Historical Gift and Game Ideas

Let’s explore the gifts and games for children in the early modern period …
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Intro / Outro song: Silent Partner, "Greenery" [ • Greenery - Silent Part... ]
SFX from freesfx.co.uk/...
Images (from Wikimedia Commons, unless otherwise stated):
Screenshot of www.british-hi...
Screenshot of wipe clean letter and number card online shop: teacher-play.c...
Hornbooks scanned from Tuer’s History of the Horn-Book, 1896.
Screenshot of hornbook instruction download: www.shakespear...
Five Eldest Children of Charles I by Anthony van Dyck (1637). Held by the Royal Collection.
The children of Philip III of Spain (Ferdinand, Alfonso and Margarita) by Bartolomé González y Serrano (1612). Held by the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Portrait of Maria Apollonia of Savoy by an unknown artist (1595-1596). Held at the Stupinigi Hunting Lodge.
Screenshot of www.british-hi...
Children's Games by Pieter Brueghel the Elder (1560). Held by the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Quoted texts:
Nicholas Orme, Tudor Children (2023)
Sandra Hindman, “Pieter Bruegel’s Children’s Games, Folly and Chance” in The Art Bulletin: Vol 63, No.3 (Sept. 1981).
Irina Diana Calu, www.dailyartma...
Also consulted, were:
Other relevant entries from The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Online.
#History #Christmas #GiftsAndGames

[@cmcg9035]

Kids piling on each other and adults: Nothing's changed. What a wonderful romp through a Bruegel! Happy Holidays! 🎄 🎮 🏏 🤕

[@bmj1680]

Bruegel’s painting is by turns grotesque and a little scary. But, that said, many of these activities are still appearing wherever children congregate. I enjoyed your talk very much. Everyone have a wonderful holiday!🎲

[@--enyo--]

I’d be interested in that episode analysing his works.

[@eshim3961]

Though societal norms May have changed the concept of childhood, kids have and always will be kids. On another note, The KZbin God seems to be smiling on this wonderful channel! Not only have I gotten notifications, which I haven't in a while, I just got a survey asking whether this channel was a good recommendation ;My answer was a resounding "YES!".

[@cindabearr]

😀 And we play most of these games still! Warmest Yuletide Wishes!✨🎄👑🌟✨

[@LauraKeown]

I will always remember the doll in a pink dress that Santa brought me when I was maybe 7yo. Pretty sure I saw Santa in the middle of the night and the fact that my Grandma had a red robe with a white collar didn’t even occur to me till several years later. 😊 One of my favorite gifts and memories. Merry Everything!🎄🎁

[@RobynCoburn]

Yes please on the BruegeI 🎁🤴

[@TaniaEccleshall]

Excellent tour around Bruegel's painting! Merry Christmas to you. 🎄🎄🎁🎁

[@BSWVI]

I love how so many of the children in the painting were looking "right into the camera" 😄 Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and lugging Solstice, 🎄🌟☀️🎁

[@EmilyJelassi]

The image looks like a square full of children playing a myriad of different games. I think it's fascinating what games children played throughout history...

[@joannshupe9333]

My favorite thing to play with was paper dolls and a crude doll's house made from an orange crate. They had a divider down the middle so if stood on end you had a room over a room. 🎅🍗🍪🚲🕛☃❄🎄🎁⛸🛷🧸🧥🔔🎼🎵🎶📖📫🖌✂

[@cherokeecole2055]

I loved the description of the children playing . It showed that children have not changed over the centuries. I put a lit match into a box of matches once to see what would happen. The result was singed eyebrows and lashes!🔥🪆🎁🎄

[@RobinGH]

Fascinating! I wonder how many generations of children thought that they invented some of these games. I bet nearly every tribe or village in the world had a kid that made up playing Tag or Keep Away or making mud pies and taught it to the others.

[@caroleharris3450]

Thank you for bruegel children's games painting info, yes please to more , Merry Christmas🎁🎄🎄🤹🏏🏓🏌🎣

[@HilaryElizabeth9]

Happy Christmukkah to all of your listeners, and to you and your wonderful growing family. Thanknyou for these amazing videos and nurturing us all with your early modern (and other) history! I love thwt all year I leave your video a little smarter than iw as before! 🎄🕎🎅

[@prettypic444]

Gotta love how vague kids can be ❄️😂. At least he didn’t ask for world peace!

[@debcarroll8192]

Bruegel's paintings often had an allegorical/satirical meaning, so I think this one does , as well. It is still a fascinating look at games of the period.

