Reviews of Young V&A. (Museum) in London (London).

Young V&A

0 Reviews

377 Comments

Museum

Children's museum

Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PA, United Kingdom

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Information of Young V&A, Museum in London (London)

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Reviews of Young V&A

A. S.

Nice free place to visit with children or on your own. Lots of toys from the past. Some toys are quite new. Some amazing toys here. Exhibition is free, so that's great. Lots of activities for small children such as story telling and craft sessions. The ladies who run it are very nice. Some stations for play around the museum to entertain small people. Restaurant is nice and price is reasonable.

J.

I highly recommend this museum to all parents. It is a really good place to enjoy a family weekend. The exhibition of toys would give young children a lot of inspirations and allow parents to observe their children's preference for toys and games. The exhibition of the History of Childhood, Brothers and sisters and the installation of Dream On can generate more in-depth discussion with teenagers, such as the relationship with siblings, the value of family, the concept of childhood etc.. The museum also offers interactive games and regular educational events and activities. Check out the calendar on their website. The outdoor areas around are also perfect for picnic after an engaging tour.

F.

Yeah a lovely day out with the children even if the weather was not fantastic, easy to get to buy a car or train or bus. The a nice picnic room to take a few snacks.Various activities for children, close to places to eat a 10-minute walk. Visited as a child myself it was nice to go back with my own children.

D. D.

This a great day out to see old and new toys , there was a lot of stuff here from when I was a child. I took my own child and showed some of the stuff I used to have and also we see some of the toys that are around now . There is a huge difference in quality then to now , I relived a little of toys I had There is a very nice cafe area for hot food drinks and so on , also a nice little gift shop selling books toys and memorabilia of the museum. There was lots to do for younger children like a story corner and singing which we enjoyed . It’s within easy walking distance of the train station Would recommend a look

M. P.

This museum is just brilliant. Always something for the kids to do. Even brought a teenager who had some fun! There is so much to see and the children have an activity to do around every corner. The village of houses is fantastic! There was a pirate exhibition on too which was free! Excellent!

A.

Very cool place to see some old toys and for kids to play in some areas around the museum. There's a sensory area, sand pit, rocking horses, Lego, fire truck made of wood, some old shoes to try on 😂, old tableware to play with. The museum is beautiful, they have a cafe and a place on lower ground floor to eat your own food. I highly recommend

M. K.

Great place to visit with kids. It has many interesting things in exhibition, runs amazing 'Animal Magic' and crafts time. Also they have a nice sensory area for babies, sand pit, Lego-area, three doll houses and two lovely toy horses to ride. In cafe you can order hot drinks and delicious sandwiches, salads and sweet cakes, ice cream or fruits.

E. K.

Good things about the museum are that it's free and open every day. It has a wide collection of toys, games and other children's items from different times although I believe it may be therefore more interesting to adults and older children. Small but nice cinema room and play area with tall blocks. There is also another gated play area for small children where parents can catch a breath. There is a small park next to the museum. On the negatives, I found cafeteria prices to be very expensive. However, you can bring your own food and drinks and have it in the basement canteen. We found this space barely used and I think some of the arts and crafts activities should be organised there as upstairs there was barely any room around 3 small tables, with many children missing out. Although I find the museum interesting, I think there should be more toys on open display that children can touch and play with.

Y. C.

A really interesting and nostalgic museum. They have a lot of old toya and games from around the world. A very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. They also have a lot of children's activities, so a really nice place to bring your children. Just too bad they don't have some of the old toys reproductions for sale in their shop.

M.

This was a great day out for kids . It was wonderful to see how toys have revolutionised over years and how in times past toys were very gender specific. There are many play stations for kids, one was the Judy and Punch puppetry booth, magnetic table etc. There is a big restaurant downstairs and areas designated for families and groups to have their lunch. Their were adequate numbers of rest rooms around and they were clean. I did not notice staff around to help on the floors.

G. R.

The ideal place to go with children but also for nostalgic of old style toys. Kids love the activities and labs. It seems is temporarily closed though.

P. S.

My two year old son had a really lovely time, he enjoyed the Nordic exhibition of childhood especially, as he played with the trainset, watched a short film and played with the building blocks. There was so much to do. I've been there a few times prior to having my son, nothing is more enjoyable than watching your own child explore/watch different toys. It was a great experience for the two of us.

A. M.

It looked a little bit empty compared to a few years ago ( not a lot of things on display) . The "lab" room and play area were pretty much empty, I hope they have plans for it because atm it's a waste of space. The kids loved the few items they could interact with,I wish there were more stuff they can explore. I love to learn about and see the old/new toys but overall I don't think it's interesting for young children.

K. N.

A magical journey across history for play. Like walking down a thousand different memory lanes. A delightful collection. Highly recommend. Note: at the moment the cabinets need a spruce in the inside - but I hope it doesn't ruin your visit :)

k. p.

wonderful place for kids, for few moments you will become kid. I think keyboard with cassette player is a revelation to me among many other pin board, wooden branvita with big transparent multi colour marbles. Thought of time kids show off based on the colour of marbles. Magnetic hair is fun, another interesting thing projectors with oli lamp when compared to bulbs. To me it was going back in time machine for few moments.

Y. R.

Absolutely love this place, took my family here where we could spend family time together looking at very interesting pieces from different years. Me and the Mrs took a interest in the more modern pieces as we both were born in the 1990s. Lovely layout and very friendly and family orientated atmosphere with also school trips of our here too. Best part of this place is the little sandpit on the upper floor where me and my daughter can play and the real big kid comes out 😁👍

T. M.

Not a flash enormous museum but an intimate one with lots of activities for children to do. Two floors with a big center hall area. Glass cabinets displaying various toys from our childhood and older, with some play areas for the kids scattered around these and additional daily children's activities put on but mostly for young kids 3-7yrs. Cafe was great not as expensive as led to believe mains about 6pounds with excellent children's options like pasta, fish fingers, pies etc. but we brought picnic lunch so sadly had to eat in downstairs room near toilets (there was a door separating the area) but it was super messy from previous eaters. All the kids play areas were missing the toys to play on them, the 5 dolls houses there was only one doll to play with, the car and castle had only one car, there was only one puppet for two theaters etc. kids had fun. Can be done in a few hours or if they get into all the activities then a whole day. Also lift was broken so you couldn't get down to the toilets without using the stairs.

S. C.

We visited as we were close to Bethnal Green. This is a must for anyone with kids or who wants to remember their childhood. It can be very busy with young children but that is to be expected. Facilities are excellent and it's free to enter!!

J. L.

Very close to Bethnal Green tube station and, rather amazingly FREE! Loads of toys from throughout history. I notice they have updated the displays wth some more modern toys since I was there a couple of years ago. Lots of hands-on displays, indoor picnic area, workshops, shows, a nice shop, a cute cafe and lots more...

A. M.

Experience the toys from your teenage and childhood years. They had the original Xbox here and a bunch of starwars toys. Also...dollhouses and some other girly things. Memories for all. Well worth a visit. Has a cafe of not quite V&A quality but OK.

H.

Was a nice place to stop for a short visit. Has a number of toys from throughout history, mainly behind glass spread over 2 floors predominantly. Picnic area inside that you can bring lunch with you and can make it a cheaper day out with kids, however this also a cafe. Small gift shop. Minimal interactive things for kids to do.

H. B.

Wonderful things on display. I would have loved to spend more time examining the doll houses and also looking at other things in more detail but I found my daughter was more drawn to the gift-shop than anything else. The pirate-themed activity area with the quest one would have won a treat if they finished the sheet didn't appeal to my 7yo. I would have liked more hands-on things for children. The ones that were there were either in use or so well-worn that my daughter didn't find them interesting.

C. A.

The museum is awesome. I’ve been in December and wasn’t to busy. I was very happy to find a lot from my childhood memories. Action man was one of my favourite toy when I was kid and here has a quite of collection with some unique features. I was surprised to find out that some of the toys existed from longer time that I was expected. The guy at the entrance was very kind.

b. k.

My 3year old daughter LOVED it!! I've been a couple of times with her now, and she doesn't look any less bored than the first time I went. There are many interactive toys to get hands-on with, as well as a number of activities and sessions to take part in,running both during term time and holidays. I took my daughter to the toddler group, walking-4yrs old. This group gets booked up pretty quick so if you want to go, it's better to attempt booking Monday morning, after 10am , for that weekend!

J. O.

We went on this trip with my daughter's nursery today. The staff were friendly and organised, managing all the other schools visiting the museum. There was a designated area near the entrance where buggies/pushchairs could be left. There is a café on the entrance level, prices are a bit lower than Starbucks and the hot chocolate I ordered was very nice. The children enjoyed themselves immensely and it was hard to get them to come away. Mine enjoyed the sandpit and classroom areas on the top floor. The toilets were clean and all facilities worked. The gift shop was good with a range of gifts for every budget. Will definitely visit again!

T. B.

Always fun to go here. Even if you are an adult this place is still enjoyable to go to relive childhood memories. It's a small local museum which makes it easy to see the whole place within an hour so perfect for a spontaneous day out or for a short break within the day. There is also a gift shop which is always a bonus.

G. B.

I visit this place every term and half term break with my kid. They have activities planned during holidays. They have a sensory area and Play packs for kids with ASD that you can borrow. The cafe has a decent selection.

M. O.

Extraordinary museum, with a wide and curious collection plus many things to play with. While parents and grandparents csn remember their childhool while looking at the exposition, children have fun at the interactive points. Amazing victorian dollhouses! Ideal for a cold / rainy day. And the best point? It's free!

C. R.

An amazing option for a day out with kids. Lot of things to do, activities for kids. 3 floors of entertainment. Food sold in the museum. Toy store. You can't go wrong with this option for children.

R. E.

A fabtastic place to Go with children. lots to see. Various activities for children. And adults can go back in time and remember their childhood games. I was delighted with the doll houses.

A. R.

Had a great time and loved revisiting all of the toys from my childhood. Not the biggest musuem you'll ever go to but there is plenty to see with some interactive exhibits for the children to get their hands in. Facilities are great and closely located to Bethnal Green tube station.

K. S.

Nice museum for kids to see how over the years toys, clothes, books and other things have changed. My daughter enjoyed being there and played a lot.

C. P.

Didn't even know this place existed! It's not advertised well but it's a fantastic place to go and reminisce or to show kids the way toys have changed. The cafe is exceptional and the staff are fantastic!

C. E.

Great museum, with many of f the toys I grew up with. Interesting to learn about toys from around the globe. The interactive sections will suit pre-schoolers.

A. A.

Good and quiet place to visit on your own to remember old toys 🧸 And also with your children to show them how toys looked like before now...

H. F.

A blast from the past, a very nostalgic place, some of the toys there I used to own as a child, definitely with the visit

p. c.

This museum seems to be about the toys and memorable items from the past. There are alot of toys that bring back memories, and so this was interesting. The disappointing aspect of this museum was that there was not enough interactive items, there was alot of boxs with displays but nothing excited me, and my children would not enjoy this museum.

K. D.

Was here for a wedding recently - it might be the greatest little museum I'd never heard of! Spectacular a Victorian architecture (hidden behind a somewhat unfortunate more modern entrance) and really well thought out exhibits (and not just for kids - it's a museum about childhood, not a children's museum). And, as it turns out, an excellent place for a party!

A. M.

Nostalgia is such a great addiction, and the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood is a perfect location for expressing this. They always have interesting exhibitions, and their permanent displays are well thought out, with lots of space between them for moving in between the different sections. The collection is much bigger than I had expected it to be; I feel like it brings a different trip into the past with each visit.

C. J.

Great family day out with something for everyone. Amazing collection of toys and clothes from 17th century to modern day and loads of things that have you saying “oohh I had one of those”. Ands it’s free!

D. O.

Great place to spend an hour or two. Free entry. Very friendly staff. Lots to look at, great tour through the history of toys and how children have played over the years.

M. G.

Great place for kids to run around and see the progression of toys, love the city of dolls houses that is amazing. Think they need some more interactive things, but that could have been the time of year we went.

E. (.

A lovely smaller museum in city of London. It is free to enter which is always a bonus and though it was under an hour for me to finish add an adult there were plenty of things to look at and lots of memories to review. Nice 1 hour well spent.

S. N.

Awesome place!! My daughter loves the place... We visit there every weekend and participate in various activities arranged for toddlers...

F. N.

I enjoyed spending a few hours with the kids here - lots for them to do, though the sandpit was an unexpected highlight! In the meantime, mum & dad indulged in nostalgia. Nice coffee & cakes too. (Pro tip: bring some peanuts to feed the tame squirrels in the park around the corner.)

V. M.

Lovely place to spend a couple of hours and it's free entry. Lots of nostalgia for us and some nice hands on things for the kids. Also only a 10 minute walk to Victoria Park.

ö. s.

‘The V&A Museum of Childhood is closed as we work to transform it into a new world-leading museum of design and creativity for children and young people – Young V&A.’

K. F.

Great fun, lots for the kids to do as well as plenty of nostalgia looking at toys from when we were kids!

A. K.

Great refurbished space now used as a historic children’s toys, stories and more museum great cafe on the ground floor and excellent for a day out with kids.

R. R.

It was really fascinating this museum. Toys from the Victorian times and much earlier than that, as well as more modern and contemporary. Lots of children, play areas and mums of course. A real nice way to spend few hours travelling back to childhood.

I. M.

This museum has a very large selection of toys and objects related to childhood. Dolls, toy cars, mechanical toys, videogames, board games, doll houses etc. They're currently planning an update, which kind of shows. Their display cabinets were dimly lit and quite dusty. There were plenty of good ideas from visitors, so I'm sure the future could look bright. For now, it's certainly worth an hour or two of your time, if only for the beautiful building.

I. C.

We always enjoy spending time here. It has a large collection of (throughout time) toys, either to look at or play with. A baby sensory area which has a small bit with mirrors and lights. The cafe always has a vegan option which is helpful for us and the coffee is good too! Staff are super friendly...

J. C.

I have a wonderful time with my kids and even enjoyed myself. Was surprised seeing some old filmmaking toys and artefacts that I've never seen before in real life. Highly recommended it.

L.

Museum was quite fun and interesting, had a small activity where it introduced some known children's toy's scientists. The artifact were cool amd i recommend to visit, only problem was the overpriced cafe, £6. 00 for a plain sandwich and 2.65 for a can of coke??

T. D.

A fairly small museum, it has a great range of toys to see and many bought back memories from my childhood! There was a cafe with cakes and drinks, plus a market of bits and pieces to buy on the day we visited (Sunday). It took us about an hour to have a good look around at everything.

G. T.

Lots of memories here, well laid out over two main levels. There are toys to play with for the children and a cafe for snacks.

M. C.

Perfect to go in half term. Workshops, coffee shop, picnic area, sand with buckets and shovels, and many things to play with kids and nostalgic adults

H. R.

Great museum for children, only problem is that toys are not accessible but there are some play areas that are great! Sensory area and messy play is brilliant! We went to some free activities and had lots of fun too :)

S.

This place is good for kids but bring your own lunch £6.25 for fish and a wrap with some chips and water £1.60 kids between 2 and 4 will love it

L. Y.

i have been there several times with my son, really good one, my son especially enjoyed it, interesting activities for chidren, every year something new

D. M.

Fantastic museum for an afternoon out. Loved seeing toys from my childhood in 70s as well as the rest

N. C.

I went there for the first time a couple of days ago to intertain my little girl but in the matter of fact i enjoyed the museum a lot much more than i was expecting espetially the doll houses

S. H.

Lots of toys, new and old on display here. Michael Morpurgo exhibit was outstanding and must see for any fans.

H.

We love the museum. Kids enjoyed their summer arts camp in particular.

J. S.

The museum of childhood. Is a great place to visit for people of all ages. Brings back found memories of my childhood. They have a special exhibition at the moment about Micheal morpurgo who wrote war horse they have a puppet from the stage show its really interesting.

V. G.

History of museum is wonderful. The dolls house display is artistic and Leaves lasting impressions.

r. y.

Visited with wife in Sept 2018. Saw a few toys from our childhood. Had a drink & bite to eat. Close to tube. Friendly staff.

M. W.

Great place to re-live the good old days of toys you really wanted to play when you were young :)

H. B.

Nice selection of toys, mainly from 19th and 20th century. Very good shop for gifts. That's where we picked up all ours as most London souvenirs were of poorer quality.

G. V.

Great collection of old and modern toys. Many interactive areas for kids.

H. B.

I have been there with my amazing people and I had a great time with nothing losing such as lot of toys to see in glass display. The place is spacious , tidy , big , modern , colourful , vibrant and it makes you feel like that you travelled back in time to simply enjoy value of your time that you spent with friends , family and special person. They have PlayStation , Xbox , trains , checkers board game , snakes and ladders game , old doll house and gigantic robot that you connect cogs together to make the robot cogs spin inside. The Souvenir is affordable , unique , inspirational and amazing books because it is suitable and appropriate for children and adults. This place is child friendly because they are always something for children who like toys and good for big kid who like toys. The food in museum is good because it is mouthwatering and flavourful which is something that I like about it but it is over priced. Go there because you will have great time in there looking all the old toys to new toys but if you don’t go there then you will regret it until you go there even if it is only once.

M. N.

Lots of old toys as you'd expect. Our toddler was surprisingly happy just looking at things through glass but there are some hands on bits too. Nice café.

A. C.

Nice place to take your kids out! I enjoyed my visit here as well. Flash back of my childhood 😍

M. I.

Entrance is free into this museum, so if you're passing and have a spare 30 mins to hour and you want to remember your old toys, reminisce, etc then pop in.

m. a.

Free (donations suggested) and full of great activities for children. Also an interesting treasure trove for adults of all ages. Cafe & shop are good too

M.

An excellent place for kids to discover how toys have evolved over the years and an excellent environment to support learning.

A. C. i. L.

Currently closed until 2023 for redevelopment. Was a great little museum so will be worth visiting when it reopens

C. W.

It’s more catering for adults, I wished there are more interactive play area for young children.

L.

Free, very light and airy, easy to go around. Nicely arranged by toy type not by period so you'll find something that reminds you of your childhood in every section.

J. T. L.

Childhood museum is for Everyone!!! The older kids (Mum and Dad) will be shocked as everyone is a child here. Love it.

G. V.

What a great place to visit with your children to remember the toys we all grew up with.

B. A.

The best museum in east london. I was taken here by my dad when i was ten. Loved it then and i still love it. Returned here with my children and recently with my gran-daughter. We had the best time on the treasure trail. We came back again on the Sunday as well.

P. D.

Great museum to relive your childhood or to take your family. Free entry but you can give donations. There's a cafe inside to get drinks and food and often activities for children.

C. S.

My 17 month old loved it here. Lots to do on a day out. Look out for the activity time tables and the children's activity bags you can rent out.

K. P.

Been visiting here regularly for nearly ten years. All your childhood favourites are here. Handy for tube. Nice cafe.

M. L.

A good selection of retro toys and exhibits from when you were a child, a handy cafe on the ground floor and things such as story time, arts & crafts etc (Just avoid the rubbish Vegan cafe around the corner👎)

J. B.

Excellent place to bring your children or students. Very good resources and things to do/look at.

e.

it’s very interesting for children, but not enough for adults, I would like more old interesting exhibits

M. S.

A blast from the past, toys from the modern day all the way back to renaissance Venice. Very informative, free museum worth spending an hour at!

S. L.

Kids always seem to enjoy our visits; I especially like how activities are catered for the holiday season; there is always something new for the kids to do, and the on-site cafe is very convenient but pricey.

S. K.

Great to spend an hour or so looking around. Some displays are a bit space, but for a free museum it's great.

J. y.

Great for children, but not really the gallery-esque presentation of antique toys that I was hoping for! Lots of interactive opportunities for children, however.

A. B.

I lived in bethnal green almost 8yrs this Museum always have something going on for the children 10/10 Love this place Also was my partner's 1st time going there. My boys love the rocking 🐎

Y. B.

A very nice museum, perfect for children ! There's a lot of activities to do : sandbox, animated animals, lights, robots... I had a great time there. Some activities need pennies, be aware to have some pocket money with you. There's also a little coffee in the center to get a break. The building is also gorgeous !

E. L.

A brilliant day out well worth the visit. It was great seeing the toys I used to play with.

p. r.

A must to visit if you have kids, and if you don't, you will have a fantastic trip down memory lane!!!

S. N.

A perfect place for children but also, for their parents.

D. K. T.

We spent hours there playing with toys, watching the story telling show and participating in the arts and crafts session. Very recommended for family with kids! The museum is absolutely free, you don't have to pay anything and nobody asks for anything. They have security guards, information staff and the facilities are great, including clean toilets. I just felt the urge to donate some money and buy a few small things in the store, just to help them maintain this great place.

M. B.

This part of the V&A in east london, has closed for remodeling for a couple of years 'museum of childhood' look on Google for updates.

Д. H.

Great for day off with children. However needed more interactive facilities for children to play and explore (copies of old toys, for example)

R. W.

Such a lovely place to take children (and husbands!) Managed to time our visit well to catch a storytelling activity too (Elma) which was fab.

G. A.

Great place. I had visited with my wife and child. Free entry and has about 3 floors of historical toys. A fair bit of interactive exhibits and a nice play area for children. Really friendly staff and a great thing to do when in London or locally. Also the souvenir shop is fairly priced which was nice for memorabilia. 5 Stars 🌟

K. T.

Very busy during holidays but my babies had a blast

J. S.

Went there for a Chinese new year event. Was very busy. But there are a few nice interactive toys for a two year old to play with.

D. A.

This place was amazing. If you want to bring back your inner child and brag about the toys that were cool in your day to your kids, this is a place you might like to visit. Great for young and old. Big cafe in the middle with lots of tables and chairs to take a break. We packed lunch and sat there with no problems. I loved the intricate dolls houses. We did not get to see it all so need to go back. You need a good 2 to 3 hours to take it all in.

T. 4.

A great place for family’s to learn the history of toys. Kids love it

s. s.

Very unique place for kids to play with dollhouse . Love this place

J. T.

The museum has so many fascinating things to see and the building is beautiful.

C. F.

Great day out. Free of entry. Buggies are allowed and there are lifts to each floor with baby changing facilities. The cafe was crazy expensive but can't complain with free entry. All the displays of the many toys through the generation was so interesting to see and read about. There were some small fun things to do along the way, like rocking horses, pictures with magnets, stacking blocks, sand pit, craft area, puppet boxes. Then of course there was the pirate exhibition, which surprisingly our kids weren't that into. We then walked to brick lane for a bagel which made the day even better. Definitely good day out.

M. N.

Great place to take children. Space for them to run around, with activities. It a great place for mums to meet, hang out, have a coffee and see the kids have a good time. Also very fun for adults. We saw a board game exhibition not long ago and it was super interesting

S. I.

A fun place to visit as someone with no children. I can remember playing with some of the toys on display in my own childhood, and it's fun seeing them again. For a museum with a lot of things to look at and read, the displays aren't very well lit, and it's hard to appreciate them in the evenings or winter afternoons.

K. P.

So much fun for all ages here. Wonderful nostalgic childhood displays and nice interactive areas for younger children.

A. M.

It’s not better than the V&A in South Kensington but this museum has a nice collection of toys. It’s worth a visit.

d. j.

It's free, but really not worth the effort of getting to. If you are in the area it's ok to pop in to for 30 minutes. Very much set up to take children to, rather than for adults. Little coffee shop.

N. H.

Great museum, lots of interesting things to look at. Well arranged.

P. P.

Wonderful museum with sandpit and beach chairs on the top floor my 3year old loved it. We got the family back pack from The reception and it was a hit with our son as well as the kids passing by who joined in.. they have some free arts and crafts most days and play/story telling sessions based on the day of the week which were again great. would definitely recommend the museum to anyone. Can’t believe it took us so long to discover it.

P. P.

Very fun for not only kids, but families, arts and crafts sometimes take place here. Lift access and all the interactive activities aswell as the exhibits and small fair at times are amazing.

D. W.

What a wonderful place. Great way to see some of the toys you used to have as a child

M. N.

Cool museum especially for children but also for nostalgic adults. A little far off from the center but if you have time it is definitely worth a go

C. d. B.

There are plenty of old toys to see here, but almost everything else (other than the small visitors!) feels distinctly old as well. They know this and the place is due for serious renovations later this year - so I look forward to a few lot more interactivity and more up to date exhibits once that is all over.

J. C.

I really enjoyed this museum, especially the section with the old doll houses! Took about 2 hours to see everything.

M. A.

For anyone who grew up in the sixties, seventies and eighties this is the perfect place to relive your own childhood and show your kids the toys and games that amused you then. For me it was Star Wars action figures, Tonka trucks and board games like Mouse Trap, Cluedo and Game of Life. And all that stuff is here! I literally felt like a kid in a toyshop once again. Magical place and well worth spending an hour or two exploring.

R. W.

I thought this was a brilliant place. A great place to go on a very rainy day . Lots of wonderful exhibits and some opportunities to play or be creative. Staff were friendly and welcoming. My only criticism, the baby changing area in the toilets has a very strong and practical changing surface but it's right next to very noisy hand dryers and bang opposite the open door onto the corridor.

Y. G.

What will you give to be a child again? Especially if you had an opportunity to go back in time and have a glimpse into how children of the older era would have played. This museum is a beautifully preserved collection of toys and clothes from the past and the sections are very informative. They even conducts arts and crafts and storytelling sessions for kids. We took our daughter there for her birthday and it was a very enjoyable experience for her. The museum also has a good cafe and it serves some excellent nibbles and drinks. The restroom and other facilities are very well maintained. You may get lucky if they also have an exhibition going. We saw the exhibit of Nordic living and it was very informative. Overall a must visit whether you have kids with you or not.

M. F.

Definitely a great place I've recently discovered. If you struggle in the lovely British weather, during half term where to go with your kids this can be a great choice! The cafe inside has everything you need for a great meal and drink if you're prepared to spend money. Everything looks so good and what we tried was delicious but too overpriced. I guess they're trying to "compensate" from the free entrance and use of the installations. Ps: next door there's a beautiful green space if you're lucky to be sunny!!!

M. Z.

Great well appointed museum. Accessible entrances, loads of spaces to sit and eat, nice cafe and great exhibits. It's free and lots of fun for the kids. Highly recommended especially for the little ones. Really good clean toilet facilities and great to see child changing facility in the male WC also. Really nice little park next door. Limited parking so best to use public transport. Bethnal green underground just nearby.

v. U.

Great museum to take the kids to, especially on a rainy day. It has fun toys and activities. The curatorial space definitely needs so renovation but I’ve heard it’s about to happen soon. It’s pretty cold inside (only been here in winter), I’ve kept my coat on. Good space to eat, although choice is limited. And it’s free so no reason to complain.

P. O.

Good open space. Nice cafe. The exhibits are more for adults then children so don't go hear if your expecting lots of kiddie focused interactivity. They run activities during half term though and the top floor generally has a visiting exhibition which 3+ will enjoy

J. R.

Good place to spend an afternoon with kids. Displays a tad outdated but it is due a refresh soon. Good range of activities and workshops regularly. The cabinets run through popular toys of different eras giving a good scope of nostalgia and fun.

K. M.

Great place to learn about growing up for all cultures. Very fun day out and it's free!

S. A.

A pleasant experience for our whole family. It took us about two hours to go through all the galleries and we pointed out all the toys and games we remembered to our children. Nostalgic for us and a good experience for them, they were picking out what they wanted us to buy! Then we explained it was a museum and couldn't buy that stuff anymore it was made a long time ago. However, we did get a good idea of what they are interested in. Overall a lot of fun for us all.

J. M.

A free museum of childhood wonders. You will undoubtedly see toys here that you used to have & love when you were little. A gem of a place.

J. L.

A real throwback adventure for adults and loads of interactivity for the kids. Although it clearly needs some TLC, with vast spaces unused and a slightly underwhelming feel. The displays are thoughtful curated, full with nostalgic toys and childhood memories. It’s a museum that’s better for a flying visit, rather than a day trip.

M. “. K.

What a lovely place to go for a family trip! My almost 4 year old boy has enjoyed it thoroughly!! so many toys on display and also great little areas with different activities around the museum (wooden doll's houses,Lego,sandpit,little kitchen,just to name a few) perfect place for families with children,but also if you just want to travel in time and remember how many of the displayed items have you owned over the years.

V. T.

Great place to visit. Don't really know how to describe it more than to say that it has toys, dolls and items relating to childhood going back hundreds of years to modern day. Please be advised that this is a museum that attracts large school parties and so can be a little hectic and noisy at times. Wonderful museum for the children... and the grown-up! Well organised, interesting collections, and specific activities for the little ones... lot of fun (and culture) for everyone... Well done, V&A Childhood!

H. F.

Great little museum to bring your children and for school trips. The children will have fun experiencing some toys and dress up. They will also enjoy watching the sand area. Some toys or areas do need a bit of TLC but I guess that's down to donations and funding to help out the musuem

R. K.

Less here to see and do than I remember when I came as a child, and it is a bit dated now - the interactive bits are poor for example. The cafe wasn't bad value and is a terrific space though, and there is still good fun to be had reminiscing about the toys and games us adults played with in the olden days. My 4 year old was a little less enthused though... I understand the museum is closing in 2020 for a couple of years for a well-needed modernisation - I'm sure it will be much improved after that.

S. S.

It reminds many memories of mine from my childhood. Amazing !

Z. C.

Lovely small museum ideal.for takimg the children too.

C. D. S.

It was amazing . All the Victorian dolls house were simply unique. Toys of my childhood. The two lovely ladies who are brilliant in stories and arts and crafts. The facilities for picnic very clean. The staff very helpful and friendly. My granddaughter and niece had a wonderful time. We will visit again.

j. i.

We took a class of Year Ones yesterday. They had such a brilliant time looking around the museum and especially loved the pirate display up at the moment. Our Spotlight session was absolutely brilliant and the 2 members of staff doing it went above and beyond to make the children’s experience amazing. The cafe here is also really good! Really close to transport links. A great trip for sure!!

M. A. D.

We love coming here with our three year old. Plenty of room to run around and a great range of exhibitions which change regularly. There is very limited but free parking outside on sundays and free to enter. However the tube is 2 minutes walk. Lovely little gift shop and cafe too.

A. H.

Went to the V&A Museum of Childhood as part of our weekend in London and I have to say it was a very memorable part of the trip, and we didn't have any kids with us! Seen some toys from my childhood which were nice and a lot of other toys I never knew about. Would most definitely recommend a visit here.

L. A.

If you have a niece or nephew (or both of them), you'll probably make yourself their favourite auntie or uncle if you take them to the V&A Museum of Childhood. You can observe toys and everything around childhood from BC to today. Children have the opportunity to play with some of the items that stand free (like the horses and the robot on the first floor) and they can have more fun upstairs, too. Several drawing tables are provided as well as a wonderful shop and a nice café! But I would say the museum will be also interesting for adults if they want to see their own childhood toys behind glass again. Such a lovely place for both young and old!

M. H.

Good points -spacious, not overcrowded, kids can run around, entertaining for kids with different activities for 2-3 hrs, FREE (donation can be made). Parking is possible near by Not so Good - displays are not very inspiring nor easy to follow, totally random displays in glass cabinets; I thought it might follow some date order but I could not appreciate it; hopefully refurb will make it more sprightly and attractive with more exhibits. Cafe limited and no chips available to energise the kids!

J. H.

Nice space to take children. Some of the displays are a bit random (would obviously benefit from some additional funding) but it's worth a visit with little ones and there are some good things for them to play with. The pirate exhibit is quite good and my son loved playing on the pirate ship. Fire engine and sandpit on the top floor were also big hits. Cafe and gift shop are very expensive but I guess they have to make money somewhere... Can get busy on weekends and during school holidays but pretty quiet in the week.

B. C.

Great museum for little kids (and big kids to remember your childhood) lots of historic toys and games from 19c through to present. Including a great collection of 70s/80s/90s stuff like early consoles. Good holiday events for kids (check website) we went to Pirate storytelling in conjunction with a great pirate exhibition. There is a cafe and also picnic area in basement. Local park also available if you need fresh air during the visit. Easy to reach from Cambridge Heath on overground or Bethnal Green Underground.

p. p.

Nice museum, and not just for kids!! Lots of activities, a nice cafe with quite healthy food and a very nice display of the toys that staged our childhood since the XVI-XVII century. Nice place to take a quick visit (ideal for the babies) and learn something unusual and original. Some pieces, like the puppets theatres or the dolls houses, are just amazing!

H. V.

Fantastic museum, have brought school children here on a trip for the past 3 years. Staff are friendly and helpful and children love seeing the toys and engaging with the interactive displays. Did make our own teddy bear photo treasure hunt which did enhance the experience further

J. A.

Very good experience for kids from 4 onwards. They have a lot of points of interests for children. Kids must be taken their at least once to see if they have a taste for this. 2-3 hours should be in mind when visiting first time.

J. H.

Really fun place for adults and kids. They have lots of old school toys that bring back memories. Upstairs is great for kids as they have a sandpit and dolls houses. Also they have a horse for the kids you can ride on.

d. h.

I find coming here a bit underwhelming. The toy exhibitions themselves are in the main behind glass so there's no touching. Baring in mind most people come with kids I don't believe there is enough experiential interactively or toy related play. I go with my young son and he gets more excitement in the small gift shop area than anywhere else. On the plus side, it has a nice spacious cafe for adults.

c. s.

Lots of toys beyond reach/behind glass. Sand pit/sensory area/open space for running about/home corner/dress up, so quite a lot for the children to get involved with. Limited choice in the cafe but plenty of high chairs. Only one set of changing facilities/toilet s which is in the basement. Nappy changing table is next to hand driers, so when the children on school trip had fun drying their hands en masse, my baby screamed at the noise.

M. L.

Excellent half day out for the children and adults, there are little workshops and story sessions. Adults enjoy seeing their old toys and games. The gift shop is unavoidable and pricey as is the cafe but you can take a packed lunch and eat at the tables. There is some outdoor space as well. Good toilet facilities and buggy storage. The kids can run around and make a noise .

R. C.

This is a really fun museum with plenty to do, its very child friendly and there's encouragement for kids to play with various displays (bring some 20p pieces.) For adults, walk around the two floors of cabinets and exhibits while reminiscing about your childhood playthings. The cafe is nice, not the cheapest but there's some tasty snacks and hot food, plus a child's selection. The gift shop is cool, small but well formed. Its easy to get here, just a short walk from the tube or bus stop. A fun afternoon for the family or just if you're a big kid.

A. F.

One of the most happier places in London. V&A must be proud, such a nice collection and amazing friendly staff members.

J. S.

Very nice, but not as child oriented as you might think. Having said that it's always full of children. As you might imagine for a museum nearly all of the toys are safely behind glass, except for two rocking horses and three or four other little play areas. Check for exhibitions though (the last time I was there they had a Michael Morpurgo exhibit which was fascinating).

D. J.

Slightly off the beaten path, a wonderful museum about kids, toys, and clothing. Kids will love it if they enjoy looking at things and having some interactive experiences. It is not too big, we saw everything in 2.5 hours. Ok cafe in the museum, great lunch options nearby. Bethnal Green Park has two large play structures.

M. v. H. (. K.

Lovely museum for grown ups as a reminder of and for little ones to explore the toys their parents, grandparents and great grandparents used to play with. Extensive displays but size-wise more manageable than it's bigger V&A sister or the Natural History Museum. Interactive play section on top floor. Good cafe (though the usual high-ish prices) - given the museum's admission is free that's probably not all too surprising though. Overall: we'll be back.

C. N.

A fantastic place to visit, both for adults and children. My daughter enjoyed the craft activities on offer that day too. The downsides are that there isn't a lot of interactive displays and therefore our 3 year old got bored half way round!

S. B.

Hectic with kids enjoying themselves at half-term, our toddler had a great hour here racing about with all the other mad dwarves! An interesting building full of nostalgic toys and a good cafe. Free entry. Visit it in term-time for a more relaxed experience!

A.

Friendly, informative and nostalgic, the V&A Museum of Childhood is excellent for kids and adults alike!

M. C.

The layout didn't flow as well as it could have. The museum is wonderful, it has nostalgic items and interactive pieces. Great place to take your kids or just check out yourself. The pieces are well kept and the pictures/stories are really moving whether they make you laugh or cry. Brilliant place for all.

A. H.

There was plenty of toys to see and the layout allowed children to move around freely. It was especially interesting to adults, especially this granny who found her childhood dolly, still owned. There were opportunities for children to have hand on experiences and to draw and create

C. B.

Lots to see in the way of toys through the years. For all ages kids to 90's. Plenty of hands on toys rocking horses to Lego. The displays change regularly. At the moment s fantastic pirate display anf interactive area. Toilets on lower level. Small cafe and shop selling the usual children's things. Also an area where you can bring a packed lunch and eat on the premises if the weather bad. Next to the museum is a small park that is good if the weather is fine, between the museum and Bethnal Green underground station. I have been going there for over 30 years and still going back.

C. G.

Nice museum with a very fascinating collection of doll houses!

K. B.

The staff here are the loveliest people on earth. on a day where we had real problems getting around they could not possibly have been more helpful. Great museum though exhibits were being moved around. The most important thing was that our granddaughter loved it. Also despite the lowering vegan, the cafe was great and well-priced.

M. L.

We had a brief wander round before we got our train home. It was nice as, being 20/21, we got to see some of the toys that we had as children as well as those from our parents' and much earlier generations, and it's interesting to see how certain toys have changed over the years. Not the most exciting museum we've ever been to, but worth a visit if you're in the area.

d. r.

Interesting mix of old and new toys; awesome to show your kids the toys you used to play with or a good trip down memory lane if you don't have kids. Building was light and airy, but a huge portion was taken up by gift shop and cafe

R. P.

Great collection, opportunities for young children to play throughout the galleries. Lovely, airy open hall area, good cafe, park to run around in next door and right next to the tube station. Kept our 2.5 year old entertained all morning.

H. T.

Nice collection. Enjoy the visit. The classification is a little unusual like putting characters from star trek with buzz lightyears from toy story, or care bear with pikachu... but that usual is childhood I guess? It's kind of fun actually.

M. F.

Fantastic place full of childhood memories! Great collection of toys and games from over the centuries. Old toys sit alongside more recent ones. There are fun extra activities around for children to do, a nice cafe and a great shop full of books! Would recommend spending about 1.5 hours here - there is plenty to amuse!

S. M.

Amazing experience! Reminded me a lot of child hood memories. Thanks V&A

t. “.

Interesting for adults to reminisce about their childhood toys; kids love the place as they can run about safely and burn off energy. Spacious, well lit, with occasional exhibitions focusing on children's books' authors. Easy to get to by tube or bus. No parking. Good cafe as well catering for unusual food wishes of kids.

A. N.

It's an interesting albeit somewhat small museum. Displays a curated range of toys, some of which are quite vintage and very interesting. The collection of dollhouses are most impressive! Quite interesting for adults who would like to relive their childhood or just see some cool toys. There're some activities for kids which is good, but most of the toys are not interactive so active kids may get bored really fast and they may end up running all over the place.

S. P.

Loved it when I was a child, still love it now, as does my daughter! It's free, has permanent exhibitions as well as fun temporary exhibitions & changing activities. Nice benugo cafe too, but also table area for picnics. All in all, a lovely way to spend a morning/ afternoon.

C. U.

Good museum, many interesting things you can find here, a place for childhood. You find kids, baby play area. Nice displays and beautiful memories. Here is a place where to eat and drink a coffee, kids menu wasn't very much, if they can add more meals, will be perfect, because it's a place for them, has to be proper meal also.

M. P.

I have mixed feelings about this museum. On one hand, it is free for all, and there is a great play area for toddlers on the first floor. On the other hand, the space is very dark and it takes effort to look at the exhibits, which is a real shame because some of them are unique. It is a surprising oversight by the architects who relatively recently completed the renovation/extension of the museum. Additional artificial lighting would definitely benefit the visitors’ experience.

R. B.

I love the history of play that the museum displays. The displays are well thought out and the written understanding of how children played many centuries ago is very well done. They have created a wonderful place to bring the best of child's play to life. You can also play games and have lunch with the children either in side or outside on one of their many seating areas.

P. K.

I took my granddaughter with my daughter and her partner to the Bethnal Green toy Museum. It was lovely taking my granddaughter after doing the same with her mum many years ago when she was the same age. It was wonderful to see my 2 year old granddaughter just as captivated as her mother had been. Subtle changes to accommodate time with some interesting exhibits 1 on a model village made from dolls houses. Relevant blend of historical and contemporary exhibits a good number of different kinds of play areas friendly staff.

M. K.

What a fun and engaging museum to visit as a family! We find toys we as adults remembered, alongside things that our children know and love. We loved the way it was arranged by themes and we really enjoyed the special exhibition about games that was on while we were there.

m. p.

Found it quite dimly lit to conserve the exhibits so not comfy for me. Loved the dolls house section and War Horse model. Lots of organised, interactive stuff for kids and a special downstairs refectory for school groups pack lunches with lots of excitable laughter ringing out which rubbed off on me. Very educational, well organised.

W. S.

Amazing trip down memory lane Plenty space for kids to enjoy and you to chill can entertain kids easily 2 hrs or more and it's free ..parking is wherever you can find. A space and have to pay for it . But it's free entrance so a bonus ....try to contribute to the museum a few pounds or more to keep it running as very amazing place and last of the freebies.

E. S.

The way it was set up seemed like they were trying to cater to both kids and adults but it didn't feel like it catered to either. Could have been much more interactive and exciting for children with simpler facts for them to read with better more informative placards for interested adults. It felt like I was getting bored from not learning anything and kids were getting bored by just looking at stuff and being read to.

A. W. (.

Very interesting as a museum, but also a great place to mooch around generally, with its large cafe area, gift shop and free entry. It's especially good for families - which actually makes it more pleasant for childless people, too. Bored, miserable kids don't do any of us any good. This place has a sand pit, Lego, toy tea set, lights and mirror section and all sorts to keep them occupied in a wide open space, making it pretty safe to roam between the exhibitions while they run about. It has art installations too, including local work and a community vibe. A really good idea.

S. C.

An interesting museum... although it is probably of more interest to adults than to children. This is where you can view the toys you remember from your youth but, actually, there is not a lot that kids can touch.

A. Y.

Took primary school children here and they absolutely loved it here! The museum is very informative as well as interactive for the children. The staff are (mostly) helpful :) and there is a large area for schools to eat. Staff were very quick to clean the mess up that the little ones made! :) plenty of toilets for visitors and a lovely café too (the hot chocolate is amazing!). The shop was very pricey though!

S.

So many things to see here pirates play area in this place is great for all ages grown ups too

Y. P.

Nice way to spend your Sunday. Just remember that you might feel old seeing objects and toys of your childhood as exhibits

F. M.

Great place, took our 19 month old on Saturday, booked the free play for under 5’s. Great facilities and brilliant way to keep kids entertained. Will definitely be returning. Definitely recommend.

R. C.

Kind of a hidden gem, not so much in terms of the building ( it's a huge and beautiful Victorian building right on the main road ) , but more the wealth of items inside. Something from every age of modern childhood for you to remember or discover. Evocative and sentimental, it's well worth a couple hours of your time. Plus the canteen sells beer.

A. B.

A relatively small but well presented museum of toys and games. There is something for everyone, with perhaps the only group not well catered for is the teenager, though they may enjoy seeing the toys of their parents childhood. There is plenty of activities for young children (dress ups, sand-pit, making your own masks etc) that will keep them occupied. There is a nice enough cafe in the venue, and the architecture of the building is of some interest.

N. P.

For a starter it's free museum, much closer to the stations than Google suggests. It has a lot of toys, arts and crafts for children to explore. However it is quite small so make sure you've attended at least one of their planned activities. We saw the shadow puppet show and it was good. Not to exciting but these are not entertainers and again it's free so I wouldn't have expected more. The gift shop is missing a massive trick though - they are not selling any puppets! My 5-Year old had a blast and even my toddler had fun. I definitely plan to go again and you should too.

L. G.

Good for kids and those who keep the same vibe of a kid :)

L.

My children loved it. There are things for children of all ages. There is a baby play area, dress up, Lego building and many more. There is space to leave buggy's and a great picnic area if you decide to bring your own food. Check the website for regular activities like stories and crafts. Only thing is the picnic area get not appear to be cleaned regularly enough

N. “. A.

Its well maintained and certainty historic but a toy museum should have toys you can play with. You should be able to enjoy the fun not just look at it. Children here were bored and fussy. And I completely understand why. The whole look but dont touch thing is no fun.

V. H.

A truly amazing place! I first visited this place with my granddaughter after I moved in in the area. It is simply amazing and totally free. Every adult will relive his childhood here, while the kids can learn and see, what kind of games their parents and grandparents have played or the toys, that were popular in those days. Everything is very well organised and if you still can't manage to find a certain exhibit the staff are always ready to help you out. There is also a lovely shop, where you can buy some fun and entertaining original toys for the little ones. You should also check out their events and activities calender for some real fun time there.

a. l.

I saw lot of my childhood toy and some 1700 toy

D. D.

Great collection and wonderful classes/interactive sessions for kids, plus a good cafe. On the downside, the permanent collection, for all its good points, is not presented in its social context and would leave a lot of older guests questioning its narrative. Likewise, younger guests may not understand why all these objects are in glass cases - then again, younger guests will gravitate toward all the fun stuff anyway.

C. W.

I stumbled across this museum while taking a walk around the neighborhood and, in need of some food and a sit-down, we made our way inside. The cafe is cute - a bit pricey, but it's a museum cafe, so what can you expect? The museum is arranged so that the store and cafe are in the center of the ground floor, and the museum is next to it on that floor, and on a balcony going all around the first floor looking down onto the store/cafe. The museum itself was really interesting. I am not British, but went with someone who is, so he was able to tell me stories about how that toy was so popular one Christmas when he was 7, and how he remembers seeing other kids play with this one, and so on. Without that context, I think I would have found the museum less interesting. Also, there were tables out on which you could play games, so we played a bit of checkers. The War Games exhibit, on now, was definitely the highlight. A really interesting depiction of war games through the years, from G.I. Joe type figurines, to costumes, to video games. Overall, it didn't seem like the best place for young kids, though I saw a few running around so who knows? A great place if you're in the neighborhood, or if you're really interested in the subject. It was the perfect way to beat the heat for an hour or so.

s.

Definitely enjoyed my visit to the V&A Museum of Childhood because it had almost everything. The only thing I could not find was the pink poochie dog but it was all good and they even have games for children to play and there is sand pit on the top floor. The museum is conveniently located near Bethnal Green station.

D. T.

A beautiful space and interesting museum with toys from across all eras- not just for children as I enjoyed myself throughly! Entry is free and you can spend hour wandering the 2 floors featuring all kind of toys from giant doll houses to teddy bears. Worth checking out if you are in the area.

A. H.

A unique place not just for children but for all age groups. Many toy galleries will appeal especially to vintage purists, richly garnished and interesting collections. The big positive her are the play areas for children situated around the museum. Plenty of nostalgic toys from yesteryear and beyond.

k. b.

No cloakroom. I discourage you from going there on a gloomy day as the lights are extremely dim and you can hardly read anything on display. It was also very cold inside. I recommend the snack bar and the workshops for kids, though.

A. K.

Not a huge museum (able to see everything in an hour) but really tries to collect and display toys from the distant and not so distant past. Toys are grouped into sections by type. The whole exhibition is kind of still. Would be more interesting to see these toys functioning, moving, etc. There are a lots of interactive games and play areas for kids.

J. M.

Great and interesting museum. Great to see what children uses to play with. More suited for. Younger. Children. However. Any kids who like toys. And history will enjoy the gift shop is a little. Pricey. But when it's free admission it's understandable

L. D.

Grew up in Bethnal Green and used to visit museum every week as a child. Have never tried of visiting. Took my Grandson there 2 weeks ago and although only 2 years old, he was taken in by all that was on show. My 3 year old Grandchild absolutely loves it. Cafe good but a little pricey, so I take my own food and drink. Very Interesting place, would recommend a visit. Free to enter. Toilets downstairs clean and a lift to take you up and down. Staff friendly.

G. E.

If you've got kids and they are going to some of the classes it's probably a great place to go, especially in bad weather. But for an adult without kids there wasn't an awful lot to see, though there are some nice nostalgic exhibits from childhood (80s/90s) - things like Game Boys, Scalextric etc but only took about 15 mins to see those sort of things

J. O.

All free (good to make a donation). Usually have good temporary exhibitions for kids. The story telling events are also good. This is one of the many places that make east London a great place to bring up kids.

O.

Was very disappointed at how the museum has changed since we last visited 20 odd years ago. Our mum came too, and she said the same thing, very sparse, poorly lit, and it seemed that much more focus is on ''accessibility'' than the objects themselves. Very wide walkways, masses of space between exhibits, but regarding the exhibits, so FEW of them actually on display compared to the past. The rocking horses were the reason I travelled several hundred miles, but the one I specifically wanted to see, the overpainted Paul Leach horse was not on display! It is a beautiful horse, a classic 'High Victorian' horse, usurped by some rather humdrum, more commonly seen, later horses. On a good note, there are two modern fibreglass rocking horses for children to actually ride, and this is a nice touch, as a child I'd have loved that...They were certainly popular with children [and adults!] while we were visiting. The café is NOISY..It is a toy museum, but the screeching of many children echoes around quite painfully if one wants a quiet chat with a hard of hearing friend. The tiled floor is interesting though, as it was laid by female prisoners decades ago. I loved this museum as a child, Especially their iconic Leach rocking horse, the magnificent Doll's houses, and other Victorian toys , but the wonderful 'busy' displays are no more...it is more spartan, with much more emphasis on 'modern' toys. The lighting is poor, and when we went, it had a slightly unfinished feel...as if half the exhibits were yet to be revealed. The V&A itself is wondrously presented, so was disappointed that this seemed a 'poor relation'. Bring back the old style displays, please :)

A. A.

Best place for a child and adults to get the history of toys development in UK and other parts of world.

T. Y.

Good place to have fun with your children, buggy friendly and with a refill water point =)

T. C.

Great place to bring the kids if you have a free hour. Cafe is a nice area but a bit pricy. I have seen people bringing in fish and chips from outside which is a bit of a liberty. I've been there a few times so can take or leave it, but if it is your first time {even as an adult) you will enjoy it.

B. I.

It is exactly what it says on the label, it is a walk down memory lane with all the toys beautifully displayed in sections taking you through a journey from childhood to kidulthood to adulthood. Makes you feel nostalgic in every section of the museum.

F. C.

Nice museum to bring the kids to. Great layout, and superb exhibition. Keeps the little ones entertained since it's quite interactive. Great museum, also has a small park next to it for an impromptu picnic afterwards

B. L.

Lovely place to visit with you guys children. My 7 year old grandson loved the book story and animation story. The lovely shop a bit expensive to buy any souvenirs. Remember to get your own lunch if you on the budget!

M. S.

Brilliant for kids of all ages. Designed for children to read and enjoy. Took me back into my childhood and my children's childhood. Plenty of space for kids to run around and enjoy themselves. Until some time in April they can be pirates. Pieces of 8 and all that. Ship ahoy!!!

T. L.

Intimate museum with some interesting displays and an amount of interactivity, but, given the subject matter we would have enjoyed more opportunities to play with the exhibits. My kids loved the large rocking horse and Punch and Judy activities. A museum probably more suited to younger kids, but plenty of nostalgia value for parents too.

L. C.

This is an amazing place to visit, especially on a raining/cold day. It's free to enter the main exhibition and as well as displays of toys throughout the years it's also dotted with mini-playgrounds, like sensory lights, a sandpit and building blocks sections. A café is located in the centre of the museum. It really is a gem of a place.

O. M.

This spot is a must-visit for those with nostalgia and their kids (or for the kids at heart). This is a wonderful free display of 100 years of toys, and has a lot of little entertaining spots for kids and adults alike. Highly recommended!

m. y.

Bring a torch! I am not joking, most of what you see is your own shadow cast on t objects you are looking at. I often used my phone torch to see and read about the exhibits. They need to get a lighting specialist to sort this out. Otherwise, lots of interesting things to see and it’s free.

Z.

Lovely museum with lots of vintage toys that ring back memories of being a child. Very nostalgic. They had story time being told on an old fashioned projector which was quite cool. The sand pit upstairs would have been better as it required more sand as there was barely any in there. The cafe gets busy and tables are limited. Slow service as I was queuing for 25 mins and I was charged almost £9 for a sandwich and a cup of tea!

I. B.

Very good to see and play too. You can play with sand inside the building, you've got lots of activities and even some cartoon movie to watch. You can buy some toys and even you can find something to eat for emergency, but better to take some from home. :)

C. G.

Free museum in a great building. So many tea sets, doll houses, pedal cars, costumes, train sets... amazing! You would expect to see only parents and their kids, but a lot of kidults drop by after brunch on the weekend. Really recommend this place!

D.

Good spot to while away an hour or so. Bit limited and a lot of the interactive stuff barely works. Guess that is what happens in a kids museum. Something for young and old though, our kid likes it there (2 yrs) and shops on site are worth a look if trying to find a kid's book/present. Cafe food is drab. Fantastic building. All in all definitely worth popping in, if in the area or also planning to see Victoria Park 10 mins down the road.

S. E.

The grandchildren thoroughly enjoyed wandering around here and trying out the various exhibits. The only downside of the trip was the fact that the cafe is horrendously expensive, there were four of us and the kids were hungry-it cost us over £30 for a few small snacks and drinks. Not something I would be repeating anytime soon.

C. S.

Perfect for a rainy afternoon with babies and todlers! We've visited the museum with our 13 months old baby, he happily played with the wooden blocks, in the sensory area as well as in the indoor san pit and much more. At 2pm there was story time, ideal for kids aged 3-4 y.o. (they looked very exicted and involved!) and every floor had few corners were kids could freely play. Nice family friendly restaurant in the lobby area, easy to walk around with the pushchair and has a lift. Be prepared to have quite few kids around you (it is pretty popular apparently), but overall happy with the experience. Only downside is that it was pretty warm, even though teh heatwave had gone already, and the fans available weren't enough for such a big space.

Z. C.

This place was great! I loved the gift shop and the cakes were delicious. Of course, this may not be possible, but I would have preferred all the toys to be out of the confined glass cabinets but overall, it was a great place to go!

r. b.

My children loved this museum. There are still traditional display cabinets with wonderful collections to educate the younger generation of a bygone era. Please do not over modernise or spoil what has been achieved.

A. M.

Interesting but small. It is going to have a revamp soon so it will be interesting what happens. Not impressed by the cafe, nothing to eat! Best thing on offer was a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich from the kids menu!

k. y.

I went with seven children aged between 5-11 and my sister in law. The kids loved it. A great place to visit with children. Had lunch there at the cafe the kids each got pirate themed lunch boxs with cheese sandwich a juice, raisan and pop corn they did enjoy the food the atmosphere was great fun especially as visiting the children did not get bored once. The staff are polite and kindly answer any questions you may have.

S. M.

Free entry. Space to park buggies etc. Child/family friendly. Can't go wrong! Kids will be kept interested for at least an hour. Suitable for 12yrs and under, or the more mature children.

J. X.

Had a spare afternoon last Sunday so jumped onto the train to Bethnal Green with our four year old son. Wasn't expecting much for a free venue but boy was I surprised! Very impressed lots to see and do for kids I even saw memories of my own childhood there! Cannot recommend enough.

o. s.

A nice museum to bring the kids and it's free to get in.

B. A.

It's a good place to bring kids for a day out because there's nice things to look at and theres a cafe which you can eat your lunch in and also sometimes they do exhibitions you can look at and get photos of it. So I recommend you bring your kids here because they will enjoy it and then if they like it you can take them back.

G. G. R.

Free entrance, the layout is on two floors, with interactive old school gimmicks for kids which I think are good (you need to bring 20p coins to activate some of those). Despite the effort (love the support material given to parents) what's being displayed could benefit from a revamp or include more interactive areas for kids & adults.

P. W.

Very interesting... greet to reminisce looking at toys from our childhood and those our kids had. Loads to see in an amazing building. Cafe has really nice food at reasonable prices. Warhorse writer exhibition also interesting.

J. B.

As I used to live close by, I visited almost weekly when my children were small. There is plenty to entertain very young kids with activities, a ball pit etc. For adults the museum showcases the games and toys of years gone by in an ever-changing exhibition. Entrance is free but you can make a contribution by using the slightly expensive cafe.

T. B.

Wanted to visit for ages and so glad I finally did. I don't have children but great space for them to run around in, get buggys in and out of between display cases, place to store buggys, creative areas, feeding space with kiddy friendly food, interactive stuff like rocking horses, model train, IT pods, seating for grown ups too and lots of things at the shortest child's eye level. Great range of international toys, info and fab choice of gifts in shop from pocket money prices up. Temporary exhibitions well curated and fascinating.

C. G.

Great place for both children and adults. Exhibitions are really good. Food is a little pricey especially with children. You can bring your own food though. Recently started searching bags on entrance which I find a little off putting but understand the need or security.

N. L.

A wonderful free museum - perfect entertainment for my toddler, with sandpit, interactive light display, lots of toys to sample, and loads to look at in the exhibit cases. They also had a computer dance game set up; hilarious watching the little ones have a dance off! Highly recommend, and can't believe it's free.

A. K.

Really good place to take kids on a rainy weekend. In addition to the exposition they have story telling and other activities (check their web site before you go) and all of this is free. You will need to spend some 20p coins to see model railway running.

s. r.

My son always has a lovely time here. The story telling sessions and play areas are good. Cafe is not great and overpriced, eat elsewhere or take a packed lunch. It saddens me that the dolls and doll house furniture has been stolen but that is not the fault of the museum.

C. R.

Went to find the toys from 'Lost in the Toy Museum' with my 5 and 8 year old on a day out in London. This museum is FREE and they were all marked on the labels so it made for excellent spotting! Enjoyed the range of other interactive activities there including doing a puppet show, sand play, magnet play and the excellent temp Pirates exhibit conplete with a treasure hunt. Easy 2 min walk from Bethnal Green tube and tasty mid morning carrot cake. What's not to love!

E. P.

I visited the museum multiple times during the summer and all the events they held for children were great. Storytelling, arts and crafts etc. The exhibition has some good parts for young children and some interesting interactive displays.

S. F.

Very nice place to visit with kids. Free entry. Cafe inside. Very informative. Toilets and food seating area at the basement. You can bring your own food and sit basement to have with kids. 2 min walk from Bethnal green underground station. Mcdonalds is 2 min walk.

H. K.

Lovely place to visit with kids. Lots of activities for them.

D. T.

Nice day out with the daughter, walk down memory lane for me. If only I could crack open the displays to have a quick play. Not as many interactive stations as I thought, and some of the touchscreens weren't working properly. Nonetheless, good way to spend a morning. For a more detailed review, Google my blog: 'ABC Dad UK'.

m. g.

Great to see toys old and new, kids love some of the interactive bits. Tip: take figures for the dolls houses. They also have great exhibitions. The only downside is how expensive the museum has allowed Benugo to set prices with little other local options.

H. W.

It was closed under tier 4 so I didn’t visit inside.

M. F.

A corner of East London where I go to recuperate. There is a Benuago cafe. Spacious seating area with kiddies story telling corner. Toys from days gone by, the now and futuristic are all displayed for your enjoyment. Rocking horses of nurseries of old gallop with kiddies of 2019 yipping gleefully. Birthing stools and girdles are all displayed in this vintage glory. Yes the past does Come alive for the child of 2019...

P. I. B.

I love it. Definitely you feel a kid again. I don't have kids but I enjoy like one of them. You have toys from 15th century until now. Is fun all evolution and what kind of toys was used before. If you have kids they will enjoy even more, they have space to play there.

K. M.

Took a year 1 class there. Great spotlight talk about the history of teddies. There were Interactive toys for the kids to use and play with. It also brought back some nostalgia of my own childhood!

K. A.

Great place for both kids and adults.

C. J.

Took my 9 month old out for a few hours. The baby change facilities are poor they are also separated in the male and female toilets so if you want your partner to assist then they cannot. Given this museum is pretty much aimed at children you would expect a dedicated baby change room.

K. G.

Lovely museum full of those childhood toys you had forgotten about. Not quite as interactive as it could be but it is a place worthy of your time, if only to see your child's face when you show them the toys from your childhood and see the reaction in their face. 😉😋🤔🙄

S. H.

Born 1974 and not many of my childhood toys were to be found. Disappointed. Cafe expensive. Toilets smelly

A. C.

I've been there for the nordic exhibition and it was very interesting. The meuseum is small and doable in couple of hours. The shop inside has a good selection of books and kids gift. Food in the canteen is good and fresh. The only thing that put me off is the lighting system. Upstairs is very dark and not so welcoming as it should be.

H. G.

First visit to the Museum of Childhood was to meet up with family for a catch-up and a coffee. The cafe area has a range of table sizes and, as you would hope, caters well for young children by providing high chairs. I did not notice any particular concession to the younger folk in terms of catering but then I guess many parents bring their own food etc for young children. Coffee was excellent and the cakes were also good. I did notice that they cold water jug-dispensers were being filled from a tap marked "not drinking water". Curious.

S. C.

It's great . I went there on a date with someone and we where one of the only couples . Some of the toys will give you nightmares, some will raise eyebrows and others will bring back memories of your childhood. But beware , we got in a lift and a child went to come running in without it's mum , now my boyfriend was ginger so we looked creepy enough, we did not want to look like children takers , luckily we managed to scare the thing off. Children everywhere.

A. S.

Great place for dayout with kids . Kids can learn and play at the same time. We already visited this museum few times and kids were at different ages and every time its fun and interesting for them. clean and spacious picnic area where you can have your own food

X. W.

The Museum of Childhood is a trip down memory lane for anyone, and an exciting place for visit for children too. There are thousands of toys from different eras on display with background information about their development over the decades. There are also displays about lifestyles of children over the years and in different countries and also some interactive displays. The building itself is beautiful, light and spacious, and the staff were friendly. I'll definitely be going here again. #12daychallenge

K. K. S.

Fun with lots of things to do. Educational for kids and adults. The cafe doesn't have much so I'd take your own snacks and they have good seating area.

E. B.

Really nice place to visit with your child😊

M. R.

Lovely building. Nice way to spend a couple of hours with the children. Some very large old dolls houses. Curious to see many of the toys I used to play with now in display cases as exhibits!

P. T.

Great fun for kids of all ages (that's anywhere up to 100 I'd say). Lots of interactive exhibits to play with and a great place to experience some nostalgia. Lovely little cafe in the centre for a break.

U. E.

Nice little museum to take a toddler to, they'll really enjoy it! Very educational! It's a great way to spend a random weekend afternoon particularly when it's raining outside and going to the park is not an option.

A. V.

Generally a good stop but could invest in making the labels and displays more engaging. Feels a bit dated in the way the information is displayed.

M. K.

Really enjoyable afternoon out for us and our two children. Full of interesting exhibits and not so large it can't all be seen. Staff are super friendly too.

K. N.

Very interesting and lots to see. It was interesting seeing toys from my childhood. You can definitely spend a whole day here. The only downsides were it was very hot in the museum and rather dark in places making it difficult to read the information.

D. B.

Had a great time with my two grandaughters. I must say the lady at the information desk was wonderful. I asked if she had any cutout dolls houses for the girls although busy she searched. Unable to find them she apologised which was all fine, just as we were leaving she chased after us she had found them. That I feel is first class customer care. Lucky to have these people thank you.

D. G.

Took my son and Neice here and they loved it. Looking at the old skool toys from back in the days. They had a small pet zoo outside where the children Could stroke animals. As well a kids activities. You may want to look online to see what activities they have scheduled in term time.

C. V.

Small musuem. We surprisingly managed to spend a whole morning here. Unfortunately it is more geared towards adults reminiscing about the toys of their youth as opposed to having much in the way of activities of exhibits to occupy children today. Interesting for an adult, probably a little disappointing for children.

M.

Fascinating museum!! Loads to see - so allow a couple of hours. The collection of toys through the decades is particularly interesting. Free entry is a bonus. Expect lots of chidren...! Only a very short walk from Bethnal Green tube station.

B. S.

Fun place to walk through real quick if you have time to kill. Not sure that I would go out of my way to see it tho. They have toys, clothes, and exhibits from each era. Interesting to see how much everything changed over time. My girlfriend thought the place was creepy feeling...

N. A.

Legendary local museum spent many a time hear as a child and now as an adult in charge of a child. Nice central location in bethnal green near station. Food and drink options inside and outside in local venues.

B. W.

Great free attraction in London. Lots of toys from yesteryear. Worth a visit with the whole family.

R. F.

Having children should not be the only reason for visiting this museum. This place is a very entertaining - if somewhat "dry" - museum of toys and, more in general, everything that accompanies our childhood. Everyone with an interest in sociology or, more simply, with a love for toys, boardgames, videogames and everything that ends in -games will enjoy this. Beware - you will be surrounded by dozens of excited and screaming kids, but that shouldn't discourage you from visiting. There is a collection of games you can also play with, right at the entrance. The only downside is the organisation of the space: it feels oddly spacious and disorienting - signs are not very easy to spot and explanations are often simple and short. It could be a top-class museum with a little more effort.

R. W.

Its OK. It was warm inside. Overall we were underwhelmed. There is no logical route to flow through you just meander around through the maze of, far too few, often topic-muddled display cases. The lift and stairs do not function in concert being in perfect locations to ruin an easy-flow path around. Half the upper gallery was inconveniently shut, with some strange construction work in progress . . . so they DO have the financial backing. Where have all the wonderful items gone from the museum's former venue? A lot seem to be missing. Previously the museum was brilliant, intimate, and packed-to-bursting, now the venue is ample with the contents rattling in the space. That said, there are 1000s of interesting items on display, they just need many 1000s more. Lighting was generally very poor, bordering on none at times, for the exhibits but abundant for the centrally-located restaurant and shop! Whilst some categories of 'toys' were well represented other categories were extremely ill-represented or nothing. They have a good base to build on and there is MUCH to improve. Unsurprisingly adults bring their children of all ages which leaves the museum in difficulty catering for all ages particularly tiny tots. As its fee they run the risk of becoming a local pop-in 'play-centre' with cafe/restaurant immediately to hand; a difficult balance to achieve. Great credit to V&A in keeping it free as an admission fee would have made it a very poor deal. In places it became an annex to the Science museum with CCTV system to try (not-working), and a rotating gravity-dependent machine, which you can operate . . . but absolutely nothing to do with childhood! Roger

A. T.

I took my squad of boys ages 1- 7 years old, and they had fun, there are a few things there to get them engaged for a few minutes and it's freeeeee so we had a nice family day out.

M. J.

It's a toy museum with a fancy name. The temporary displays are nice and interactive, the one about the pirates was a big pirate ship s shaped playground for example. The main exhibition are toys in glass displays which may be a bit disappointing for children.

J. F.

Went over there with my fiance and mum and even thou my mom is over 50 and fiance almost 30 we all enjoyed our visit its absolutely wonderful seeing all those toys from different eras. Even found some frome mine and my mothers early childhood.

T. K.

Even if the toys are organised in cases - which takes adults back to our childhood and to even earlier times - there is plenty to do and play between the cases and upstairs. There are great workshops and a nice cafe. It is free, we have been three times and will return.

D. D.

It would easy to presume that the museum is solely for children, but it's relevant to everyone. The museum's toy collection is the largest in the world and, with items dating as far back as 1600, there's a part of everyone's childhood there. It doesn't take long to come across something on display that you'll remember owning or playing with. It's not just toys, there's also an extensive collection of children's clothing dating from the 1700s. What adds interest to a visit is learning more about how children would have lived and the things that were important to them. Exhibitions and special displays focus on subjects and social history relating to childhood which add a new dimension to the collections. There's a cafe and lots of activities for children all of which make the museum a lively place to visit. #museum #childhood #London

H. T.

Looks like really good fun. Lots of induced nostalgia! Went with my nephew as they have some children's play classes and it looked really enjoyable. A nice place that families with young children can go and explore and learn.

G. C.

This well located museum with free entry and was bustling with families on the weekend. There were a number of good exhibits on at the moment i.e. Toy Story and there are lots of toys from different periods and cultures. A great way to spend an afternoon.

N. T.

Several times I have visted the museum the overall experience is great, but the only thing they need to reconsider is the cafe from that catering company, the food is horrible and there is nothing oriented to young kids to healthy options. Do not mentioned the overpriced food for the quality delivered.

D. J.

Love coming here nice and interactive for my children great nostalgia for me. Lovely staff

A.

An interesting museum. It's highly interactive especially for children. It's a great option to spend a day with your kids. If it's raining outside and you don't have anything else to do ill recommend to check this place out.

F. K.

Great fun for the kids. And you'll probably find somethings to reminisce over yourself. Free entry for all and a voluntary suggested donation of £3. All you need is some good weather and free time. Have fun. .

M. B.

Always a great place for kids especially during half term, they have all sorts of sorts and crafts through the day. So much fun for the kids and its a great place to pass few hours

J. W.

This is a cavernous museum, with toys from yesteryear and yesterday grouped by type (push toys, creative, building, etc.). There is a creative play area for children, as well as a cafe and shop. There are a number of items from antiquity, but adults will especially like the nostalgic walk down childhood memory lane.

s. S.

This place is for children and family. There are several area for relaxing and playing. The cafe was very nice and you can carry a big luggages with you. There are several table for having lunch.

S. L.

Great little mini museum in Bethnal Green. Great place to spend a few hours looking at some fabulous vintage toys, baby items. etc. Great open space with places for kids to interact and play.

W. E. T.

The space itself is lovely, and I can find no fault with the permanent exhibitions arranged thematically, which is certainly a nice change from other forms of categorisation employed. The dollhouses in particular were interesting, offering insight into Victorian era norms. However, I do feel that the space could benefit from a lot more light, and perhaps a more focused understanding of who the museum's target audience is, as I felt the information labels lacked the depth usually found in similar spaces, but the objects on display might not necessarily have appealed to young children.

t. c.

I loved this as much as the kids did. A great space, free entry, good cafe in teh centre space, and as full a range of toys ( old , and near new) as you could imagine. Some poignant, some just creepy ( puppets....). Well worth a visit, very close to Bethnal Green Tube, we spent a great morning here.

L. S. (.

I couldn't help but wonder.... how much fun do children have in this place? It's a really nice building and according to a knowledgable source, the tiled floors were fitted by the residents of the local womens prison. Inside, the use of space is a bit lacking and it's definitely in need of a refresh. The small number of child friendly exhibitions are randomly placed and not particularly enticing. Even though the entrance was crammed full of prams, I can't see how children would have fun here.

C. M.

Charming museum and a surprise delight with interactive activities for kids, and information regarding stages of development and the importance of play in young lives. Displays of toys from over the decades is a distinct treat and a brilliant trip down memory lane for those of us now only young 'at heart'.

S. T.

Lots of old toys. Interesting from a nostalgia point of view, but only a fraction of the toys will be relevant to any one person, so lots of dull things. No parking at all. Overpriced cafe, but the coffee was good. Decent baby-changing facilities.

V. L.

Great museum for children and adults. Brings back childhood memories for most adults, and children can play the interactive exhibits. Having some video of people playing the actual (older) toys would be nice to see.

M. C.

I took my 2 year old, and met friends with another 2 year old there. We had a ball. The museum is full of wide open spaces, great for toddlers to run around without bumping into things. There are plenty of fun things to look at, and quite a few fun things to do: An under 3's soft play area and a large sandpit amongst them. The exhibits are interesting for adults and older kids to look at Toilets are spotless and there are baby-changing facilities in the mens and womens bathrooms. The cafe is well laid out and very child friendly, though I thought the food itself was only ok and slightly over-priced.

•. a. P.

Great place for toy history, lovely building, but not interactive enough. The model railway could have better engines and run longer for your 20p. The cafe is very pricey

N. B.

My son and I spend a lovely day wandering round all the exhibits and playing with things. Interesting toys, games, baby items and dolls houses ranging up to the modern day.

D.

Not surprisingly full of kids during school holiday (including mine!) Surprisingly, not loads to keep them engaged. A few interactive bits, but loads of interesting 'things in cases'. The highlight was the exhibition of photos of brothers and sisters.

I. A.

A great trip down a child's perspective of entertainment which did not involve a screen or a mind of its own. Definitely shows the availability of stock of basic materials as well as the simple yet fun toys which are now days considered old, being replaced my smartphones and electric devices based around this subject.

J. D.

Just lots of displays of old and new toys. All British / maybe some european toys though, so foreign friends can't join in with the nostalgia. Full of families - the line of prams outside was very funny!

R. W. F. f.

Great place to visit in Bethnal Green total free of charge

J. P.

Excellent place to visit....will definitely go again. My granddaughter loved it. Good place to take children in the school holidays Adults will say oh look I had one of those when I was a child. Free to go in. Donations help.

N. S.

Beautiful Museum, plenty to look round always somthing new there, indoor sandbox for the kids. Little gift shop and cafe there is also a little packed lunch hall for picnics, museum is easy to find.

H. C.

Brilliant place for kids on a rainy day, my kids never get bored it's like our second home!. The sand pit and sensory area is their favourite and the craft sessions are great.

S. D.

I came here as a child and it seemed like this museum was endless. I was still grappling with the concept that people had been children years before I had at that time. I came back quite recently after a lazy brunch, and although it seemed a lot smaller I really took time to appreciate the Victorian splendour of the building. The collection was fascinating, particularly as toys now seem less and less relevant in a world where we have so much technology. I hope this museum is here to stay.

A. U.

Interesting and fun for all generations. Saw toys that I used to dream about having 55 years ago. Showcases too dark though. Would have appreciated more adequate lighting.

U. J.

Vey nice for the kids, lots of activities!!

P. K.

We went with a 6yo and 3yo, there was a small section to do craft and a few small pay areas for kids but broadly most things were behind glass cabinets. Not bad for a couple of hours and of course free, but hard to imagine spending longer there.

J. P.

Very interesting place to take children. Lots of other things going on besides just seeing vintage toys and yet interesting for adults too, seeing how toys of certain eras used to look like. Hence, bringing back memories if at a certaing age. Lsrge cafetria area. Book/toys on sale. Information booth. Three intetesting floors. Suitable for toddlers too. Overall, an good place to remind our children/grandchildren of toys of yester years.

S. W.

This interesting assortment of toys is likely to both bring back memories and provide a glimpse of what children played with in previous generations. While enjoyable, I think the museum needs a different name. It's not really a museum of CHILDHOOD per se, but more a collection of toys spanning a range of generations. Adding an exhibit that shows how childhood has changed over time and/or been symbolically constructed would make a visit even better (i.e. some cross cultural comparisons and explorations of birth-to-coming-of-age-ceremonies kind of thing?). When we visited there was a special exhibit of Nordic Design; check online for changes to the highlighted exhibits.

R. C.

We spent half a day here. Enjoyed it! It is a bit dark in there, I assume to save the artifacts. Has a mix of old and new stuff. Though to be honest some of the older toys I still own!

E. I.

Nice place to visit with kids, a lot for them to do. Lots of toys from your childhood there, only downside because it was half term when we went the cafe was very very busy and you couldn't get a table. Free to Enter.

F. B.

Interesting but lacking. Cabinets of toys but no real association with time or the impact of commercialisation of childhood, impact of comics, TV adverts etc. Far Too many dolls and dolls houses, anyone would think this was all kids ever played with. No concept of poor kids versus rich kids toys. No hands on for toys of past clockwork, pedal cars and so on. Needs a director with a vision. Amazing building. Crap cafe.

P. B.

A great place to see were all your old toys disappeared too!

R. A.

Very interesting and a nostalgic trip back into my younger days.

L. D.

Nice structured taught session and interactive session available. Lots of toys from around the world to look at. Free open space nice cafe area for lunch and dedicated space for schools to have lunch.

D. B.

Interesting selection of vintage and contemporary children's toys some interactive features but not that many. Visiting when they are special exhibitions is a good idea.

N. H.

Great fun - my son loved it. Cafe staff tried their best but clearly understaffed for a half term. Some of the touchscreen exhibits do not work anymore sadly. Great place and well worth a visit.

D.

This is one of the most underwhelming exhibitions I've even seen. There is simply no way this will hold the attention of modern children. It's essentially lots of old toys in glass cabinets, organised in a lose thematic order which jumps around chronologically.

H. S.

Lots of old toys, different toy categories. A real trip down memory lane. The temporary exhibition A pirates life for me was well thought out, exciting to go through and brought out the playful child in me.

C.

Great museum when it's quiet, we went on a a Sunday afternoon so had lots of space and was able to use all the interactive equipment at leisure. My five year old really enjoyed himself 😊

K. R.

A great place for children of all ages, either for a visit with the family or with the school, friends etc. Lots of activities and things to look at so makes a great day out

C. B.

A real trip down memory lane in places an eclectic selection of toys and childhood ..an interesting cafe obvs. very popular with local mums ..is it really grouchy to whinge about kids running around enjoying themselves ? I must be a grouch then .

S. P.

This museum shows with actual toys, the history of childhood, a relatively recent invention of modern times. Through their displays they showcase what children played with from decades ago up to more recent times. A great collection to relive your childhood.

S. A.

Was a lovely, clean place. Brass band played plus a choir ( not sure if it was the normal thing there.) Lovely but expensive gift area. Walking around the building did however disappoint as id been 20 years before and possibly even many more years prior when i was younger too. As i was born in Hackney so would either go with my dad/family. Then years later as a childrens nanny then again inbetween, our last visit was for my husband 50th (as we live out near St Lawerence Bay/Maldon area) so we thought as part of our planned day we would reminse on our era which id seen there before years back. Its been renovated by the modern-day feel. We barely saw anything like we was expecting and id been previously excited to see. My childhood (our) childhood was hardly there. It was jam packed when id been in the past but this time there was many modern day toys. Even Action man didnt have his plastic tank or helicopter like we had back then. Dolls i had was there before, no longer are. Or you'd get 1 example of say 1 Tiny Tears doll then thats it. What happened to all those ones that you had. Its abit of a mix mis match like few lego blocks in with modern day ones. Why isnt there each era cabinets. As you had the stuff previous. The building is big enough to do this. However there was more Foreign baby items. Like cots. Clothing. When this was the childhood museum people went to from far away plus locals used to pop in with kids like i did as a childrens nanny. Unfortunately i felt it was nicer and fascinating and a time to reminse. Id definately have a section dedicated to different era's whilst walking around but i felt at times i was in Ikea especially as there was many current day items on display. I was sadly disappointed as id told my 3 (age 50yrs. 17 yr ol and a 19 yr old) how u see thing we played with as kids or nanny had but it was more current stuff my kids played with

N. M.

This museum remains a family favourite. This weekend we enjoyed the Christmas craft fair. These additional events at the museum are well organised and always enhance our visit.

M. M.

Lovely museum with lot of toys. I've never seen some toys. You can see Star wars toys, E.T., Barbie, lot of dool house etc. Just faboules. There is floor with board's game. Ideal for parents and children but for everyone as well.

L. S. T.

Took us way back to our childhood. The toys I almost forgot I played with really made me smile. The is a wonderful museum and a must see for anyone who wants to bathe in nostalgia.

S. C.

Enjoyed my trip to this museum - took around 90 minutes to look around the exhibits split over two levels. It's mostly toys throughout the ages for adults to be nostalgic about but there are activities for kids such as dress up and questions posted around which would be good for groups. The two current exhibits are about Bagpuss/Clangers et al (dissappoiningly small for me) and on child migrants from Britain (really interesting). The museum also has a cafe and shop.

M. D.

This is a great place to take the kids. So much to see and do. There are a number of play areas and activities every day. My daughter in particular likes arts and crafts where she can make things.

T. C.

Lovely small museum in east London. A few mins by tube from Liverpool Station. Great place to take your little ones. There is lot's to do to keep them busy for a few hrs. There is a sand pit in the middle of the museum. You can relax near by while the kids play there. This museum is not so busy so your kids can walk around without you warring to loose them in the crouds.

E. A.

Fantastic Museum for a trip back on memory lane.

E. T.

Lots to see. My nine year old daughter particularly liked the doll's houses. Give yourself more than just the hour we had to really see everything properly

K. K.

The collection is good but displayed in the most uninspired way. So many stories could be told in this museum: What did kids play with in different time periods? What themes were especially popular and when? How did new ideas and technologies enter toy making and child-oriented media? Did our attitude to childhood and parenting methods change? How did global events like wars affect toys (e.g. toy soldiers)? What about themes that are taboo now (like tabacco in old cartoons)? How were toys used for education? What about the baby boom and consumerism? Did our evolving understanding of gender have impact on toys and their advertising? Or maybe simply let people of different ages tell their own childhood stories? Instead the displays are organised by basic features: here are dolls, here are doll houses, here are costumes, here are cars, here are electric toys, here are clockwork toys... A lot of opportunities are wasted. The museum could use a curator with a vision. Still, admission is free and you will certainly find some of the displays interesting so there is no reason not to pop in on a free weekend.

D. J.

My kids loved going here. Great place for a rainy afternoon. Would recommend it to anyone in need of a quick and easy thing to entertain your kids.

R.

I'm sure it's a wonderful museum and I very much appreciate the quiet room + the help from one of the staff members. However I was unable to enjoy the museum because it so loud and echoey that I had a sensory meltdown. I wish I had known it would be so incredibly loud. I would like to look into if they ever have quiet days where maybe less school trips are allowed so people with sensory processing problems could enjoy themselves too. (I have ASD)

L. B.

An extra star for being completely free. Our little ones had a great time - there are just about enough interactive elements - although we didn't get the full experience as the most recent exhibition display had closed

S. M.

Took my 4 year old daughter to this museum. The journey from Northampton to London is significant - for a four year old. The extra to get to Bethnall Green is tricky. Once there, it is a very nice museum. Probably targeted at older children than 4. The cafe is really good - maybe a bit pricey. The museum sets aside space for people to eat their own food.

T. L.

Great idea for a museum. Quite original. You can return to your childhood with this cute collection. If visiting with children beware, they may end up liking it more than you'd want.

M. P.

In general it's OK. However it's very dark inside and there is lack of staff to sort out play areas. Some parents are way to busy chatting to notice their kids spoiling fun for everyone else....

S. A.

Interesting place to take kids. Went on Sunday so got free parking infront but otherwise difficult to find any space. Fun story time and lots to do for kids.

E. M. R.

The Museum of Childhood is a good Museum that's well laid out and easy to get around. The installation of dolls houses is really nice, and there are a few activities for kids.

J. F.

Not huge, but that does mean you can get through the whole space on a not-huge attention span. Lot of interesting looks at toys, costumes and more. And very close to transport. Well worth a visit.

T. R.

We visited the Childhood museum for the Chinese New Year celebration. Was well organised. Even we had to queue for a while everything went smooth. We enjoyed the performances and the permanent collections.

T.

Most toys are displayed in cabinets. A decent place to bring children. Large gift shop with lots of unusual gift ideas for kids.

F. C.

Great place to take children. The story tellers were great fun! My 3 year old granddaughter loved the story time, the craft afterwards and the rocking horse!

A. R.

Great for under 5s with sensory play area, sandpit, play kitchen, story times. Not so many things for older kids but my 6yr old still loves it

J. G.

Fun picking out the things I remembered from my childhood.

L.

Free and lot's of old toys, fun for the whole family. But for some reason the light were turned down low when we were here, and the doll house exhibition didn't have to light on. I tried to point this out to a member of the staff, but they didn't seem to understand what I've meant.

M. I.

Nostalgic bliss Bring the kids and enjoy the retro toys from yesteryear. Lovely café for the parents and the museum is very manageable for small children. Been coming here since I was a child.

V. B.

Really cute and interesting museum.

J. H.

Loads of interesting toys and interactive stuff to do. Great coffee, cake and food! Love it here. Loads of restaurants and bars around the museum. Not far from Brick Lane and Broadway market.

Y. S.

Dated, tired, less interactive than other museums. If there are workshops on they are quite good but it's better for nostalgic adults than children.

S. F.

So dark I could hardly see the exhibits! The café had few options for special diets. We were there for a party which was great, but not sure I would have travelled across London to go if we didn't have an event to go to.

G. C.

Given this was supposed to be a museum of toys, I found it a little too stiff and staid. Not sure if there would be a better way to display things to be more interesting, more interactive. Kind of dark interior. That said it is free and still allows to pass some time. Good if you are in the area.

P. K.

A few activities for children, but largely a series of glass cases with toys through the ages. Some special events (such as folk and brass band music on St George's Day) Café food quite expensive.

F. O.

kids love it. it looks like its sparsely populated but our kids have literally spent 3 hours in there before. sandpit, punch and judy etc. they have loads of free events. its free to get in. if you don't like the benugo-£2.90-for-a-cup-of-tea franchise, bring sandwiches and a thermos.

P. S.

Lovely place to remember toys of the past

A. M. r.

Lovely place to visit, free entry but they do rely on donations for the up keep. Had a lovely time reminiscing about days gone by and showing the next generation how much better our toys were compared to theirs!

P. S.

An amazing place for kids !!! A wide variety of toys since 1800 on display . My daughter really enjoyed !! 'Animal Magic' show was fun !!! Craft making too !! A must visit for all the kids !!

A. C.

The Museum of Childhood is very good for kids. Whilst it is a relatively old museum the displays are good and the information displays are informative. The cafe is a good place for kids to eat.

D. T.

My neice 4 year old neice loved it, some parts made me feel nostalgic about my own childhood and other parts were interesting to see what previous generations would have played with. There are guides, interactive educational bits and a gift shop

D. W.

Wonderful place with a variety of children's toys almost to the present day with plenty that I remember playing with in the 1960s and plenty I remember my children playing with. Feeling nostalgic? This is the museum for you.

T. A. T. a.

Still a wonderful place to visit Brings back fond memories of my childhood. To see all my favourite toys and games in the museum makes me laugh and cry. Ahhh to be young again.

c. r.

Grace place for kids to learn about parents childhood

S. A.

It's not one of the museums that you normally think of in London, which makes it all the better - an absolute gem.

D. G.

Lovely building with interesting exhibits. Worth a visit if you want to relive your childhood favourites or to rekindle the anger you felt at not getting the toys you wanted. Shocked to observe that the Raleigh Chopper wasn't an original but a remake! The Thunderbird 2 was similarly different from the one I had. Disappointed and let down doesn't even come close to expressing how I felt. 😀

A. K.

We enjoyed our visit, especially my 2 year old. Interesting insight into the world, and history, of toys with plenty of activities for the little ones. Highly recommend.

S. J.

Nostalgic fun in a small but beautiful museum. My only gripe would be that a few of the interactive elements weren't operational or where damaged but other wise a very nice place to spend an hour or two.

P. W.

It's OK for what it is but they don't have a vast range or a vast display space. Can be covered in about an hour. I was looking for toys I had in the 1950's and all I spotted was a 'Magic Robot'.

J. P.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to the museum particularly the exhibition about the children migrants sent to Canada and Australia. My only complaint is that the videos of the survivors had no subtitles and being hard of hearing I felt I missed a lot. The video of Gordon Brown apologising in parliament was subtitled and I was very moved by it. Please take note ALL museums and art galleries that subtitles would increase many peoples enjoyment. Increasing the sound doesn't help as it's the clarity that's important..

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