The big city with kids
As this is our kid’s edition, I have been looking into a few places that aren’t as well known as some kids destinations in London but definitely offer lots of fun and interest.
One of these is the V&A’s Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green (pictured above) which houses an impressive collection of children’s toys, games, clothing, furniture and other exciting artefacts relating to little ones through history. I went to the museum with my four year old to while a way a Sunday morning. First we came across “Doll Face”, an eye-catching exhibition of photographs by portrait and still-life photographer Craig Deane depicting dolls from the extensive collection owned by the museum. (The exhibition ended 27th March but you can see the whole series of images at www.craigdeane.co.uk, they are really incredible images and slightly creepy but my boy was fascinated by them).
Then we toured the glass cabinets of the main museum, which are crammed with toys from all eras, with wrapping and logos that are sometimes familiar and sometimes not…from Humming tops to knitting nancies, Pumpaloons to Weebles and Skedoodles…the names are entertaining in themselves. Seeing these toys as an adult stirs some memories of playtime as a kid, and it is fun to see the older ones next to those my children now play with. My son was captivated by the toys or games he could try out; the old wooden rocking horses, and a shiny juke box, a computer that shows how each toy works or “performs”. For girls there are rows and rows of incredible dolls and dolls houses to peep inside, miniature shops, and a tiny milliners store that struck up a memory of a similar shop with tiny hats that I once owned. My four year old boy ran past these, but I enjoyed them a lot.
We will go back when there are activities which take place daily and throughout the school holidays…from readings and illustration workshops to chocolate egg decorating, it sounds totally fun for little ones, boys and girls alike. Open daily 10 to 17.45. www.museumofchildhood.org.uk