Kids' Road Safety

I haven't posted an archive film clip for a while, but today's is a real curio. Below is a 1944 short film in which some children are taught about road safety on a mocked-up road. It's hard to know how much of this has been staged specifically for the cameras, but it's certainly interesting...

Childcare through the Decades

British Pathe have recently put their entire archive of newsreels onto YouTube, making them free for anyone to view. It's a huge collection covering all sorts of topics, but I've found some time to search through the films on there and put together a playlist of some of the clips which relate to children and early years / school settings. Have a browse through some of the 12 short films below, which date between 1933 and 1968 - hopefully you'll find something of interest!

The Schools

Time for another archive film clip. The short video below contains extracts taken from a 1962 BBC programme called The Schools (courtesy of the BBC's Hands on History site), and includes clips taken from classrooms of the time, as well as interviews with teachers. Often when viewing these films it's interesting to see how many of the ideas they contain are still relevant to today, but in this case I suspect that some of the teachers' views expressed here might be frowned upon now!



To view a complete listing of the video clips on this site, click on 'Educational Films' in the Hot Topics menu in the right-hand sidebar of this page.

Eat for Health!

The latest in an occasional series of retro films... Today's clip dates from 1954, and is an Encyclopedia Britannica film which aims to encourage children to eat well. This doesn't just include eating the right foods, but also involves suggesting that meal times are an important and fun way of getting together.

The advice given on the 5 food groups is interesting! How does this compare to the nutrition advice that children and parents are given today?

They Took Us to the Sea

If you have 25 minutes to spare, today's post is a real treat. Below is They Took Us to the Sea, a charming but also very moving 1963 film made to promote the work of the NSPCC. The clip follows a group of disadvantaged children from Birmingham on a day's outing to Weston-Super-Mare, from their arrival at Snow Hill station (which has changed a bit!) to their return home. Some of the featured children probably still live in Birmingham today...

Don't forget that you can view a list of all posts containing similar items by clicking on 'Educational Films' in the Hot Topics menu on the right hand side of this page.

1940s Childhood

3 videos for the price of one today... Below are some film clips from the British Council Film Collection, each depicting different aspects of children's lives in the 1940s. If you enjoy these, there are plenty of similar clips on this site - just click on the 'Educational Films' link in the Hot Topics menu on the right of the page. You may also be interested in a previous post entitled Historical Childhoods.


Child's Play - Life in the 1940s from British Council Film on Vimeo.


A 1940s Childhood - In Wartime from British Council Film on Vimeo.


A 1940s Childhood - In Peacetime from British Council Film on Vimeo.

1940s English School

It's a slow news day and there haven't been any film clips on this site for a while, so take a look at the below. It's a 1940s video showing school life - the clip says 'Primary School' but surely the children involved are younger? There's a lot of charm in watching films like this, though modern viewers may take issue with some of the gender stereotypes which the narrator uses!



This film has been shared on YouTube by KinoLibrary. You can view similar clips on this site by clicking on 'Educational Films' in the Hot Topics menu on the right hand side of this page.

Personality & Emotions

Retro film time... Below is an Encyclopedia Britannica movie clip from 1954 entitled Personality and Emotions. The film explores the various emotions exhibited by young children as they develop, or at least it does once you get past a lengthy introduction - the practical advice begins just before the two minute mark.

Do you have a particular interest in child development? How do you feel the advice in the film stands up today? Do leave a comment with your thoughts!

Play in the Snow

This is possibly a few days late now that spring seems to be (finally!) on the way, but below is an archive 1945 film produced by Encyclopedia Britannica which provides advice for children on how to play safely in the snow, and also has ideas for fun activities. The film might be almost 70 years old, but the sledging section which begins at 05.37 looks almost identical to the scene in my local park during the first snowfall back in January...

Answering the Child's Why

Archive film time again... Below is Answering the Child's Why, a 1951 film from the Encyclopedia Britannica offering parents advice on how to give a satisfactory response to most young children's favourite question: "Why?" Get past the dated voiceover and fashions, and what do you think of the advice given during the clip? Is it still relevant today, or have we changed our ideas about how best to engage with children?

