WELCOME TO
Play in the Past
At Play in the Past, our mission is to bring play based, hands on and student centred learning into History lessons across Perth. The incursions we run and our Hands on History Collection offers a unique opportunity for students to touch, play with and explore vintage real world items.
Imagine creating a home corner with a typewriter and telephone. Contemplate the wonder and intrigue of little people seeing a cassette tape or vinyl record for the first time. Consider the vocabulary and discussion that could happen when making predications about what an item may have been used for. It would be wonder-full!
New Incursion: LITTLE LOCALS
Foundation Discount: 25% off
Little Locals
Coming in Term 3
Play in the Past's exciting new incursion for Pre Kindy - Pre Primary.
Hands on, play based and child led exploration of your local community helpers
X5 imaginative play stations with dress ups and tools
EYLF and curriculum linked
25% foundation discount for bookings in July
What to expect
Your little learners get to engage in 5 imaginative play stations, linked to the EYLF curriculum.
000 First Responders: explore emergency helpers
King's Park Clean Up: explore environmental helpers
Children's Hospital Perth: explore hospital helpers
Perth Beach Surf Life Savers: explore the helpers who keep us safe at the beach
Connecting to Country: explore how indigenous elders help hold memories of the past
Each hands on station includes symbols used throughout the local area and lots of real world items: stethoscopes, scrubs, bandages, life jackets and helmets.
It is a BIG experience for your LITTLE Locals.
Download our FREE photo prompts
This amazing resource includes x4 colour images of vintage items.
Ornate rotary telephone
Cinemax 8E film camera
Cream Bush radio with antenna
Black Olivetti typewriter
These photo prompts can we used in your classroom to explore past, present, change and continuity over time.
Create a History display
Use as a writing prompt
Compare to present day items
Create a past, present and future diagram
Label as part of digital technology
The possibilities are endless.
Enjoy.
LOOSE PARTS INCURSION
Loose Parts Time Machine
A hands on journey through loose parts play, STEM & History
Step into a world where imagination leads, history whispers, and every child becomes the architect of their own adventure.
What is it?
A 45 - 90 minute, open ended, child led loose parts incursion designed to ignite creativity, collaboration, and curiosity. Children explore three immersive zones:
Big Loose Parts – Build, balance, and invent with pipes, tubes, and cubby materials
Small Loose Parts – Discover textures and treasures like gum nuts, corks, VHS & cassette tapes
Picnic in the Past – Enjoy a roleplay picnic with vintage tea sets and retro relics
Why it matters
This curriculum linked incursion combines STEM learning with a hands on history twist, celebrating the right of every child to play, explore, and lead. Through loose parts play, children:
Construct and problem solve
Collaborate and communicate
Exercise agency and imagination
Book Loose Parts Time Machine for your next incursion
Let your children travel through time powered by creativity, guided by curiosity, and built with their own hands.
Our Services
Incursions
Hands on History Collection
learn a little more
ABOUT PLAY IN THE PAST
Hi, my name is Nicola and I run Play in the Past. I am a history enthusiast and a passionate primary school teacher of almost 10 years, and I just love to see the magic and wonder of play based learning. It is my goal to bring history to life for little people where they can do what they do best and play!
Educator Testimonials
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HOW IT WORKS
Our goal at Play in the Past is to bring history lessons to life in a playful and engaging way. Students will get to touch and play with real world items that they may have never seen before. It is an opportunity not to be missed!
