Story: Children’s play

Boys roughhousing, early 1900s

Boys roughhousing, early 1900s

Two boys indulge in a spot of wrestling in the early 1900s. Variations on fighting, both playful and more serious, have long been an aspect of boys' play. In colonial times, when children were generally unsupervised when not working or at school, large 'gangs' of boys would often organise individual or group fights. Boys' playground games were also often very rough.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: 1/2-072453-G

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Peter Clayworth, 'Children’s play - The changing world of children’s play, 1880s to 2000s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/40836/boys-roughhousing-early-1900s (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Peter Clayworth, published 5 Sep 2013