How Children's Lives Changed During The Second World War (2024)

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How Children's Lives Changed During The Second World War? ›

Children were crammed into large classes and stationery and books were often in short supply. Young male teachers were called up to the forces and older teachers brought out of retirement to replace them. After the war a significant number of children failed to reach the required levels of literacy and numeracy.

They needed support to deal with the effects of separation and loss of homes and family members. And there was a general lack of childhood: there were no new toys or clothes, and children helped out with the war effort from collecting salvage and running errands to helping with farming.

During WW2, children played many different games, both in groups and individually. Children commonly played Hopscotch, Four Square, Jump Rope, Chess etc. together, as well as all types of ball games. Young children loved to play jacks, marbles, play school and house, and played with cars or dolls.

Rigid schedules and firm rules for children were slowly discarded, and children occupied a more empowered position in postwar families. The suburban homes that many families lived in reflected this, with designated playrooms and spacious yards.

How did World War II affect the American family as a concept? It made single parenthood acceptable. For the first time, most widows did not move back in with their parents or give up their children; they remained independent and raised their children alone.

The war disrupted the education of many children. The mass evacuation of 1939 upset the school system for months and over 2,000 school buildings were requisitioned for war use. One in five schools was damaged by bombing, and air raids frequently stopped lessons for hours, leading to a decline in attendance.

In war, children suffer most

Often forced to flee their homes in search of safety, many remain displaced for extended periods of time, or never return home. Some are orphaned or separated from parents and caregivers. Over half of all civilians killed by landmines and explosive remnants of war are children.

However many children were very sad and scared at this time as their brothers and fathers were away at war and they lived in fear of invasion or attack which could also result in them having to move out of their homes. They had no TV's and not many had radios, and food and clothing were scarce.

Children in the 1940s experienced food shortages, rationing, lessons in putting on gas masks, and practised evacuation drills.

The Germans surrendered on 8 May 1945

One year later, Allied armies invaded Germany, forcing the Germans to surrender. After nuclear attacks on Japan's major cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan also surrendered to Allied forces in August the same year. World War 2 had ended.

What were some of the effects of the war on the children? ›

Destruction, poverty and violence create a vicious circle. Since infrastructure is usually destroyed, schooling is impeded and is often halted. The closure of schools not only leaves life-long scars on education and employment, but also deprives children of one of the most important protective factors.

During the Cold War that developed after World War II, the countries of Europe were divided along political lines. Most of Western Europe was aligned with the United States through membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Eastern countries were aligned with the Soviet Union in the Warsaw Pact.

World War II started in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. Great Britain and France responded by declaring war on Germany. The war in Europe ended with Germany's surrender on May 7, 1945. The war in the Pacific ended when Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945.

World War Two Facts

Here are some interesting WW2 facts for your KS2 children: 60 to 80 million people died during WWII, making it the deadliest international conflict in history. Japan allied with Germany as they wanted control of Asia and the Pacific. Spain, Sweden and Switzerland remained 'neutral' in World War Two.