Namaste World: Dolls and toys of The Museum of Childhood

If you are in London with kids, or do not mind to feel like a kid for a while again , go to the Museum of Childhood. This branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum is devoted to everything that is connected with this tender age: furniture - from the old cradle of 1641 to the modern IKEA tables and chairs, children's clothing - from the nappies of the 16th century to the modern jeans, and of course toys - wooden horses, tin soldiers, stuffed bears, dogs, dolls, clock-work monkeys, puppets of various designs, moving trains, bricks, and computer games. Bring some 20-pence coins because there are many mechanical exhibits in the museum , whose work can be seen with the help of a coin.

Russian bears, 1975

Japanese soldiers, 1932

Chinese puppets, 1875-1900

Birmanese puppets, 1920-30

To me, still having weakness for dolls, a museum's collection of dolls was of the greatest interest. This collection numbers about 8000 dolls. Porcelain, wood, wax, English, German, Japanese, vintage and modern - you name it they have it. In addition to the dolls, a collection of doll houses, mostly Victorian, is no less interesting to see. There are over 30 doll houses in the museum and looking at their interior can hold you for more than an hour.