Children of the 1920s

Children and Growing Up

In previous decades, there were steps taken to limit the amount of time that children spent working and control their working conditions in an effort to ensure their safety and help them to complete their education. However, none of these efforts were completely effective. By 1920, there were still many children who were working, and the average level of education completed by adults was ninth grade, an average that would continue until about 1940 (Child Labor In America, 1920). Children living on farms would begin helping with farm chores as soon as they were old enough. Children in rural areas would attend school in between helping their parents, but whether or not they went to high school would depend on whether or not there was a high school in a nearby town and whether they were able to make the trip to town or stay there long enough to finish school. Life was a little different for people living in cities. When city children worked, they tended to have jobs like working in factories, shining shoes, or selling newspapers. City schools were funded by local taxes according to the district where they were located, meaning that schools in wealthier parts of town received more funding than those in the poorer areas. In general, school enrollment was rising, but the quality of education was very unequal (Family Life in the 1920s). Children from wealthier families were more likely to focus on their education and go on to higher education, but there were still many jobs during this period of history which didn't require advanced education.

The practice of sending homeless or parentless children on “Orphan Trains” (typically called “Baby Trains” or “Mercy Trains” at the time) from the big cities on the East Coast of the United States to live and work on farms in the Midwest (or even further west) began in the 1850s and continued until the 1920s. The theory was that living in the country and working on farms would be more wholesome for them than remaining in crowded cities. It worked out very well for some of the children, however some were simply exploited as a source of cheap labor on farms. The practice declined and eventually ended in the 1920s, due to an increasing number of states passing laws against placing children in new homes across state lines (End of an Era). The Orphan Trains can be considered the earliest form of formal, documented foster care in the United States. This video explains more about the origins of the orphan trains.

Children's Toys

Children in the 1920s still liked toys and playing games. Some children’s toys, such as dolls, were made out of celluloid, a precursor to more modern forms of plastic, but most were made out of metal, wood, or cloth. At The People History, you can look at old advertisements for children's toys from the 1920s. Many of them are familiar toys from earlier decades and classics that are still popular, like teddy bears, Tinker Toys, peddle cars, trains sets, gyroscopes, and marbles.

Raggedy Ann dolls and their accompanying stories were introduced to the public at the end of the previous decade and continued to rise in popularity.  Raggedy Ann's brother, Raggedy Andy, was added to the series as both a character and a doll in 1920.

Children also liked stuffed animals, and in 1924, A. A. Milne started a series of children's books based on his son's favorite stuffed animals, especially a stuffed bear named Winnie-the-Pooh.

Children's Books

Among the children's books that were published during the 1920s were:

• The Windy Hill (1921) - A brother and sister learn about the history of their family, which helps to explain some strange things happening in the present. By Cornelia Meigs.
• The Velveteen Rabbit (1922) - A favorite stuffed animal becomes real through the love of the boy who owns him. By Margery Williams.
• The Boxcar Children (1924) - The very first version of the first book in the popular series was published in 1924, but the version that most of us read as children was actually a revised and shortened version of this book published in the 1940s. You can read the original version on Project Gutenberg. Part of the original book that was cut out of later versions was the first chapter, in which the children's father dies of alcohol-related causes. The children's mother is already dead at that point, and her death is not explained.
• The Midnight Folk (1927) - A boy searches for his family’s fortune but discovers that a coven of witches is also looking for it. By John Masefield.
• Millions of Cats (1928) - A man who is looking for the perfect cat can’t decide which one is best, so he brings home every single cat he finds. However, that is way too many cats! The cats argue amongst themselves which is the best, and they all fight and eat each other up … all but one. The one lone kitten left is homely and just wants some love … and that cat is the perfect cat for the man and his wife. By Wanda Gag.
• Hitty, Her First Hundred Years (1929) - The adventures of a doll as she is lost, found, and travels around the world.
• Emil and the Detectives (1929, 1930) - After he is robbed on a train, a boy sets out to find the thief who stole his grandmother’s money, recruiting a lot of other boys to help him. Originally written in German and translated into English. By Erich Kastner.

Children's book series that were being published during the 1920s:

• Raggedy Ann series by Johnny Gruelle - The series had existed since 1918, and new books were being written. Raggedy Andy, Raggedy's Ann's brother, was added to the series in 1920.
• The Ruth Fielding series (1913-1934) - This Stratemeyer series was a precursor to Nancy Drew. An orphan girl in the early 20th century grows up to become the owner of her own film company in Hollywood. Along the way, she solves mysteries with her friends at school, on vacation, and later, on filming locations, and helps the war effort during World War I.
• The Hardy Boys series - The series began in 1927.
• Doctor Dolittle Series (1920-1950) - Doctor Dolittle loves animals, and when his pet parrot teaches him how to talk to other animals, it leads to some amazing adventures! By Hugh Lofting.
• Winnie-the-Pooh Series (1924-1928) - This classic children’s series is about a stuffed bear called Winnie-the-Pooh and his other animal friends who live in the Hundred Acre Wood. By A. A. Milne.
• Chalet School Series (1925-1970) - A British series, uncommon in the United States but considered a classic in other countries. Madge Bettany, in need of money and with a younger sister to help raise, decides to leave England and go to Austria to start a new boarding school for girls. The series covers the adventures of the girls who attend the boarding school. During the course of the series, the original boarders grow up, some become teachers themselves, and the school changes locations because of World War II. By Elinor M. Brent-Dyer.

Resources

Websites

Toys from the 1920s

An explanation of the toys that were popular with children in the 1920s.

Children's Literature of the 1920s

These sites have lists of children's books that were published in the 1920s.

Forgotten Books and Stories: Books from the 1920s.

The 1920s page from my website/blog where I do reviews of children's books. I include some historical information with the pages for different decades, some of which is duplicated here.

Classic Children’s Books By The Decade: 1920s

A list of 10 recommended books from this decade with descriptions.

Wikipedia — 1920s Children’s Books

Wikipedia article with links to lists of children's books published in the 1920s.