2. Interview with Grandparents
Objectives of this study were:
⢠To learn the playing habits of
the grandparents who were
children in a less digitalised
world
⢠Create curiosity among the
young generation for learning
traditional games that are no
longer played
⢠To develop research and
assessment skills and
capabilities of the students
⢠When? Thursday 3rd
November
⢠Who? Primary 5 (aged 8/9)
children as part of their topic
âMy School & Localityâ were
the perfect interviewers with
our âAnnaclone Young at Heart
Associationâ
⢠Where? St. Colmanâs PS & All
Saintsâ NU, Annaclone,
Northern Ireland
⢠Why? Because we are
committed to âBridging The
Generations.â
3. Young At Heart
⢠Club for the over 60's living in Annaclone.
⢠They value the importance of older generation
continuing to learn new skills and ideas.
⢠Organised and led by local pensioners for local
pensioners. School supports them by giving
them access to the building for
meetings/ICT/music etc
⢠Help the school with traditional crafts/art
Where the fun never ends!
4. Context â our grandparents talk
of life in Rural Ireland in the
1940/50s.
Many have lived in Annaclone all
their lives and have witnessed
the changes to the school and
community during that time.
9 year old children shared their
views on their own âGood Old
Daysâ.
5. Summary of Findings - 1
Creativity/Imagination âImagination deficit?â
⢠ââŚimagination was all we
had and it took us
everywhereâŚno alternative
entertainment â we were
the entertainment and
where you see a stick, we
saw a paddle on a ship or a
key part of the hut we were
about to build and go hide
away inâŚâ
6. Summary of Findings â 2
Toy Creation & Craft ââRich in thought, not in pocket.â
⢠âAll of my toys came from the
shops or Santa.â
⢠âWe spent hours making toys
from next to nothing. Mummy
taught us how to sew and
make rag dolls.â
⢠âYear after year we would race
our carts down Rathfriland
Hill. It was a big deal to win
and no one cared about cuts
or bruises.â
7. Summary of Findings - 3
Demographic Change Who do I play with?
⢠âIf my sister is busy, I play
on my own in my room.â
⢠âWe had six/seven/eight
children in our family. Our
cousins would come to ours
and we would all play
together. We learned lots
from the older children,
song, games, how to be
bold and bad!â
8. Summary of Findings â 4
Similarities Timeless Games
⢠Duck, Duck, Goose
⢠Skipping Games
⢠Hide & Seek aka 40/40
⢠Hopskotch
⢠Pitch & Toss
⢠British Bulldog
⢠The Farmer Has A Wife
⢠Ringboard Games
9. Summary of Key Findings - 5
Modern Day Parenting⌠The big debateâŚ
⢠âWe were allowed to run freer and
wilder than we ever let our own
children. They in turn have taken it
to a new level. Children are micro-
managed in terms of safety and risk.
Parents drop their children off at
organised clubs and at sleepovers. I
think I little bit of organised chaos
and adventurous learning would go a
long way with this generation. Even a
walk home from school was a âgameâ
now everyone is bussed and belted
in. Has health and safety mixed with
scare stories in the media taken
childhood to a place we might never
get it back from?â
10. Summary of Findings - 6
Curiosity in our Children âLetâs Investigate!â
11. Conclusion
⢠All present enjoyed the chance to engage and learn from each other
⢠Opportunities for new learning arose from the interviews
⢠Societal change has had both positive/negative impacts upon
childhoods
⢠Work for Sociologists to determine is this just life âthrough rose tinted
glassesâ or were childhoods in 1950âs substantially âricherâ for the
child?
⢠All grandparents conceded that schooling itself is much superior today
and that the removal of all forms of âcorporal punishmentâ canât be
overlooked as a huge leap forward in terms of child-centred pastoral
care
⢠Children appeared envious at âplaying opportunitiesâ open to
grandparents outside school hours that they donât feel they have.