The Maria Argyriadi donation is at the core of the Department of Childhood, Toys and Games, which was founded in 1995.

Its collections include 15.000 games and children's objects dating from antiquity to 1970 and derived from Greece and the wider Greek world, as well as from Europe, America, Africa and the East.

The primary aim of the Department is to document all aspects of the themes "childhood" and "the toy", by studying the history of the toy in Greece and Europe and the everyday life of children in a traditional Greek context.

The Greek section of the collection comprises infants' and children's toys spanning the classical, Roman, Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods. They include hand-made traditional Greek toys dating from the 18th to the 20th centuries, articles from country festivals, commercial products of the 20th century, team sports, table games, and games related to the different seasons.

A separate group of objects includes reconstructions of popular toys from the beginning of the 20th century made by members of the K.A.P.I. (Centres for the Open Protection of the Aged).

The European part of the collection comprises dolls and games of urban and folk manufacture dating from the 17th to the 20th century, mainly from England, France and Germany. There is also a selection of 19th and 20th century European dolls dressed in costumes from different regions of Greece.

A specialist library open to all interested parties includes books and studies relating to children and toys, archival sources, photographs, information about Greek manufacturers, and works on children's literature, education and general reference.