Children at play: Background

During the reign of Queen Victoria, children spent most of their time working, however there were some opportunities to play after and before the working day. By the end of the Victorian era children had more free time due to children being required to attend school.

An eight year old girl who was a watercress seller was recorded by Henry Mayhew as saying she had never visited the public park but enjoyed playing games such as "honeypots" and "Kiss-in-the-ring", thereby showing that even working children found the time for play.

Children played games around the home, either inside (if there was room) or on the street, they were involved in events that took them away from the home, such as a visit to a circus or theatre and contributed to formal organised activities such as Sunday school.

Most activities involved playing in and around the home and there were different types of games that children enjoyed playing which were separated to different classes.

Middle class children had nurseries, which had toys and occasionally a nanny who would organise activities. They also entertained each other by playing the piano or performing plays. Better off homes had a great deal of space and also had the opportunity to play parlour games like dominoes, draughts, ludo and snakes and ladders, which was introduced in 1892-3.

Children who lived in small over crowded houses with little space tended to play outside. These games were group activities with marbles, stones, conkers and perhaps a rope. Boys tended to play football and some liked to perform handstands against a wall or do somersaults. In 1853 the magazine "Punch" complained that the pavements were over crowded with children playing shuttlecock and tipcat.