[@amykortuem5554]

What fun ideas! But you, Dear Dr. Kat are also a gift, sharing your knowledge in such fantastic ways all year! Best holiday wishes to you and your family, and I shall (sister pyromaniac here) light candles in honor of little you!

[@angstymedusa]

The snowflake is so cute, Enjoy your Holiday ❄️❄️❄️

[@GingerTomMom]

I LOVED the Children's Games painting (I had forgotten about it). As a Gen X , raised primarily in a rural setting and having a mom who said "be home by dark, drink out of the hose if you're thirsty and don't kill each other," i replayed your description of the various games portrayed and said to myself, " Done that, and that, and that, too." Happy Christmas!!🎆🎄🎇🧨🎈⚾️🏀🏈🥏🎯🪁🧸🪅🪆🎨

[@EmilyJelassi]

Happy Christmas and holidays everyone!! ❄️🎄☃️🎉🎉🎆🎉☃️❄️🎄🧑‍🎄🎅🎁🤶❄️🎉☃️

[@bernadettedavies4514]

Happy Christmas everyone x

[@LilyGarden528]

Merry Christmas ❤🎄

[@Ref-987]

Merry Christmas 🎅🏻

[@livstar93]

This was genuinely a delight to watch! How wonderful to see such recognisable toys and games. Kids will be kids I guess!

[@theresalaux5655]

Great painting!

[@dieselsgrandma2949]

I enjoyed the up close explanation of the painting. Merry Christmas to all 🎁❄️🎄

[@thhseeking]

🕯🧯 A candle, and a fire extinguisher...I can't find a hall carpet 🤣🤣🤣

[@cmschmidt]

I was one of the kids making mud pies (actual mud) and adding “spices” 😂😂😂 I almost poisoned myself with poke berries because I thought my pies needed real fruit. I didn’t eat the pies but I cut them and squished them and got poke berry juice everywhere. 😂 I guess it’s good my grandma was a nurse. Happy Holidays everyone!

[@jennifersimon4066]

🎨🤸‍♂️🥁🧸🎈Wishing you, your family and this community a wonderful holiday season.

[@emilyking9558]

I hope you and your family of now four have a very happy holiday season. This video is so interesting. I love learning how people did things in the past that we still do now ❤

[@patsabol8699]

Thank you for the explanation of what games were being played. Also, I was quite interested in fire, as well, when I was a young child. I apparently needed a VERY close watch to be kept on me! I am so glad for this channel. I enjoy the info, as well as your calm demeanor and your lovely voice.❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉😊!

[@2012Ursula]

Great video, Dr. Kat. Since my mother canned fruit in the summer, I had a wide choice of wooden crates for building houses, forts and shops, by myself and with friends. Kids usually like making their own entertainment.

[@nicholathomas4168]

Merry Christmas to you and your family 🪁🪀🧸🎁🎅🏻🎅🏻

[@OriginalR69]

Yes please, Dr Kat. Art history, and more analysis of Brueghel's works (or any other artist) would be much appreciated 🖌🖼 Wishing you a merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year 🎄🎁 😊

[@kellimihalic116]

Your makeup always looks so great.

[@jared1870]

I am freezing to death so a fire🔥somewhere will be on my holiday list. Thanks onceagain for another informative and entertaining video 🗡🪗👑🎯🎀🎁 and a very Happy Christmas to you! 🎄🎆☃✨

[@brendagowing3945]

Love snowflake dude🥰🎄❄️

[@ginahevel4585]

Hahaha my granddaughter has the little flower stuffy. I love how it fits in your hand!

[@cococreates26]

Thank you Dr Kat! 🎄🎁

[@lindsaydrewe8219]

Glad you see that you look and sound better this week!❤️ So many of these games stir my memory , I seem to have played most of them at one time or another. As for the fire thing,I was in the Girl Guides and we were taught how to build campfires, even down to what sort of wood for which sort of heat required. And if we fell out of a tree or off the climbing frame, we got up and climbed again, no cotton woolling. Tough kids for a tough life ahead❤❤ Happy Christmas Katrina and family🎉🎉⚽️🏏🪁🔭✏️

[@jfs59nj]

What an original take on history! Delightful! 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

[@trixiesbagoftricks4899]

Merry Christmas, dear Dr Kat! 🎄 🎁

[@eliscanfield3913]

Merry holidays! Happy birthday if that applies! Have an excellent end of December if you're not celebrating anything! 🚂🚃🚃🛴🧸🧩

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Thanks For this! Love your content ❤❤❤

[@renastone9355]

Thank you, professor!

