Come explore the world of children and their daily life in Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultures in Amazement Square’s exhibition Child’s Play!

Just as the influence of ancient art, sports, and science is reflected in modern society, so too is the impact of ancient toys and games. The Child’s Play exhibition invites guests to examine the toys and games of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome and to draw connections between ancient toys and those that children play with today through several fun hands-on activities. The exhibition also incorporates second and third grade history Virginia Standard of Learning curriculum that encourage students to understand the many influences of these ancient cultures on modern society, especially in the areas of architecture, government, and written language.

In this interactive exhibition, visitors are encouraged to try their hands at an ancient version of bean bag toss and compare it to a contemporary version of this game that was developed locally, examine the type of materials and processes used to make toy balls, discover how many of our present day toys can be traced back to toys used in ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultures, and more.  The exhibition also includes a scavenger hunt where visitors can earn a special prize by looking for fun facts about these ancient cultures.

Amazement Square would like to thank local artists May Carter, Jane Garrett, and Peggy Whitaker for their creative contributions to Child’s Play and Nate Haggerty for his donation to the exhibition.