Skip to main content

Kōrero: Children’s play

Boys roughhousing, early 1900s

Image
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.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

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.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Peter Clayworth, Children’s play – The changing world of children’s play, 1880s to 2000s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/40836/boys-roughhousing-early-1900s (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Peter Clayworth, i tāngia i te 13 February 2013.