Heritage Centre?  Museum of Play?

I have had on my mind how to describe our Heritage Centre of Play.

Which aspects does it share with a Museum of Play, if at all?

An established Museum of Play or of Toys and Games or of Childhood or such stuff should have no difficulty in arranging a pop-up display of toys of the last one hundred years.

I took as a measuring stick the illustrated article by Allie Townsend that appeared in TIME magazine on February 16^th. 2011. You may see it here – http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,2049243,00.html

It covers the years from 1923 to 2011 and describes 100 toys and playthings which she claims to have been the most influential.  She did not say “in U.S.A.” which she should have.The original toys are illustrated and are presented according to their year of production.

I list here the toys that we could put on show. There are some originals though most are derivatives (meaning they are the outcome of the influence engendered by those originals) and many have been produced in Israel. Lots have been “previously loved”.

Chemistry set

Yo-yo

Pop-up books

Stuffed Mickey Mouse

Finger paint

Microscope set

Beach Ball

Toy gun

Tiny plastic soldiers

Bubble solution

Little Golden Books

Slinky

Lego Building Blocks

Silly Putty

Fisher-Price Little People

Vinyl Colourforms

Paint by numbers

Mr. Potato Head

Matchbox Car

Pez Dispenser

Bendy Action  Figure

Playdough

Frisbee

Push Toy on Stick

Hula Hoop

Barbie

Troll Doll

Toy Train

Etch A Sketch

Rocking Stacking Toy

Ken

Toy Telephone

Action Men

Audio Toy

Super Bouncy Ball

Barrel of Monkeys

Radio Controlled Car

Hot Wheels Model Cars

Playmobil

Foam Ball for Indoors

Weebles

Paddington Bear

Shrinky Dinks

Rubik’s Cube

Electronic toys

Cabbage Patch Doll

Polly Pocket

Care Bear

My Little Pony

Transformers

Plush Toys

Koosh Ball

Ninja Turtle

Skip It

Glow stick

Beanie Baby

Buzz Lightyear

Elmo

Furby

Magnet Toys

Bratz