Stories of Childhood
Kids Today!
We are very grateful to children from Burton Road Primary School for taking part in our Contemporary Collecting Project. The group visited The Entertainer shop in the Alhambra Centre and each pupil chose a toy or game they liked for the Museum collection and which they wanted to be remembered in the future. They also learnt about museum collecting and objects from different time periods which represent people’s lives in the borough.
Robert the Squishmallow, 2024

Chosen by Esme Bryan age 10. Esme likes Robert as he ‘is very big and cuddly and I like the flower pattern it has on its tummy’
Gooey Louie, 2024
Chosen by Jude Britton, age 9. ‘It looks really funny and is a crazy game as he has snot coming out of his nose and his brain flies out.’
Bakugan Set, 2024
Chosen by Jude Britton, age 9. Jude liked this as it is ‘cool and exciting’. Bakugan is a battle game and according to the makers you can play or ‘brawl’ with figures in over 20,000 combinations.
Classic Lego Set, 2024
Chosen by George Shakespeare, age 9. ‘I really like Lego because you can do anything you want with it and build
loads of different stuff.’
Experimake Creations, 2024

Chosen by Milosz Kowalski, age 10.‘I like science and experiments and when I grow up I would like to be a doctor so it is good to learn science. I can help people as a doctor.’
Hot Wheels Skate Pack, 2024

Chosen by Kaiden Hunter, age 9.‘I really like skateboarding, I’ve got a real skateboard too. I like all the different artwork on these Hot Wheels skateboards and how you can play and collect them.’
Hot Wheels Model Kit, 2024
Chosen by Theo Jensen, age 10.‘I like Hot Wheels models as you can customise them yourself and I like to spend time building them.
Teen Titans Go!, 2024
Chosen by Theo Jensen, age 10. Theo watches and enjoys the Teen Titans cartoon and this is why he chose this toy in particular to represent toys in 2024.
Zuru Pets Alive Corgi, 2024
Chosen by Ava Hawksworth, age 9. Ava really likes dogs and she has a real dog she loves called ‘Rosie’. Ava
also knows that Queen Elizabeth II owned lots of Corgis
Squish-a-longs and Suprizamals, 2024
Chosen by Ava Hawksworth, age 9. Both toys are small and collectible, Ava thinks the Sqish-a-longs are funny and the Surprizamals have the element of…surprise!
Friendship Bracelets, 2024
Chosen by Aitana Wigfield, age 10. Aitana really likes making bracelets to wear as you can customise them however you like and use your favourite colours.
Asha Doll, 2024
Chosen by Aitana Wigfield, age 10.‘One of my favourite movies is Wish so I chose Asha from the film to go to the museum.’
Return to the virtual exhibition or explore more of the objects from the exhibition below.

Explore, Reminisce, Play!
Discover over one hundred years of growing up in Barnsley through toys, games, pictures and treasured memories. You’ll recognise some items on display, but others may be less familiar… We hope you enjoy exploring and we’d love it if you had some fun too!

Back To School
What do you think of your education? Do you remember one person you learnt from or looked up to? We’ve included a number of objects here from different
schools and clubs across the borough – it’s impossible to fit them all in!

Toy Treasures and Board Game Battles
Most people can remember a favourite toy and some grown ups have kept at least one for sentimental reasons. Did you have one special toy for most of your childhood? Or did it change every now and then as you grew up?

Toy Treasures and Board Game Battles (Part2)
Most people can remember a favourite toy and some grown ups have kept at least one for sentimental reasons. Did you have one special toy for most of your
childhood? Or did it change every now and then as you grew up?

No Place Like Home
The objects on display here made us think of being at home as a child. What object or word brings a memory of home to you?

What Makes a Child's Day Special?
It could be a big celebration, but it doesn’t have to be. In this display, we’ve chosen some objects from festive days and one-off events, and others which marked a special time for just one child.