In line with the Queensland Government’s COVID-19 restrictions, Queensland Museum (Brisbane), The Workshops Rail Museum (Ipswich) and Hendra Loans Facility is temporarily closed to the public and due to reopen 9.30am Monday 9 August. Learn more and view refund info.

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Exploring Toys

Audience: Prep - Year 2. Please allocate a minimum 4 adults to attend each session.    
Availability:  Queensland school terms, 2021. 
Please list two dates of preference when making your request on the online booking form.

Imagine working in a Museum! We ask students to bring their ideas, teamwork and toy expertise to work with real Museum collections and create their very own exhibition. This hands-on experience will see your students as problem-solvers, designers, collaborators and critical thinkers. Students classify and investigate toys by observing and describing their physical properties.

In small teams, students will:

  • Engage in teamwork through role play to investigate museum practices.
  • Compare different observable properties such as materials, age, colour, texture, flexibility.
  • Use real museum objects to develop a (mini) museum exhibition.
  • Present and describe their exhibition to the group.

Learning Outcomes

  • Recognising concepts of past and present.
  • Sharing what we know about personal and family histories to investigate the past.
  • Observing and interpreting objects, to draw conclusions or devise an inquiry
    (about materials, histories, technologies, energy transfer, etc.).
  • Identifying different materials, processes and technologies used for constructing, manufacturing and operating toys.
  • Celebrating museum collections and the role of the museum in documenting change.

Session Details

  • Allow 45 minutes per session. Rotations for large groups will be hourly to include a reset period. 
  • Program led by Museum staff
  • $6 per student. Supervising adults FREE
  • Minimum 20 students. Minimum 4 adults needed for small role-play component.
  • Teacher Notes (214 KB) pdf document icon including Australian Curriculum links (Science, HASS for Prep, Year 1, Year 2)

Group Visit Information

For information on booking a group into a program and additional information for your visit, go to the Queensland Museum & Sciencentre planning page. Groups may be allocated time for self- guided Museum exploration during school program rotations.