Some of my fondest memories of my childhood involve the toys I played with. Now my parents weren't well off by any stretch of the imagination, but we kids always had plenty of toys to play with. From the deep cardboard box at the Willow Branch Road farmhouse to the old wooden trunk at the house by the football field to the other assorted boxes, shelves, and other storage places, we were blessed with playthings.
One of the first toys I remember was Tinker Toys. Tinker Toys came in a canister and included long and short wooden dowels along with wooden wheels with holes for the dowels. You could build almost anything with them, but I wonder how many kids got their eyes poked or dowels up their noses and had to go to the emergency room. Definitely not up to today's safety standards. We managed to survive them, though.
What other toys do I remember? I liked to collect Cracker Jack toys, especially little dolls. One that I especially liked was a clown that I managed to lose in the backyard. I searched for days and never found it. It made me so sad to lose that little clown.
Toys can be a source of frustration for parents who find them scattered all over the house even long after the kids have outgrown them. Even worse is stepping on a tiny toy with your bare feet. Ever stepped on a Lego in the dark?
Children need toys to help them play, and they are good at making ordinary items into toys. Store-bought toys often go unnoticed in favor of simple household items. My kids enjoyed playing with kitchen items in a bottom cabinet drawer. Now my grandkids do.
What about you? What were your favorite toys as a child?
XOXO
#vintagetoys #growingupineasttexas #crackerjack #tinkertoys #1960s
Labels: Cracker Jack, East Texas, Tinker Toys, vintage toys
