Top 20 toys of all time
An article caught my eye as I read our local 'Evening Post' this morning. I often read it with breakfast the following morning as it's a hand on from my neighbour when he's finished with it. The article was written by a Lucy Parkinson and was based on a survey by Toys R US stores here in Bristol. The poll involved asking 4,500 adults 'what was their favourite toy as a child'. It made me think back to the late 40's and 50's when we had very few toys and mostly made our own entertainment. I do remember having a much loved china doll and although it's arm got broken I was very upset when my mother got rid of it when I left home. I had a few books which I still have to this day. I also remember being very frustrated when I could not do tricks with a yo yo. Another thrill was having a bike for passing the 11+ exam (who said bribery doesn't work) and a watch (still have this as well but it's no longer in working order). I remember my brother having Meccano and Dinky cars which he later sold, bet he's wishing he kept them as they were all boxed and in good condition. I've just remembered 'hula hoops' I spent hours trying to keep a hoop spinning around my waist, never did master it very well but had lots of fun trying and I was getting plenty of excercise although that was furthest from my mind at the time. Pity I didn't keep this toy as my waist could certainly do with the excercise now.
When my own children were growing up we had a very good toy shop (Dawson's) a couple of miles from where we lived and I saved all year get the 'must have' toy for birthday's and Christmas. There were no super toy stores that I remember back in the 70's. I won't elaborate on Sam and Beccy's favourite toys as I'm sure they will respond to this post.
So what was your favourite toy as a child how about sharing it with us (actually this would have been a good one for 'Fun Monday'). Although there's no prizes for guessing the top 20 toys from this survey, have a go anyway. I will print a list later in the week and you can see if your favourite is there and how many of the top toys you named.
Labels: Toys
posted by ChrisB @ 2:45 pm
21 comments
21 Comments:
Well I loved my Sindy and Pippa dolls (although I cut their hair and stuck pins in their ears).
Then there was Tiny Tears who was my all time favourite doll.
I was a big fan of snoopy and ammassed rather a large collection most of which are still in your house!
Fads I remember are slinkys and slime.
As I got older I loved my rollerboots and thought I was dead cool in them!
Finally I remember wanting a BMX bike and a parker coat.
Oh and rubix cube and Monopoly.
I can think of one you haven't mention that's on the list but maybe for you it was not a favourite but you were desperate for it at the time I seem to remember.
i had a doll when i was young, she had red (ginger) hair and when you pulled the hair, it grew longer. i have no idea what the doll was named, but she was my favourite for a very long time. i loved dawn dolls (small barbies) and made heaps of clothes for them and my barbies. i know that MY mom's favourite toy growing up in the 40s/50s (she was born in 39), were paper dolls. i have a few of her sets and used to play with them with her when i was little.
elena jane I had lots of those paper dolls I'd forgotten all about them until you reminded me.
enid loved those trolls with the brightly coloured hair. and plastic cowboys and indians. and, when she was younger, lego. and board games of all sorts - monopoly, cluedo, escape from colditz...
enid the girls had trolls and I still have a huge box of the plastic cowboys and indians, also lego, which Beccy's children like and of course all the games but colditz is one we didn't have. Now you know why my cupboards are so full!!!
I had a Wooden Russian doll which has about 3 or 4 smaller dolls tucked into each other!:))
I had a favourite doll with very wild hair. I still have it and my daughter plays with it occasionally. We were pretty poor, so I didn't have nearly as many toys as are currently cluttering my children's rooms and my basement. Sometimes I yearn for simpler days.
I had a hula hop but desperately wanted a pogo stick. But my favourite toys I'd have to say were books. We lived on a farm, no where near a library and very little money. I had only three new books growing up. Heidi, What Katy Did, and What Katy did next. I read my mothers old childhood books which seemed to be all about girls at English boarding Schools. When invited to the neighbours to play I'd sit and read their comics. Recently I reread Heidi and the Katy books. I'm sure it's where the seeds of my love for travel were sewn.
hoop :)
Asha an aunt brought Sam one of those dolls back when she visited Russia and Beccy wanted one so I think santa brought her one. They probably still have them somewhere.
heather I think today's children have too much, and I hold my hands up as being very guilty of spoiling my grandchildren when I can.
Barbara the pogo stick was one toy that was under used in our house I could never work out why as it seemed such fun. I bought my grand daughter one a few years back but again I think this was one of my less successful presents.
like you I loved books and from about the age of 12 I was lucky and able to use the library in the town where I went to school. I was an avid Enid Blyton reader. I know her books are not promoted these days but I thought they were so exciting.
Barbara I loved the What Katy Did books, we lived near a library and I remember visiting lots as a child.
I loved my Russian doll, Mollie has it as well as one of her own.
Racking my brain Mum but can't think although I'm sure I thought I couldn't live without it as a child.
I also loved my dolls pram and used to wheel it down to the tennis club.
I like my pogo stick
My wild west gun with the caps
my etch a sketch
my Spirograph
the box of old cars
my 'clangers'
my doll, 'Louise'
Haunted House game
Trumps cards
My bike
Swingball
My croquet set
My roller skates
My Sindy
things i wanted but i wasnt
allowed to have:
a skateboard
Operation
Kerplunk
Playdough
I am sure I there are a million things I have forgotten which will come back to me
Sam, I had operation so maybe that's why you didn't!
Sam you have named something on the list that I will be posting later in the week.
beccy - actually mum bought operation for us both as a joint gift one christmas bbut it was broken so we took it back to Dawsons and got another one which also wouldn't work so we had to take it back again and mum refused us a third chance.
so you just must remember playing it for the few weeks we had it.
my kids love operation, but the buzzing when you hit the sides was making it not fun for them. so we play sans the batteries now ;) much easier for my 4 yo and lots more silliness when mama makes silly sounds!!
i had forgotten about games, i had a solitaire card game but i haven't found it to share with my boys. i used to love cat's cradle games (string games like jacob's ladder etc). two of my boys do that now and it's actually spread thru their school as a game du jour!
elena jane cat's cradle was a firm favourite when I grew up, Sam and Beccy did dabble in this, I think its wonderful your kids also enjoy it. I don't think its as popular here in UK, not sure about Ireland.
Sam we took back buckaroo, I remember being devestated!
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