Child’s Scooter
Ryedale Folk Museum
Children have been riding scooters for over a century. Originally homemade, they were generally created from whatever materials were available, with wheels attached to simple wooden boards. This scooter dates from the 1940s and a time heavily impacted by the legacy of Second World War rationing.
As well as affecting food and clothing, the war restricted toy production. Many materials, including rubber and metal experienced shortages. Items that had previously been imported were no longer able to enter the country easily and many materials and factories were needed for making essential products and munitions. A government campaign encouraged the population to ‘Make Do and Mend’. This phrase gets used today to encourage people to be more environmentally-aware as consumers, as well as the phrase ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’.
This scooter might not have been a top-of-the-line model, but it would have made a treasured gift at the time. Crafted by her illustrious Uncle Jack upon his return from the frontlines, it must have been wheeled proudly by its young owner, Judith Ann Kneeshaw. Many families had been separated for months and even years by the war, as had presumably been the case with this family.
The scooter is also a lovely example of what can be achieved by recycled materials, with the hinges even repurposed from old window latches.
Click on the photo to enlarge it.
Talking Points
Which toys would you miss if they couldn’t be manufactured?
Do you think this scooter looks safe to ride?
Do you think children will be riding scooters in another hundred years?
Have you ever had a scooter? Would you like a scooter like this one?
Nowadays, lots of adults ride scooters too. Why do you think that is?
Do you ever make your own toys?
Why do you think homemade toys are better for the environment?
How else could you get hold of toys, so as to reduce damage to the environment, without buying them new?
In the Classroom
Hotseat
Interview a member of the class in role as the scooter’s owner about her present.
Did she like it? Where did she go? Why was it so special?
Hands on History
Ryedale Folk Museum’s collection has lots of objects and buildings to help you explore childhood. Visit the Victorian school room, or take part in a range of family-sized traditional games around the six-acre museum site.
Museum Location
