About the series
The making of childhood
How did your childhood differ from that of your parents, or grandparents? Read about the thinking and inspiration behind the series in an article the making of childhood by radio producer, Beaty Rubens.
Programme summaries
Find out about the wide range of subjects featured in the extensive the invention of childhood series; travel through 1,000 years of discovery in our programme summaries.
The invention of childhood is a major 30 part history series exploring British childhood and the experience of British children. Written by Professor Hugh Cunningham, a leading academic in the field, and Michael Morpurgo, the hugely popular children’s writer who also presents the series, this is the first ever chronological history of British childhood.
Childhood is one of the subjects of our time, but since every child and every childhood is different, the vast majority of what is written or said on the subject is no more than anecdotal. This authoritative series explores the history of childhood in Britain over the last thousand years. Using the widest range of original sources - coroners’ reports and court records, newspaper articles and official documents, nursery rhymes and songs, letters and diaries - the series explores the key historical events and movements which have had an impact on childhood. It also looks at the private lives of individual children from the past.
Its overarching conclusion is that childhood has changed dramatically over the centuries, but that children are - and will probably always be - very much the same.
Content last updated: 21/08/2006
