Retro toys, such as marbles and spinning tops, have seen a major comeback recently with a revival in the demand for wooden toys, mechanical wind-up toys, traditional teddy bears and soft toys.

Our nostalgia inspired traditional toys and games take you back to a more innocent era before the invention of computers and video games.

Old fashioned toys like dolls’ houses and puppet theatre are believed to help promote children’s social skills through learning, interaction and role play, while traditional playground games, such as skipping and jacks encourage physical activity and improve co-ordination skills.

Choose from one of our categories of traditional toys and games, which include musical toys, novelty toys, wind-up toys and wooden toys. They make excellent and unusual gifts and are popular with children of all ages!

Our social history museum here at Yesterday’s World in Battle, East Sussex, is home to a huge collection of original toys and children’s games dating back to the 18th century. There are over 100 traditional teddy bears in the Doll and Toy Shop, many of which were donated by members of the public.

Teddy bears were first produced in Germany in the late 19th century. Early bears were made from natural materials like mohair plush fabric with wood-wool stuffing with boot button eyes and felt paws to look like real bears.
Many contained a growler or squeaker that would work when the bear was squeezed or tilted.

We also have a large collection of original Victorian children’s toys and dolls on display. Children who visit the museum love comparing yesterday’s toys to the ones of today and finding out how their grandparents and great grandparents lived when they were young. And of course, it is a great place to take a trip down memory lane for those that remember how life used to be.