ABSTRACT
British children’s wartime toys and games represent some of the best examples of a “war culture” in First World War Britain. In them, we see the ways in which the war could touch all aspects of daily life, informing children’s play, just as it did adult thought and action. War-themed toys were certainly nothing new in 1914, nor did all toys produced and purchased during the period reflect the conflict. What is significant is the enthusiasm with which producers and consumers looked to the themes of war as a source of amusement for children. While we may now recoil at the idea of celebrating conflict in this way, British society in 1914 saw no reason to hide the war from their children. Belief in the righteousness of the cause, and the enormous support for the men who volunteered or were eventually conscripted to fight, were the cornerstones of the home front war effort, and it was important for adult society that children understood this.
