New York Edition
Museums For Families
Volume 2, Number 1
Winter 2002

Life Before Video Games

Before television...before radio...before comic books.

On December 15 and 27, kids ages 6-10 can discover how their counterparts managed to amuse themselves a hundred years ago as Harley Spiller - aka Inspector Collector - leads an insider's tour of an eye-popping collection of Victorian-era toys and games at the New-York Historical Society.

Even the most media-minded kid is likely to be wowed by the Inspector's demonstration of dozens of playthings - wheeled, wind-up, and whistling - and dazzled by the intricate, mindbending board games that whiled away the evening hours of another century. But be prepared to learn an old game yourself - your new Victorians will be bringing one home with them.