The German Toy Museum is the essential stop in Sonneberg, both for families and for anyone interested in how a small town became part of a global export industry. Around it, the Sonneberg Play Mile and Juttaplatz turn the toy theme into a short town walk rather than leaving it inside a museum case.
For a change of subject, head up toward the Sonneberg Observatory and the wooded hills above town. The Muppberg near Neustadt bei Coburg is a useful nearby lookout if you have a car or bike and want a broader view of the Franconian-Thuringian borderland.