V&A Museum of Childhood - Must Have Toys - Decade By Decade

In 2004 an exhibition called Must Have Toys revisited the favourite childhood toys of the 20th century decade by decade – find out about the toys and toy makers explored in that exhibition.

Must Have Toys 1900-1919

At the beginning of the 20th century the toy industry was heavily rooted in German manufacture, as it had been…

Must Have Toys 1920s

At the beginning of the 1920s change was necessary for the toy industry to survive. The interruption in German imports…

Must Have Toys 1930s

By the beginning of the 1930s trade with Germany had resumed, albeit reluctantly, on both sides. The atmosphere was one…

Must Have Toys 1940s

The 1940s began with Britain plunged into the Second World War with Germany. The war period was one of great…

Must Have Toys 1950s

Britain was far from wealthy at the start of the 1950s and materials were still in short supply. There were…

Must Have Toys 1960s

At the end of the 1960s Britain’s toy exports were doing well, but manufacturers had issues to face. In 1961…

Must Have Toys 1970s

The 1970s was a difficult time for the British toy industry, with events at home and abroad having a significant…

Must Have Toys 1980s

By the beginning of the 1980s a host of difficulties had arisen for British toy manufactures: poor economic climate, increased…

Must Have Toys 1990s

One of the great advances of the 1990s was the launch, by the British Toy and Hobby Association, of the…

Must Have Toys 2000s

The familiar ‘traditional’ dolls, teddy bears, prams, games, trains, building kits and rocking horses that were popular at the beginning…