Flanders Toy Museum

After only a few days of R being in school here, I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to the first grade field trip to the Flanders Toy Museum. The highlight for the children was the ride there on the top of a double decker bus. R was fortunate enough to get a prime front row seat on the ride to the museum.
Pieter Bruegel was a famous painter the museum was modeled after. The presentation included a small lesson on toys from the past, such as knuckle bones (taken from actual lambs long ago, but now we call them Jacks) and a look at the paintings of Bruegel. His paintings included children playing games from the 16th century. The tour guide asked the students to identify specific games they could see in the painting. After the discussion he then showed the students a picture frame around a door. Inside was a room painted to resemble the background of Bruegel's painting. He asked the children what was missing in the picture...kids! They were to be the children playing games as in the painting. How neat was that? Inside the room various real examples of toys from the past were behind glass for the children to see and discuss with the guide. The next room contained old games (yo-yo, jump rope, knuckle bones, marbles) the kids could try themselves. Legos were available to play with in a different location after a museum tour of cool Lego sculptures.
All the children brought 5 Euros and purchased a small toy as a souvenir. R bought 2 tops. One has a magnet on the spinner part where 2 small metal snakes can slither around as it moves. How cute!
All in all it was a great day. The children looked pretty sleepy on the bus ride back to school. That always means it's been a successful field trip!