Run by the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Museum of Childhood was originally founded as a general museum in the Victorian era before gradually morphing into its current purpose after the Second World War, officially becoming the Museum of Childhood in 1974. In 2006, it reopened after a year’s refurbishment with a new entrance and extra teaching spaces. The Museum houses collections of toys, children’s clothes, childcare products and dolls and dolls’ houses from throughout history, including a vast collection of teddy bears (even Golliwogs). As well as the general collections, there are special exhibitions such as paper models, photographic stories of children around the world, and somewhat randomly a show devoted to children’s seating! Art about childhood is also included, like an upcoming display of images from Jake and Dinos Chapman’s grotesque My Giant Colouring Book. The museum and all exhibitions are free, and open from 10am to 5.45pm every day, and till 9pm on the first Thursday of every month. Get there from (surprise, surprise) Bethnal Green tube, or Cambridge Heath rail, or on the D6, 106, 254, 309, 388, 8, 26, 55 and 48 buses.