Stories of Childhood
Care Bear, 1986
Jemma received this bear when she was two and obsessed with Care Bears! Starting as characters on greetings cards in 1981, the caring characters became toys and followed up with their own TV show
Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, 2000
In Japanese, Yu Gi O means ‘Game King’. Toko played with his cards at home and during school lunch breaks with friends. He enjoyed playing against his friends in duels, and they would choose their favourite cards. Toko admired the
designs and would try to draw them.He remembers his parents buying him a starter deck from Argos. Booster packs were sold in petrol stations so any time his dad filled up the car, Toko made sure to try and get a pack.
Tracy Island, 1992
The fictional Tracy Island was the secret base of International Rescue, located somewhere in the Pacific Ocean between Australia and South America. The heroic Tracy family lived here, alongside the legendary Thunderbirds! This toy belonged to David Wood. His parents remember queuing for hours outside Toys R Us to buy it. It was the must-have toy in 1992 with a Blue Peter home-made version also an option.
Game Boy Advance, 2001
Following on from the original Game Boy in 1989 and the Game Boy Colour in 1998, the Game Boy Advance has a
landscape form factor with the buttons to the sides of the device. Michael’s love of games started with the original Gameboy. Sadly, his mum had to briefly take it away from him as too many hours playing Batman and Tetris was causing eyestrain! His favourite game is still Spyro The Dragon which he got for his new Playstation, Christmas
1997. This fire breathing character inspired Michael to get dressed up as the mythical dragon during the Covid pandemic, raising £700 for charity with a sponsored walk of Athersley.
What do you play your games on today?
Figurine by Charles Vyse, 1925
A fantastical ceramic figurine with bright colours and a lot going on. What could have caused this strange tug of war?
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?
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.
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
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?