The Magic Of Our Childhood (Review of Museum)

As I was doing research for my trip earlier this year, I came across something called the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood. It was getting some amazing reviews, and being a child at heart, I knew I had to make the time to pop in and look. I didn't get a chance though to properly go through the place as I only had just over an hour to spare, but you need at least 2 - 3 hours to properly appreciate the place.

There is a slightly unusual entrance to the Museum, you don't quite know that you're entering a Museum, until you hear the screams of children enjoying themselves. But then again, it's not your typical museum. 

Oh to be a child again... adulting is hard. SNIFF!

from site - https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/465370-v-and-a-museum-of-childhood#lHpZxws3T6XfwK0l.97

The mission of the museum is "To enable everyone, especially the young, to explore and enjoy the designed world, in particular objects made for and made by children." It has extensive collections of toys, childhood equipment and costumes, and stages a programme of temporary exhibitions.

It is the largest institution of its kind in the world. Its mission is to hold in trust the nation’s childhood collections and to be an international leader in engaging audiences in the material culture and experiences of childhood.

Timeout London says "Home to one of the world’s finest collections of children’s toys, doll’s houses, games and costumes, the Museum of Childhood shines brighter than ever after extensive refurbishment, which has given it an impressive entrance. Part of the Victoria & Albert Museum, the museum has been amassing childhood-related objects since 1872 and continues to do so with ‘Incredibles’ figures complimenting bonkers 1970s puppets, Barbie Dolls and Victorian praxinoscopes. The museum has lots of hand-on stuff for kids dotted about the many cases of historic artefacts. Regular exhibitions are held upstairs, while the café helps to revive flagging grown-ups."

One of the most interesting reviews from Timeout London's site by FloA, which perfectly captures how I feel about the place.
"The V&A Museum of Childhood is just an amazing place. The first time i went was on my own and I thought the exhibition was quite beautiful and interesting. A couple weeks ago, my cousins (in their 40s) visited with their dad (late sixties) and their little 3 years old visited me and I took them to the Museum of Childhood. At that point, this museum took all its sense... Four generations sharing experiences, excitement and nostalgia (for the eldest), what a great afternoon! I think we stayed for 3 hours and none of us wanted to leave!!"

There are thousands of individual toys in this place, and I saw many that I either had as a child or wished I could be a child to play with, since some of the toys only came out a few year ago. The scope of the place is unbelievable, as it has toys ranging over a very long period of time, and the layout is very nicely done. I recommend that you walk all the way around a glass case, because the displays are made for 360 degree viewing and you never know what you you'll see on the other side. 

I guarantee that every person who visits this museum will find at least one thing they would reminisce over or have their heart strings tugged. 

The V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green in the East End of London is a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum (the "V&A"), which is the United Kingdom's national museum of applied arts.

The museum was founded in 1872 as the Bethnal Green Museum. The iron structure reused a prefabricated building from Albertopolis which was replaced with some early sections of the modern V&A complex. The exterior of the building was designed by James William Wild in red brick in a Rundbogenstil (round-arched) style very similar to that in contemporary Germany. The building was used to display a variety of collections at different times, including the works which can now be seen at the Wallace Collection. In the 1920s, it began to focus on services for children, and in 1974 the director of the V&A, Sir Roy Strong, defined it as a specialist museum of childhood.  Of all the branches, the Bethnal Green Museum has the largest collection of childhood objects in the United Kingdom.

Another review by Jenny E
Amazing museum of everything childhood related from past to present. The exhibits are set out in numerous glass cases around the perimeter of this huge building and accessible on two levels. There are little play stations set out in amongst the exhibits so there are plenty of places for younger visitors to stop and enjoy themselves and keep their attention. Showcased across the museum are toys, crafts, clothes and furniture from the past, present and future including a narrative of children's toys and making tools across the ages. It's very interesting and includes a number of fantastic pieces which are wonderful to see captured side by side. 
In the centre of the museum is a lovely big open space for families to enjoy a drink and bite to eat before visiting the small gift shop as you exit. It's a wonderful place for young children and best of all, it's free.

Virtual Tour, this I stumbled across online, essentially this gives you an in-depth look at the layout of the place, i.e. a taste/ teaser of what you expect to get, without going into the finer points of each exhibit. Amazing bit of work to put together. 

Museum opening hours
Open daily 10.00-17.45 (last admission 17.30)
Admission free.

Location
V&A Museum of Childhood
Cambridge Heath Road
London E2 9PA
United Kingdom

Nearest tube: Bethnal Green on the Central Line