Tudor Children
Long hours studying and working didn't stop Tudor children having fun and playing games. Toys were often made from wood or materials which were easily available, such as clay, stone and animal bones. Pig bladders were blown up to make footballs, hoops were made from old barrels, and pebbles or cherry stones were used to play marbles or jacks.
Tudor Schools
Not many children went to school in Tudor times. Those that did go were mainly the sons of wealthy or working families who could afford to pay the attendance fee. Boys began school at the age of 4 and moved to grammar school when they were 7. Girls were either kept at home by their parents to help with housework or sent out to work to bring money in for the family.
Boys were educated for work and the girls for marriage and running a household. The wealthiest families hired a tutor to teach the boys at home.
Many Tudor towns and villages had a parish school where the local vicar taught boys to read and write.