Leżajsk Toy Park

The Leżajsk Toy Park displays enlarged versions of wooden toys made by local craftspeople. The first model was the clapping bird. It was joined by a woodpecker, a horse and cart, a rocking horse, a windmill and a little man climbing down a ladder.

The woodpecker travels down an upright pole set on a square base and topped with a ball. A wooden ring connects the bird to the pole. As the figure descends, the ring vibrates, making the beak tap against the pole like a pecking bird. The toy demonstrates the principle of conservation of energy.

The horse cart, also known as a bryczka, has an elongated, box-shaped body with shaped sides. Both horse and cart sit on a wheeled base. The enlarged models draw on the traditions of Leżajsk, one of Poland’s three main centres of wooden toy-making. Museum staff initiated the park to help preserve this local craft.