Toys have been a part of a child’s experience since prehistoric times, helping to pass the time and impart knowledge and skills for survival. Between 1850 and 1950, the toy industry was revolutionized by industrial modes of production and began to take some of the forms that we see in today’s toys.
From homemade playthings to vast retail empires Child’s Play, on loan from the Haldimand Museums at the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre examines a century of toys, games and childhood pastimes.