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Play activities for children as well as the variety of toys available to children continued to increase in the 20th centuryas fewr boys had to work. Thanks to the appearance of the snap shot, large numbers of photographic images begin to become available. A good example is Robbie McGregor and Everett Tallmadge. The movies as well as radio and television caused intense interest among children. Boys played cops and robbers and cowboys and Indians. There were also war games, especially during and after World War II. Thus toy guns were extremerly popular. Most boys got them. And boys wanted B-B guns, although this was a big decesion in many homes. Boys played with toy guns through much of the century. Mothers began discouraging this by the 1970s. Outdoor play also varied. Hide and seek is a continuing favorite, but many ring games popular in the 19th century have largely disappeared. Sports have varied over time and in the 20th century became a national mpassion. Boys at first played informally, but gradually Little League and other organized youth sports developed. With the move into the city, children lost their swimming pools. As a result, public pools were opened in the cities. With the move to the suburbs, pools of various sizes appeared in backyards. Popular games included marbles and mummelepeg. Of course this varied over time. And with the increasing popularity of sports as well as the development of lithography we begin to see collecting baseball cards as well as flipping cards and pennies. Modern boys are no longer allowed to have knives for mummeldepeg. And often marbles and flipping sports cards are discouraged as losers wind up unhappy. Modern parents are much more prone to intervene over such matters and to direct play. Board games continue to be popular. New games were created like Monopoly, but some old favorites continue. Chess, checkers, and dominoes are old favorites. The same is true of cards. Of course technology affects play. Boys in the early-20th century made string telephones. Technology has cmade huge advances since that time. And boys took a huge interest in the development of computers.
Play activities for children as well as the variety of toys available to children continued to increase in the 20th centuryas fewr boys had to work. Thanks to the appearance of the snap shot, large numbers of photographic images begin to become available. Here the Kodak Bownie played a huge role. A good example is Robbie McGregor and Everett Tallmadge paying in the back yard. Boys played with toy guns through much of the century. We are not sure about the 1900s, but this was ceratinly the case by the 1910s. Outdoor play also varied. Hide and seek is a continuing favorite, but many ring games popular in the 19th century have largely disappeared. Sports have varied over time and in the 20th century became a national mpassion. Boys at first played informally in what werecalled sandlots--basically vacant areas without grass. With the move into the city, children lost their swimming pools. As a result, public pools were opened in the cities. Access was, however lmited.
Popular games included marbles and mummelepeg. Of course this varied over time, but were popular for many decades. Flipping pennies was popular.
The movies wnt big time (1910a). They would be silent for the next two decades, but the Silver Screen had a huge impact on chidren's play, biuys more than girls. It is at vthis time thatbcoboys and Indiand became popular, in part because if all the cowboy flicks. This was the decade of World War I (1914-18). America entered thge War (1917). And of course boys began playing war. These were not adult decisions, but what the boys decided they wanted to, commonly with nomparents about. Children were no suprervised at the time like they are today. Thus toy guns were extremerly popular. Many boys got them. And boys wanted BB guns. This would later become a big decesion in many homes, probably not so much in the 1910s. Tecnology took a big leap in the 1910s. A wireless (radio) set saved the survivors of the RMS Titanic (1912). We begin to see boys playing with crystal (radio) sets.
The movies only increased in importance after World War I. And were soon amplified by a nbrand new media platform--commercial radio. Advances in radio communication during the war made this possible. Soon commercial radio stations sprang up all over the country. And networks soon followed. Programming had to be invented, but along with musical shows we have coomedy shows and dramas. And two of the dram shows applealed to boys: westerns and gangster/cops and robbers shows. Note that there were no war dramas. Americans had largely decided that the war had been a terrible mistake. There were no demand for such shows--in sharp contrast to World War II. What did appeal was westerns and gangste programs, for boys. Girls had other play activities. . The movies as well as radio and television caused intense interest among children. Boys played cops and robbers and cowboys and Indians. Technology always play a role in play. As soon as railroads appeared in the 19th century, biys wanted toy trains. Elecreatic trains were one of the top toys for boys in the 1920s. Boys also liked playing with toy cars and this interest continues today.
