Abstract:

The toy is both an object of nostalgia and an element of research and analysis. It is a material that has the ability to carry and transmit social and cultural characteristics from generation to generation. The International Council of Museums describe museum as, not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing. That is why today's museum is responsible for being more accessible, participatory and out of the school environment so, the most important tool that museums use in fulfilling their social functions is “education”. Based on the latest definition, toy museums are responsible for preserving and doing research on childhood and education. They are also able to raise awareness about toys and to establish inter-generational communication. Through inter-generational activities, museum educators use pre-museum, museum and post museum phases. They also use digital sources and social media to reach wider audiences. Using mobile museums and pop-up exhibitions are parts of museum education to diversify visitors. The mobility of museum collections, past and present – invites an interdisciplinary approach. Pop up exhibitions as a part of mobile museums allow audiences to participate and free access of museum activities. A pop-up exhibition is designed to be easily assembled and dismantled, often in locations such as vacant storefronts, community centers, or public spaces. Pop-up exhibitions can be used to reach new audiences, showcase specific themes or collections, and create a sense of novelty and urgency for visitors.

Ankara Toy Museum welcomes thousands of visitors each year and aims to enhance its social functions and increase participatory activities. In this context, the Museum has planned a mobile pop-up museum exhibition to introduce Turkey's traditional plays and toy culture to people who cannot visit the museum. This exhibition which is named as mini-museum will be held in various public spaces such as schools, public libraries, other museums, hospitals, and shopping centers. In this study, “the mini-museum traveling mobile pop up exhibition unit” is discussed which is designed for primary school students between the ages of 7-12. It includes the museum education activities based on the Toy Museum collection and was developed using museum objects to enable students to participate through a mobile museum in the school environment. This study is part of a research project which is supported by Ankara University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Office. In the first phase of the project, toys to be placed in the mini-museum pop-up exhibition module were selected. Their history and functions were researched, 3D photos were taken, and some toys were modeled. In the second phase, the Toy Box AR mobile application was developed and integrated into the mini-museum pop-up exhibition. In the third phase, examples of mobile museums and pop-up exhibitions from around the world and Turkey were examined, and the design for the Ankara Toy Museum mini-museum module was prepared. This study examines mobile museum applications in Turkey and narrates the development story of the Ankara Toy Museum mini-museum design, which is a mobile pop-up museum module.

Keywords:

Ankara Toy Museum, museum education, minimuseum, mobile museum, museum box, pop up exhibition.