Ways to Settle Disputes / Teaching Your Child to Share

As it's Friday and it's been quite a fraught week for the childcare sector, how about some light relief? Below is a 1950 USA educational film entitled Ways to Settle Disputes. The clip emphasises the importance of sharing and rules at school and also features a rather hilarious 'fight' over a tricycle.



After posting an old film, I usually ask what site users think a modern equivalent might contain, but in this case there's no need. The ParentChannel website has a short video entitled Teaching Your Child to Share (see below) which covers similar issues, albeit with a less formal approach. Which methods do you think are most effective?

Charley Junior's School Days

Just a little something to keep site users going over the summer (there doesn't seem to be a lot of news at the moment!)... The film below is entitled Charley Junior's School Days, and is a 1949 public information film. A voiceover explains the school system to a young child, although parents would also have benefited from the information in the film, following the passing of the 1944 Education Act and the changes that this introduced to schools in the UK. You can read more about the Act and associated changes in Chapter 5 of Derek Gillard's Education in England: a Brief History.



How would a similar film look in 2012, and what would it contain? Add a comment to leave your suggestions!

Hospital School

A few years ago I spent a lot of time helping a student who was trying to research the topic of children learning while they were in hospital - it was one of the more tricky subjects I've been asked about, and to be honest we struggled to find plenty of suitable material. But it's hardly a new area of learning - the film clip below dates from 1945, and shows how children were treated and rehabilitated in a Hospital and College in Hampshire.

The clip is courtesy of the British Council film website. You can find a free collection of other vintage films on various topics by clicking here. Or for further similar items on this site, use the 'Educational Films' link in the 'Hot Topics' menu on the right hand side of this page.

Learning to Live

Below is a charming short film from 1941 entitled Learning to Live. The film explores the experiences of 3 children from the same family, who attend a nursery, a junior and a senior school, and the principles behind their education. How do you think these ideas compare to the schools of today?

The clip is courtesy of the British Council film website. You can find a free collection of other vintage films on various topics by clicking here.

Let's Play Fair

If it's a slow news day then it must be retro film time again... Below is Let's Play Fair, a 1949 Coronet instructional short film which tries to teach children the importance and basics of sharing and taking turns. It may be over 60 years old, but these rules still apply today, don't they?

For similar items, click on the 'Educational Films' link at the bottom of this post.

School Rules

A few slow news days so here's another retro educational film from the archives. This one is from 1953 and is entitled School Rules: How They Help Us. As you might expect, the 10 minute clip explains the importance of obeying rules to children, and especially takes time to explain why exceptions can't be granted.

Would such a film have a place in the modern school? And what advice do you think an updated version might include in 2011?

How Quiet Helps at School

Regular readers of this site will know that while most of the posts on here deal with new reports and research, I occasionally try to introduce some variety (and fun!) by looking at materials which date back a little further. So below is a charming short US film from 1953 entitled How Quiet Helps at School, which is descibed as a "social guidance film for young children suggesting that they take their noise out to the playground."

After teachers recently complained about pupils' lack of discipline, would there still be a place for a film like this in a modern classroom? What sort of advice do you think a remake might include in 2011? Leave your comments below.

Washing a Baby

The silent film clip below shows a nurse from 1905 demonstrating how to wash, change and feed a baby girl. It seems that they were less gentle when handling infants a century ago, although the child seems to respond pretty well, at least until she's weighed...

Maintaining Classroom Discipline

It's retro film time again... While digging out some information on behaviour management in the classroom, I came across the little gem which you can view below. It's a US video from 1947 entitled Maintaining Classroom Discipline. But if you think that it has little relevance to modern teaching you may be surprised - when the video was uploaded to the Behaviour4Learning website, the site managers discovered that it quickly became one of the most popular items on the site - click here to learn more.

Progressive Education in the 1940s

Something a little different today. The video below is a 1940s newsreel from the US which covers the topic of 'progressive education'. If you've got 7 minutes to watch it in full, it's a fascinating and entertaining snapshot of some of the ideas which were gaining credence in education at that time, some of which are still applicable to the modern day. There's also an appearance from the renowned theorist John Dewey.

For further information about historical approaches, Derek Gillard's website The History of Education in England is packed with useful articles and the full text of such important publications as the Warnock Report, the Plowden Report, and many others.