Thanksgiving Archives - The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

December 20, 2021

The Long-Lasting Appeal of Betsy McCall

By Silvia Arellano Fernández, Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art In May of 1951, McCall’s Magazine first introduced Betsy McCall the must-have paper doll of her time, created by staff illustrator Kay Morrisey. Betsy was a middle-class girl who was five-going-on-six, with cream colored skin and peachy cheeks. She lived with her mother, father, and a...

March 10, 2022

Planning a Safe Visit to T/m

Effective immediately, T/m is no longer requiring guests to wear masks while visiting the museum. Unvaccinated individuals are strongly encouraged to wear masks. We are continually reassessing our visitor guidelines and sincerely appreciate your cooperation and support. The health and safety of our guests, staff, and volunteers is T/m’s top priority. The following guidelines for...

February 28, 2022

Meet Baby Whitney!

Baby Whitney was the brainchild of Melvin and Loretta Whitfield, who developed the doll in the mid-1980s in response to their frustration in not being able to find dolls that looked like Black children. The result was this doll that they described as, “based on esthetic and artistic historical data of both the African and...

February 21, 2022

Barbie’s Kitchen of the Future

By Jennifer White In the early 1970’s, Mattel released the Karosel Kitchen, a play structure for Barbie or other similarly sized dolls. This popular toy featured brightly colored cabinets and appliances oriented around a central rotating column. Inspired by the “Kitchen of the Future” from the 1964 World’s Fair, the Kitchen showcased “modern” conveniences such...

December 20, 2021

T/m2Go: Glass Minis

Fine-scale miniature glass artists use incredible techniques to create tiny sparkling works of art! In this T/m2Go video, explore some of the glittering glass minis in the museum’s collection and watch our friend Bruce Breslow at Moon Marble Company make tiny glass marbles. Then, download the activity page to try your hand at drawing a...

November 29, 2021

Holiday Toy: The Dreidel

Looking for a fun seasonal holiday-related toy to take for a spin? Look no further than the Dreidel! This spinning top game is played during the Jewish Festival of Lights called Hanukkah (the Hebrew word meaning dedication). Dreidel is actually a Yiddish word that comes from the German word “dreyen” meaning to spin. In Hebrew, we call it a...

November 9, 2021

T/m wins Gold at 2021 Philly Awards

Museum recognized for 2020 website re-launch KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures (T/m) won an Award of Distinction tonight at the 2021 Philly Awards for its re-launched museum website. The awards were announced during a virtual ceremony hosted and live streamed by Nonprofit Connect. The Philly Awards, now in their...

October 27, 2021

T/m2Go: Grand Gardens

Many fine-scale miniature artists are inspired by the beauty and variety of the natural world around us. In this T/m2Go video, explore some of the nature-inspired minis in the museum’s collection and visit with our friends at Kansas City Community Gardens to learn about the nature in our local area. After you watch the video,...

September 29, 2021

T/m announces second annual Homeschool Month at museum

Homeschoolers can take part in special activity; chaperones get free admission KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures (T/m), together with collaborating partners Kansas City Public Library, Midwest Parent Educators and WhatUpHomee, is proud to announce for the second year in a row that October is Homeschool Month at the museum....

September 15, 2021

Online Scavenger Hunt: Home Again

Journey A. Goodmouse is at it one more time! Read about Journey’s adventures in the journal below, then click HERE to create your very own mini book. Answers to the MINI scavenger hunt are bolded in Journey’s journal above. Download the activity PDF to create your own mini book to tell the story of Journey’s...

Day After Thanksgiving Family Day