Whizz, Jump, Spin, Flutter and Fly: New exhibition of dynamic toys

Discover an intriguing world of dynamic toys that move or use moving parts to delight and amuse at the new autumn exhibition at Pollock’s Toy Museum Croydon, from Saturday 27 September.

Toys with movements that harness nature’s physical forces have delighted children and intrigued adults since antiquity. From puffing on a whistle, or blowing soap bubbles, or running into the wind with kites and windmills on breezy days; to the wonder that a top balanced on a tiny point doesn’t fall over, but can spin and spin instead; all of these things are unconscious lessons in physics, as well as simply fun.

Energy released by tugging a tightly wound string, or a twisted elastic band, has been the driver of many ingenious whizzing, crawling, or flipping toys, some homemade by children from a chicken wishbone or a reused plastic bottle; others manufactured in their thousands by toy companies around the world.

Movements created using eccentrically linked sections – as in the bird above – can be made to produce a wide range of surprising actions, and are all the better for the way in which you can see and understand the mechanisms that make them work. Toys like these, from the simple to the sophisticated, have captivated the imagination of artists and craftspeople as well as children, often leading to works containing an element of wry wit or social comment.

Our autumn 2025 exhibition at Pollock’s Toy Museum showcases a range of these so-called ‘dynamic’ toys from the museum’s historical archive, together with a recently acquired travelling exhibition of moving toys from Africa, India and Europe. Visit us to explore the variety, creativity and delight of making things that move. We hope you will leave inspired to join a new generation of children and makers having fun playing with simple materials and basic principles to create your own dynamic toy.

Activities during the dynamic toys exhibition

FREE drop-in family workshops on alternate Saturdays from 11.30am-3.30pm. Join us to make your own toy that moves. Alternates with toy theatre performances. Schedule to be confirmed.

For adults and teachers, we are holding a special half-day workshop with inspiring artist, teacher, and collector Tony Hayward, on Wednesday 24 September. You will be able to handle examples, and have a go at designing and making moving toys using a variety of physical principles. This is a paid-for workshop including a light lunch and places must be booked in advance: find out more and book here.

The exhibition is free and opens on Saturday 27 September, running until January 2026. The Croydon museum is open on Saturdays from 11.00am-4.00pm.