Entertaining kids in Edinburgh

Written by Helen Fowler

There's something disconcerting about seeing toys I remember from my own childhood on display in Edinburgh's Museum of Childhood. It's an uncomfortable reminder of getting older, when you see a 1970's Raleigh Chopper on an exhibition stand. It just doesn't square with my memories of riding around the Edinburgh suburbs on the back of one.

Despite this unnerving experience, eldest daughter and I enjoyed our trip to the Museum of Childhood. She spent at least half an hour playing with a doll's house (also 1970's) and had to be restrained from vaulting over the cordons to play with the toy cars. "Mummy, look at the dolls!" she said in wonder, when we got to a display of dolls from Victorian times onwards. And she pressed her face up against the glass.

There are free toys, games and books scattered across the museum and it's a great place to spend a morning or afternoon if you have kids to entertain. Daughter took a particular liking to a contraption that involved 'fishing' with a magnetic rod and was in raptures when she saw a merry-go-round horse tethered near the bikes and cars.

I'm sure I recognised a Beatrix Potter cereal bowl from my childhood on display in the china and crockery section. How previous generations managed without the wonders of modern melamine tableware, let alone without dishwashers and microwaves, is a mystery the museum - wisely - does not attempt to answer.

Unlike many places in Edinburgh I remember from childhood, the Museum of Childhood is remarkably unchanged. Which, as you might imagine, is something both good - and not-so-good. The building and displays might all benefit from some renovation work. However, entry to the council-owned museum is free and (I am guessing here) funding might be a stumbling block.

Daughter, however, did not notice any shabbiness and spent a happy morning exploring the relics of childhood from earlier generations. One particular highlight: she enjoyed stuffing five pence pieces into a 'ghoulie' machine, which sprang into life every time she slotted in another coin, revealing all manner of supernatural activity. Compared to how much I normally spend on supermarket rides (50 pence a go), these games are great value.

So if you fancy a retrospective on your own childhood, while entertaining the kids, get along to the Museum of Childhood. It can only be a matter of time before Gameboys, Wii and Pokemon appear there too.

Museum of Childhood, 42 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1TG, 0131 529 4142

Open Mondays to Saturdays, 10am to 5pm, Sundays in August, 12pm to 5pm