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Potato Pete encouraged people to eat potatoes.

Children during World War II

What was it like to grow up in wartime Britain? Discover how World War Two changed school, home life, and playtime for children.

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Fascinating Fact:

Rationing meant there were limits on food, clothes, and sweets, so children had fewer treats and new outfits.

In KS2 History, you find out how World War Two affected children’s lives. Lessons, meals, games, and even bedtime could change because of air raids, rationing, and parents helping the war effort.

Key Terms

Evacuee: A child or adult who was moved from a city to the countryside to stay safer from bombing.
Rationing: A system that limited how much food and other goods each person could buy during the war.
Air raid shelter: A safe place, such as an Anderson shelter or a cellar, where people went during bombing raids.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What was life like for children in World War Two?

Life for children in World War Two could be exciting and frightening. Many had to move away from home, follow blackout rules, help with chores, and get used to sirens and shelters.

Why were some children evacuated during World War Two?

Children were evacuated to keep them safer from bombing in big cities. They stayed with host families in the countryside so they were further away from main targets.

What games did children play during World War Two?

Children played skipping, marbles, hopscotch, and board games. Many also made their own toys or used scrap materials because shop-bought toys were harder to get.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Which character encouraged people to eat potatoes?

Potato Pete

Spud

Doctor Potato

Potato Paul

Potatoes were easy to grow in Britain and were used instead of fat and flour in puddings and cakes during the war. Potato water was also used as to make soup

2 .

What were evacuees?

Special soldiers

A type of air raid shelter

Children who left their homes during the war

Children whose homes were destroyed in the war

Children were evacuated from the cities where enemy bombs targeted

3 .

The homes that evacuees moved to were called what?

Ballets

Ballots

Barracks

Billets

Historically billets were places that soldiers were sent to sleep, but during the evacuation children were billeted

4 .

What was rationing?

Cleaning your gas mask

Coming home after evacuation

It shared out food so that everyone got a share

Getting into the air raid shelter

There was a shortage of some types of food during the war so they had to be shared out fairly so that everyone got a little bit

5 .

What happened during the blackout?

No one could go out

Children would hide

All street lights were turned off

All street lights were turned on

Black curtains were hung at the windows to stop light being seen outside

6 .

During the war children had to carry what?

Books

Gas masks

Toys

Mobile phones

Poison gas had been used by both sides in World War One so it was feared that gas might be dropped on civilians by German aeroplanes. This never happened but gas masks were carried just in case

7 .

Why were there not many new toys made during the war?

Children didn't play with toys during the war

All the toymakers were fighting in the war

No one had any money to buy toys

Toy factories were making equipment for the war

Toy factories were now making guns and other war equipment so there was a shortage of new toys. Instead, children swapped old toys at 'toy-exchanges'. There were some toys made during the war but they were made of paper or card, because wood and metal were both needed

8 .

Why did they have the blackout?

It was a game

It was to celebrate the end of the war

To listen to the radio

So enemy 'planes could not see any lights

In the dark pilots would look for signs that a city was below them. Lights would have been a very big clue!

9 .

Where were evacuees sent?

The countryside

London

France

Germany

The enemy were unlikely to bomb villages and hamlets. They wanted to destroy factories and to hurt a lot of people so cities were a much better target

10 .

What was in a ration book?

Shopping lists

Coupons