Toy motorbike Rico, Museo del Traje. Madrid © Ministerio de Cultura
Toy butcher's shop in the Costume Museum. Madrid © Ministerio de Cultura
Did you know that Spain is one of the main toys manufacturers in Europe? Table football machines and the Mariquita Pérez doll have given many hours of fun to young and old in different countries throughout the years. Toy cars, miniature trains, building games, dolls, toy horses, tin soldiers... Children's favourite toys remain the same despite the passing of time, as you can see for yourself in the many toy museums found all over Spain. A charming experience that will bring back childhood dreams and can be enjoyed by all the family.
As well as stimulating the imagination, toys are a reflection of the society of each period. The Museum of Traditional Games in the town of Campo (Huesca) contains pieces from almost 200 games and old photographs of them being played, and will show your children how children used to have fun in the countryside.
In the Toy Museum of Catalonia in Figueres (Girona) you can discover objects that famous people, such as Salvador Dalí, Federico García Lorca and Joan Miró, entertained themselves with. Nearby, 75 km away, is the collection of the Toy Museum of Sant Feliú de Guíxols, containing over 3,500 toys from between 1875 and 1975. Other pieces to bring a smile to your face are to be found in museums such as those in Albarracín (Teruel) and Ibi (Alicante) and the Children's Museum in Albacete.
Venerated by collectors, sought-after gifts and, of course, a treat for all children. In Spain you'll see some very valuable collections, such as that of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco Museum in Salamanca, where more than 300 porcelain dolls constitute the largest public display of this type in the world. There are also interesting and important exhibitions in the Museum of Antique Dolls in Palma on the island of Majorca, the Dolls Museum in Castell d’Aro (Girona), the Romantic Museum in Sitges (Barcelona) and the Marín Museum-Factory in Chiclana de la Frontera (Cadiz). If dolls' houses also interest you, don't miss a visit to the Miniatures Museum in Ourense and the Dolls' House Museum in Malaga, where you can admire pieces like a reproduction of a typical Majorcan house from 1850 and an Andalusian collection from the 19th century.
If you are planning a trip to Madrid, we recommend you visit the Costume Museum. This centre often organises themed exhibitions with a selection from its important toy collection, comprising almost 17,000 items.
Get ready to have a great time revisiting your childhood in the company of your children in Spain.
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