[@mce1939]

Love this one! Such interesting information, Dr. Kat. Love Gabriel's little snowflake. Good job on that one. My son is 14 now, but when he was 3, he told me he wanted a 'candy cane man' whatever the heck that is LOL. I did, indeed, search for one online & couldn't find anything that would work. Thank goodness I sew! I sewed him a 'candy cane man' myself, just made the whole thing up, and it still comes out every holiday : )

[@martyh7771]

Just want to send a Christmas thanks - ive been loving your history content and listening to it a heap lately. Its been lovely to have such interesting and well thought out stories to really make the history come alive. And with a toddler that sleeps poorly its made me much less frustrated to deal with early morning wales.

[@glendam1148]

Merry Christmas and happy new year Dr Kat and everyone. I loved this video. Fascinating. Children’s games are pretty much the same down through the ages. I can see this painting being taken at face value or being representative of adult behaviors. As usual, your videos are the best! 💖🎄🌟

[@lauragutierrez893]

Another delightful video 🧸🎲❄️

[@tinygypsyladycreations7265]

❄☃🎄Happy Holidays everyone and Dr. Kat and Fam!

[@wellbehavedmischief]

Watching Dr. Kat is always a delight, but even more so when she gives us glimpses into her day to day. Thank you for sharing - I had a good giggle at her older son’s “little beastie” snowflake 😂. How adorable! And her telling of the tale - perfection! Wishing Dr Kat and family, and all of you fellow viewers!, a very lovely holiday season and happy new year!

[@R08Tam]

Loved the snowflake. Happy Xmas to you and yours

[@G.L.McCarthy-vr1oe]

Damaged hall carpet, sound familiar. Children love to explore & experiment🎁🏉

[@LilyGarden528]

Love videos like these! Its so interesting to learn about holiday traditions from times past. Merry Christmas all! ❤🎄

[@abbiekennedy2861]

This was my first Christmas themed video and it’s left me feeling a bit more festive! Really enjoyed this, I’d love to know more about childhood in Tudor times.

[@pennyatkinson5740]

Thanks Dr Kat! I loved this video.Just goes to show that with the right imagination children can make a game out of anything. Hope you all have a very happy Christmas and a good break from work. Best wishes

[@amgymrat4546]

You’re one of my favorite Tudor KZbinrs!

[@MarianWoods-y9c]

🎄🎁⚽️🥎🏀🏈🏐🎾🥳🎨🧩🧸🎲🕹🎮 Merry Christmas everyone!

[@jennifers1149]

Happy Christmas, Dr. Kat! ❤🎉

[@johngugilelmini]

you are back what a ni8ce christmas gift i have not found a new video from you in months hope all is well happy holidaysd john

[@cynthiapena1141]

Happy Christmas 🎄 to you Dr. Kat. Absolutely enjoyed this particular video! Although I have grandchildren from age 6-25...yes, some of these 'toys and activities' are still part of the holidays. (Spinning tops, pretend cooking, and marbles) Thank you for your wonderful content, from a Tudor loving fan. 🎀🎄🎀

[@JustADD_CosinessSeries]

This was so fascinating! I love learning about normal basic everyday human life in the past. There used to be a show in England called "supersizers go" and they would recreate a week of living through a certain historical period. Like "supersizers go Elizabethan" etc. And I remember particularly being interested in the daily routine and small daily things people did. (The episodes are on KZbin - would love to hear your thoughts on the accuracy too)

[@historybuff7491]

I really liked this, perhaps because I like toys and seeing historical play, and playthings, is/are fun. Anyway, thank you. BTW, I am a big fan of Bruegel, both of them...even some of the "School of..." are not bad.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Happy holidays 🎄❤️❤️🎄

[@amyjones8114]

17:49 my husband shot a bottle rocket (firecracker) into his grandma’s shed. There are varying versions within family lore on how big the subsequent fire was 😅

[@rosevale3218]

Your channel is fantastic. I have a particular interest in the Tudor period. I assume it is because of the controversy and turbulence of its rulers. The whole history subject spanning the recorded history of humanity is of interest to me. So your posts are of interest to me. Thank you. 🎄🎁🎆🎇

[@Jayne22]

Have a great Christmas and see you in the New Year.🎄🎇🎊

[@darlagoebel5221]

Happy Holidays!🎄❄️☃️

[@kathrynmcintosh2726]

Merry Christmas and a happy new year watching from Perth Western Australia 🏖️⛄🎄🌞🎁

[@grazingwithgranny9225]

Good ideas for gifts! Merry Christmas to you and your family! 🎉

[@LisaCresta]

Happy holidays 🎉🎅🤶🍬🎠❄️🪅

[@angelaquittner5557]

Merry Christmas to you & your family Dr Kat. 🎅🌲❄

[@Jo-pp7yj]

I've played a lot of those games. We have a cousins weekly game night to this day. 🍕😎

[@lisac1668]

Merry Christmas Dr. Kat! I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family.

