Childhood games
Did you grow up in a time when children roamed more freely, taking over the streets with games of cricket, cops and robbers, and marbles?
Relive memories of childhood with a range of activities focusing on popular childhood games from the 1920s to the 1960s.
Playlist
Listen to a selection of popular children’s songs, rhymes, and jingles from Australia and abroad.
Image slideshow
Download images from Museums Victoria’s collection depicting children's games, toys, and hobbies from last century.
Trivia
Test your general knowledge about growing up in Australia in the mid-20th Century:
Colouring in
Download a printable colouring in sheet inspired by photographs from our collection.
Other activity suggestions
Knitting Nancy
Make your own Knitting Nancy using an empty toilet roll and 4 pop sticks or an old wooden cotton reel and nails if you have some on hand.
Outdoor and indoor games
Get competitive and challenge someone to a game using materials easily found around the house. You could attempt a game of marbles, knuckles or try a spinning top tournament. Pull out a board game or grab a deck of cards. Or if the weather is nice and you have access to some lawn why not try something like croquet, quoits and bocce. Increase the stakes with a prize for the winner. Before you start make sure that you have agreed on which rules to use.
Cinema
Watch a nostalgic film from your childhood.
Some suggestions:
- Cinderella (1950)
- Fantasia (1940)
- The Wizard of Oz (1939)
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
- Pinocchio (1940)
- Bush Christmas (1947)
- The Kangaroo kid (1950)
- Skippy the Bush Kangaroo (TV Series or Film)
- Bambi (1942)
- Lassie Come Home (1943)
Kite flying
Make and decorate a simple kite and take it outdoors on a windy day. There are lots of tutorials on YouTube with clear instructions and simple materials found around the home. You could even have a competition with someone and put a few different styles to the test.
Rhymes and riddles
Have a go at writing some rhymes or solving some riddles. Why not send some cheeky limericks to friends or family. Or test your lateral thinking by trying to solve some online riddles.
Puzzles
Pull out a puzzle or if you don’t have access to one we’ve turned some of our much loved collection items, museum galleries and iconic buildings into virtual puzzles.