The movies and radio comtinued to drive children's play. Cowboys and Indians and Cops and ronners continued to be important--almost entirely for boys only. The 1930s were the Depression era. This affected the ability of many parents to buy toys for their kids. Of course kids could still paly wuth out toys or even toy guns. Cowboys and Indians cinrtinued to be popular. Board games continue to be popular. New games were created like Monopoly (1935), but some old favorites continue. Chess, checkers, and dominoes are old favorites. The same is true of cards.
The 1940s were a split decade. The decade was dominated by World War II (1939-45). Unkile other countries, Americans did not experiebce deoprivation. In fact with booming factories, many Americans emndrged from the Depression and had never been so well off. Many African Anerican families shared in the prosperity. And after the War after some readjustment, the post-War econoomic boom began. All of this of course affected children. Unlike World War II the movies created a huge vnimbers of war films not to mention actual combat footage in the newsreels. There were also Westerns. The radio was full of war news beginning with live broadcasts from London during the Blitz. Boys shifted thrir games. Cop and ron=bbers disappeared and war became the major theme. Cowboys and D Indians never diasappered. Toys guns inngreat demand. And after theWar there was all kinds of war surplus items like helmets and packs. Boys also wanted BB-Guns--there was even a movie about it--'Christmas Story'. Some major trebds began in the 140s. We begin to see a majorbinteresy in sports cards--especially baseball cards. Sports cards appered much earlier, but boys began collecting them buig time in the 40s.
And the moved to the sunburbs began in eranest. This and the post-War economic boom changed the economics of boyhood. By the ebd of the decade, millions of families were entering the middle class and money began to be spent on their children like never before, including both clothes and toys. This included trikes and bikes.
Anothder new media format with the advabnce of ekectronics appeared in late-1940s, but not very many familirs git vTV sets until rge early-50s. And TV had a huge imopact on children's play, far more than the movies and radio. This was because the extent and variety of programming was vastly inceased. AChildren might see one movie a week before the 50s--two if it was a double feature. Children could wath hours of programming on TV, including movies. And both Westerns and war dominated the programming. While most Ameriv=cans thought World War II had been a mistake, there was no doubt about World War II--America had helped save Western Civiization. Boys play was dominated by this. And the economy was booming. Boys wanted toy guns and parents had the money to put all kinds of goodies under the Chtristmas Tree. This may have been the peak of toy gun oewnership, althiugh gancier guans appeared later. At the same time, families were moving to the suburbs, providing a different fo oplay. There was much greater emphasis on sport. Boys just played valls informally in sandlots. Groups like Little League becamevmich larger and there was more space for ball fields. Little League was founded (1938), but it was not buntill after EWoirkd War II that ut went big time. It was a major activity by the 1950s. This mean amajor shidt from play to more organized acrivity like sports. With the increasing popularity of sports as well as the development of lithography we begin to see collecting baseball cards as well as flipping cards becoming a major activity. The cards were sold with bun=bblegum. We begin to see more community swimming pools.
With the move to the suburbs and groweing propsperity, pools of various sizes appeared in backyards.
Formerly popular games included marbles and mummelepeg begin to disapper. Modern boys are no longer allowed to have knives for mummeldepeg
Boys played with toy guns through much of the century. Mothers began discouraging this by the 1970s. Presumably part of the Vietnam reactiion. It was all down here for toy guns amothough we see allkinds of fanvy guns. And of course with 'Starwars' lightsabers camed in the scene. Apoarently mothers saw them as preferavle tio guns. The vearly kightb sabers werevrather dorky. They have sence greatly improved.
Marbles and flipping sports cards begin to be discouraged as losers wind up unhappy. Modern parents are much more prone to intervene over such matters and to direct play. BMX bikes appeared when boys began racing their bicycles on dirt tracks in Southern California (early-70s). Thry began to enulare motocross superstars of the time. The trend went nationwide.
Of course technology affects play. Boys in the early-20th century made string telephones and crystal sets. Technology has cmade huge advances since that time. And boys took a huge interest in the development of computers. And it is the 1990s that boys began ti get thrirbhanfd on cimputers. Girks at first were at furst much less interested.
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