[@lucieramirez1378]

Great presentation, thank you. Merry Christmas 🎄

[@theantiquelittlegirl5891]

Such fun to watch! I remember playing similarly as a child. 🎁

[@karennobel8575]

Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year to you and family!!

[@dorinalemouel7679]

What a fantastic topic and episode! Thank you so much, Dr Kat. I'll give a go to the hornbook. A Merry Christmas to you and to everyone!

[@tc2334]

Lovely 🎄

[@susangrimes6451]

Happy Christmas !!!

[@nathanielziering]

Happy and healthy new year wishes Dr Kat (and friends).

[@Kris-bw7cv]

Merry Christmas⛪⛄🎄

[@alisonalder7317]

I always wanted a Tiny Tears (remember the ad) in the 60's, as an under 12 year old but never mentioned it out loud, and guess what, I never got one! I don't think I was affected by this however, although being the mother of three sons may have satisfied that. When it comes to hair being covered, this went on for hundreds of years. I remember my grandmother and great aunt (born in the early 20th century) never went out without a hat, and we as children still wore hats to church into the 70's.

[@samanthafordyce5795]

I coveted a Toni doll in the late 1940s, early 1950s. For younger readers, Toni was a popular home permanent brand. The doll had long blonde hair that could be 'permed.' It was really just sugar water that dried stiffly and could be styled when it dried. As might be expected, this toy was not cheap. I longed for one but had to hint very carefully. When it came on Christmas morning, my aunt had wrapped it in old newsprint and tied it with twine. She was riffing on the cost and I was greatly amused.

[@joannshupe9333]

@@samanthafordyce5795 I still have my Toni doll (she never did get a real name - she's just always been "My-Toni-Doll". I still occasionally make clothes and knit for her. As I was a very chubby child she was always my favorite because she was so beautifully slim.

[@KaerriRainshadow]

Merry Christmas 🙂🎉⚽️

[@virginiawylde9765]

Merry Christmas Dr Kat and family 👶🏻👦🏻👩🏻🙍🏻‍♂️you are the busiest woman I know of, and you are still providing wonderful content. I am drinking too much🍷, called 19 Crimes. On the cork it tells a crime that would get you transported to Australia. So far being too good looking has not come up. Dr Kat could you do an episode on the crimes that made criminals into colonist? How the British government populated Australia.

[@valeriesilva7143]

In our family charades will be on the game plan as the children choose it every time!

[@judyshoaf448]

This video was so much fun! The examination of Bruegel's games painting is wonderful--thank you! It is touching that the basic knowledge on the hornbooks includes the Lord's Prayer. I did have a query about the horn book called "The British Battledore." Is this meant to evoke a paddle in the game of battledore and shuttlecock?

[@maureenstrang6130]

Very interesting. It seems that a child's imagination is the best toy regardless of the time period. You missed King Henry's favorite game - "musical wives"😢

[@jenniferroxy5956]

🏐🎭🧹 I enjoyed this one😊

[@cranberrymoonchild]

Gabriel is my absolute favourite boy's name 😍

[@CrazyArtistLady]

🎁🎁🎁🎁❤️🎄

[@sjmsutherland]

What is it about Bruegel's painting.... it seems there is always someone having a bowel movement in his paintings!??! I love his paintings, a video on his them would be awesome!! Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas, looking forward to seeing what fun you have planned for 2025!!xxx

[@carolehart1714]

Have a Happy Christmas. Please may I suggest you get a stronger bed for next Christmas you will have 2 excited boys bouncing up & down on it.

[@ReadingthePast]

Oh gosh, good point! The foot of our bed frame is already broken!

[@christinetiernan3500]

🎉❤ 🌲 🌲

[@debrawells-hopey1980]

🎉 🎄

[@kristenm9696]

🎄🎄

[@SnoopyLulu]

🎯

[@kelleysmith7345]

It is just a large study of children playing. He’s an artist.

[@Katiebartl]

🤾‍♂️

[@robinhumphrey2692]

😊

[@karigonzalez1710]

❤️🎁

[@eileenlu4108]

🪀🪁

[@cherylfraser2642]

Merry Christmas Dr Kat ,, ,,, I wondering if you have any history info on Margaret Beaucamp , Margaret Beauforts mother. On wiki she has quite the list of great grandchildren which includes the Pole children , she’s fascinating and I would love to learn more about her , perhaps a book you have read you could share ? Thank you for your time ,, Cheryl Fraser , NS ,Canada