ZAGREB, 8 Dec (Hina) - The Croatian School Museum will open the exhibition "Once Upon a Time… Croatian Toy Factories in the 20th Century" on Wednesday, 10 December, in its "Školica za 5" gallery. 

The exhibition offers an overview of the country's toy industry, including iconic pieces from the Biserka factory.

The exhibition shows how mass-produced toys reflected social change, encouraged imagination, and became part of Croatia's cultural and educational heritage. It also recalls now-vanished toy factories and highlights the enduring importance of play.

Curated by senior curator Sanja Nekić, the show also features toys from UZOR, Jugoplastika, 25. Maj - Labin and TIK-TIK Krapina, which shaped childhood in the latter half of the 20th century. Among the exhibits are Vučko, mascot of the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics, and Zagi, mascot of the 1987 Zagreb Universiade, both made by TIK-TIK Krapina. A selection from the unique toy collection of the "Naša Djeca" (Our Children) association will also be displayed.

Visitors will see original toys, including those produced after Biserka acquired a Disney licence, which made its products hugely popular. An audio guide for blind and partially sighted visitors will be available throughout the exhibition, which runs until 10 September next year.

The programme also presents the history of didactic and assistive toys developed at the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, as well as a project by the Academy of Fine Arts creating educational materials for children with developmental difficulties using equine-assisted therapy.