for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6). Children cut out toy cards, sort them into old and new, and say how they know. It is for 2 to 4 players, takes about 10 minutes and needs scissors. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help, a stretch idea and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children cut out cards showing toys such as a rag doll, a remote control car, a tin toy train and a video game. They look at each card, decide whether the toy belongs to the past or to today, and sort it into old or new. Then comes the key part: saying how they know. The talking matters as much as the sorting.
- Wooden hoop and stick
- Tablet computer game
- Rag doll
- Remote control car
- Wooden spinning top
- Talking robot
- Tin toy train
- Video game
- Wooden toy soldier
Ways to play the sort
Sort together
Lay the cards face up. Take turns to pick one card, say old or new, and place it in the right pile. Give one reason each time.
Reason first
Hold up a card and ask the group to give a clue before anyone says old or new. Clues might be what the toy is made of or how it works.
Check and swap
When all the cards are sorted, look at each pile together. Ask if any card could move, and listen to why. Then check with page 2.
Why compare old and new toys?
Toys are one of the first ways young children meet history. Every child knows what they play with, so comparing a toy from long ago with one from today makes the past feel real. It also gives children a simple way to notice that things change over time, which is the heart of early history.
In Key Stage 1, children learn about changes within living memory. That means changes that people alive today can remember, or can hear about from someone they know. Grandparents and older relatives are a wonderful source. Asking them about their childhood toys turns a sorting game into a real conversation about the past.
Toy history facts
- Children have played with toys for thousands of years.
- Toys are made from many different materials, such as wood, cloth, metal and plastic.
- Historians learn about the past from objects, photographs and what people remember.
- Some toys stay popular for a very long time, while others are replaced by new ideas.
- Living memory means things that people alive today can remember or have been told about by someone they know.
Skills and curriculum link
- History words
- Sorting
- Talking
- Comparing
- Giving reasons
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | History | Changes within living memory | Year 1 |
What children will be able to do
- I can sort toys into old and new.
- I can say one way a toy has changed.
- I can talk about a toy my grandparents played with.
Ideas to help children sort
- Look for cluesAsk what the toy is made of and how it is played with. Clues like these help children decide without guessing.
- Say the reasonEncourage a full sentence, such as "I think this is old because...". It builds history language.
- Compare two cardsPut one card from each pile side by side. Ask what is the same and what is different.
- Accept different viewsIf a child puts a card in an unexpected pile, ask why before you correct. Their reason may be sensible. Then check page 2 together.
Key words
- OldMade or used a long time ago.
- NewMade or used recently, or now.
- PastThe time before now.
- PresentThe time that is happening now.
- Living memoryThings that people alive today can remember, or have heard about from someone they know.
- CompareLook at two things and say how they are the same and how they are different.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Help your child cut out the cards with scissors. Younger children may need a grown up to cut.
- Look at one card at a time. Ask your child to say old or new, then place it in a pile.
- Ask, "How do you know?" Listen for clues about materials, how the toy works or how it looks.
- Check against page 2 together. Come back another day and play again. Repeating a familiar game builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Look at one card at a time and ask if it plugs in or has a screen. Say the question out loud together. Start with the cards your child feels sure about, then come back to the trickier ones and talk them through.
To stretch confident children
Ask a grandparent, or another older person you know, which toys they played with as a child. Draw one of those toys on the back of a card. Then say whether it belongs in the old pile or the new pile, and why.
Make it a game
Play in turns. One player holds up a card and the others say old or new and give one reason. A good reason wins the card. When the cards run out, the player with the most cards wins.
Talk about it
- How can you tell a toy is old?
- What is different about a toy from long ago and one today?
- Which old toy would you most like to try, and why?
- Which of these toys would be the most fun to play with outside?
- What do you think children will play with when you are a grandparent?
- Which toy do you think a grandparent would know best?
Take it off the page
Toy museum
Collect some of your own toys and set them out on a table. Sort them into toys that feel old and toys that feel new. Make labels and give a tour to a grown up.
Ask the family
Ask a grandparent or older relative about their favourite childhood toy. Draw it and write one sentence underneath saying what it was like.
Before and after
Draw one of your toys in two ways: how you think it looked when it was first made, and how it looks today. Say what you changed.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first few cards, then let them lead. About 10 minutes is plenty. Focus on the reason they give, not just the pile they choose. Asking a grandparent about their toys makes a lovely follow up.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task or table activity for Year 1 history. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. It supports the changes within living memory strand of the National Curriculum for England. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider history plan and pair it with books, museum visits or talk with older relatives. It is free to print again for brothers and sisters, or to revisit a few weeks later. Keep each session short and playful.
Where this fits in history learning
Before this, children talk about their own lives and what they can remember. They use words like old, new, yesterday and today. This sheet builds on that by asking them to compare toys and give reasons for their choices.
Next, children can compare other everyday things, such as clothes, homes or ways of travelling, using the same words and the same kind of reasoning. Key Stage 1 history also includes events beyond living memory and the lives of significant people, and the habit of asking how we know carries over to those topics too.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- How can you tell this toy is old?
- What is different about a toy from long ago and one today?
- Which old toy would you most like to try, and why?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Then and Now Toys Sort for?
It is written for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6) in Key Stage 1. Children in Year 2 can use it too, especially for the talking and reasoning, and older children can join in as helpers.
- What will children practise?
Children sort toys into old and new and talk about how toys have changed. They practise history words, sorting and giving reasons, which are early skills in comparing the past with the present.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 10 minutes. You need 2 to 4 players and scissors. Two quick rounds work better than one long one, so stop while children are still enjoying it.
- What if it feels too hard?
Look at one card at a time and ask if it plugs in or has a screen. Start with the cards your child feels sure about. Come back to the harder ones later.
- Is it a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and scissors, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. It also gets children talking, which is a good change from screens.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. It links to the changes within living memory strand of Key Stage 1 history.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. It is free to print for home and classroom use, so you can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.