Pintsized Pioneers at Play by Preston Lewis and Harriet Kocher Lewis

 PINTSIZED PIONEERS AT PLAY:

Homemade Frontier Fun and Danger

By Preston Lewis & Harriet Kocher Lewis

Young Adult / Nonfiction / History

Publisher: Bariso Press

Pages: 218

Publication Date: 4 November 2025

SYNOPSIS

Discover the Wild Side of Frontier Childhood!

Pintsized Pioneers at Play: Homemade Frontier Fun and Danger explores the forgotten world of how kids lived, laughed-and sometimes limped-through their childhood years in the Old West.

While their parents settled the land, these pintsized pioneers explored it, creating their own adventures with homemade toys, daring games, wild animal encounters, and risky escapades. This engaging sequel to the award-winning Pintsized Pioneers: Taming the Frontier, One Chore at a Time shines a spotlight on the joys and perils of play in a land still being tamed.

From exploring the prairie and wrangling critters to celebrating frontier holidays and watching traveling circuses, this book reveals how children carved out fun and entertainment in a rough-and-tumble world. Learn how railroads and mail-order catalogs brought new toys, how schools and churches doubled as social hubs, and how a simple game could end in laughter-or injury.

Written for young adults but fascinating for readers of all ages, Pintsized Pioneers at Play is packed with history, heart, and a hint of danger. Written at a tenth-grade reading level perfect for curious minds, Pintsized Pioneers at Play includes a glossary of related terms.

Perfect for fans of Western history, educators, homeschoolers, and lovers of untold American stories!

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Preston Lewis and Harriet Kocher Lewis co-authored three books in the "Magic Machine Series" published by Bariso Press:  Devotionals from a Soulless Machine, Jokes from a Humorless Machine, and Recipes from a Tasteless Machine. They reside in San Angelo, Texas.

Preston Lewis has published more than 50 fiction and nonfiction works.  The author and historian’s books include traditional Westerns, historical novels, comic Westerns, young adult books, and historical accounts.  In 2021 he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary accomplishments. 

His writing honors include two Spur Awards from Western Writers of America and three Elmer Kelton Awards from the West Texas Historical Association.  He has received ten Will Rogers Medallion Awards, and in 2024, he earned an inaugural Literary Global Independent Author Award in the Western Nonfiction category for Cat Tales of the Old West.   

He is a past president of Western Writers of America and the West Texas Historical Association, which named him a fellow in 2016.  

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Harriet Kocher Lewis is the award-winning editor and publisher of Bariso Press. Titles she has edited have been honored with Will Rogers Medallion Awards, Spur Finalist designations, and Independent Author Awards.  

Lewis concluded her 26-year physical therapy career as the inaugural clinical coordinator for the physical therapy program at Angelo State University, where she taught technical writing and wrote or edited numerous scientific papers as well as a chapter in a clinical education textbook.  

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REVIEW

In Pintsized Pioneers at Play, Preston Lewis and Harriet Lewis take childhood seriously. This follow-up to Pintsized Pioneers: Taming the Frontier, One Chore at a Time, is not a nostalgic gloss over frontier life, nor is it a sensational catalog of danger. Instead, the authors look closely at how children actually spent their free time while growing up in an environment that was unpredictable, often harsh, and sometimes terrifying. Play mattered, and this book makes a strong case for why.

What stood out is the way the authors frame play within stages of childhood development. While this is not a psychological study, that framework helps readers understand why children were drawn to certain games and behaviors at different ages. It also explains why play could swing so easily from harmless fun to real danger. Frontier children were curious, inventive, and resourceful, but they were also surrounded by hazards that modern readers may not fully grasp at first.

The chapters devoted to exploration and collecting were especially compelling. Children roamed widely, often far beyond adult supervision, gathering insects, bones, arrowheads, pottery shards, and whatever else caught their attention. Sometimes those discoveries were exciting or even useful. Other times, they were deeply disturbing. The authors do not shy away from the darker realities of what children stumbled upon during their wanderings, including human remains and evidence of violent crime. Those moments are unsettling, but they are handled with care and supported by historical accounts rather than shock value.

I also found the discussion of animals particularly effective. Caring for baby animals blurred the line between work and play, and it is easy to see why children would have enjoyed those responsibilities. At the same time, the dangers posed by animals were very real. Predators, livestock, and even birds of prey created constant risk. The book balances affection for these relationships with an honest acknowledgment of how quickly things could go wrong.

The authors are clear that play was often gendered, and the examples they provide make that point without editorializing. Games like jacks, pick up sticks, marbles, and mumblety peg reinforced expectations while also shaping physical skills. Some of the beliefs attached to these activities, such as concerns about jump rope or geography being harmful to girls, feel almost absurd today. That contrast adds an unintentional layer of insight into how cultural assumptions shape childhood.

One of the most sobering sections focuses on imitation games. Children acted out the world they saw around them, including violence and punishment. The historical examples of these games ending in serious injury or death are difficult to read, but they underline the authors’ central point. Play reflected frontier life, and frontier life was dangerous.

Throughout the book, the research is evident without ever feeling heavy. Diaries, newspapers, and personal recollections anchor each chapter, giving readers confidence that these stories are not exaggerated. The sections on explosives and firearms are particularly effective in this regard. The consequences are exactly what one would expect, and the authors allow the historical record to speak for itself.

I also enjoyed the chapters that explore holidays, Christmas traditions, circuses, and schooling. These moments show how play evolved as mass produced toys became available and communities grew more connected. Traveling circuses, in particular, sound like an extraordinary disruption to daily life, and it is easy to imagine the excitement they brought to children who had limited access to entertainment.

Pintsized Pioneers at Play succeeds because it respects its subject. It does not romanticize childhood, but it does honor the resilience, creativity, and curiosity of frontier children. The book will appeal to young adult readers, educators, and anyone interested in Western history, but it is especially valuable for readers who want to understand how play shapes identity even in the most challenging environments.

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