How they played: Children and construction toys (c. 1840-1940)

• Applicant: Professor Helmuth Trischler, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: History of Science
• Term: from 2016 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 322037191

The project aims to examine and analyse construction sets from the perspective of users, i.e. children, from the middle of the 19th century until the Second World War. Construction sets have been devised and developed by adults as educational tools for children; they have been designed to shape the future through specific play activities. The role of construction sets has been oscillating between their pedagogical and their entertaining functions, with variations in different time periods depending on dominant mentalities and other socio-technical factors. The intentions of adults (parents, educators, designers, producers, retailers) in this process will be juxtaposed with the so far neglected and under-researched perspective of children. The proposed project will illuminate children's relationship with construction sets, by studying their reactions and attitudes vis-à-vis such adult intentions. The project is expected to contribute to the understanding of childhood and technology-inspired play. This is a crucial subject for our societies and their future, as technology-based play is nowadays a predominant element of childhood leisure, entertainment, and education. The technical nature of construction sets lies in the heart of the proposed investigation and sets the framework for the historical analysis. The main research questions are whether children's play practices conformed to or contradicted adult ambitions and expectations, in what ways this was realised, and what were the consequences. The proposed project is situated on the intersection of the history of technology, design history and the history of play.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants