Children’s playthings are now becoming increasingly reliant on batteries or are “devices” and games that are isolating as they command the individual’s full and addictive attention.
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Many items are manufactured from easily damaged and short life synthetics so it is refreshing to be reminded of the toys of yesteryear.
Many items are manufactured from easily damaged and short life synthetics so it is refreshing to be reminded of the toys of yesteryear.
Good, solid, and dependable, and often made of wood or tin.
Such as this photographed sturdy metal foot powered car that John and Nancy Rogers are seen with outside the Matheson Post Office circa early 1940s.
If it broke down it was probably fixed with a twitch of wire.
Most likely over their childhood they would have had great fun alongside others, mixing mud pies (a peck of dirt was said to be good for you), making little dams, skipping, bowling old tyres or hoops, pumping spinning tops, making telephones of tins and string.
Children climbed trees, made cubbies, caught butterflies or yabbies, played marbles or tiddly winks, made paddocks of stock from sticks and pebbles, found and placed a few sheep’s bones on ants’ nests to clean the meat off so they could use them to play “knuckle bones” and went on scavenger hunts in the garden.
There were dolls to dress with a variety of outfits made of cardboard. Wooden clothes pegs were easy to dress with rags and scraps and dolls could be fashioned from wool or material or wood.
If, however, you were fortunate to have a “store bought” doll and she was injured, the Dolls Hospital was able to fix her.
The Sydney Dolls Hospital first opened in 1913 and is still operating with millions of dolls, teddy bears and other toys having received a new lease on life following injuries.
The museum is building up a children’s room and asking for any good condition pre-1950s toys, please.
Bring the children to the museum as a holiday treat, there is plenty for them to do and you will enjoy telling them about your childhood.
From January 1, 2019 there will be a charge of a gold coin for children.