Child’s play goes back in time as public asked to contribute to toy museum
The Winterval Toy Museum will feature a range of toys dating back to the 1930s and is being curated by local company Hasbro Ireland, makers of Monopoly, among other board games.
Now the organisers are inviting members of the public to have their own toys displayed in the nostalgia-fest, which will open on Friday, Nov 30, and they are promising to return all items once the Winterval festival ends at Christmas.
Entry to the museum will be free and among the artifacts on show will be one of the first editions of Mr Potato Head — which enjoyed a resurgence in popularity thanks to the Toy Story trilogy of movies — along with GI Joe, Playdoh from the 1960s, original Transformer models from the 1980s and more.
The museum is expected to appeal to children of all ages — who will enjoy having a glimpse at what their parents or grandparents played with in years gone by — or their minders, who can take a stroll down memory lane.
Hasbro Ireland’s HR manager John Lennon said: “We do have a wonderful collection of toys dating right back to the 1930s, making their way to Ireland for the very first time from Hasbro HQ in the US.
“However, we also want to extend an offer to the public for them to display any interesting and unique toys they may be holding onto since their childhood, at the toy museum.”
For younger fans for whom merely looking at toys isn’t enough, there will be a giant play area where they can test their Twister skills and more.
Mr Lennon said that all of the toys donated for display at the museum will be catalogued and returned after the festival.
“We know from visits to the factory that a lot of people do keep the toys that were near and dear to them as children and this is a wonderful opportunity to showcase some of those hidden treasures.”
Anyone who wants to see his or her childhood toys on display should contact Hasbro Ireland by email on john.lennon @hasbro.ie.
The Winterval Toy Museum will be housed in City Hall, on The Mall in Waterford City, and will be open for free admission from Nov 30 to Dec 23 between 11am and 7pm each day.
Meanwhile, the Winterval Festival offers a trail of more than 20 separate events and the whole city of Waterford will be transformed into a Winterval Wonderland until Christmas. A total of 13 varied free events have been announced for the inaugural festive celebration, including the Toy Museum.
* See winterval.ie
