Monday, November 29, 2010

Why can't toys be simple again?

I have been looking for some fun prizes for evia for christmas and sometimes I am bombarded by talking books,  video games, baby einstein dvds's,mini laptops and cameras and kung fu hampsters. What happened to the good old days of actually reading a real paper book or wooden blocks, tinker toys. So I made a list a tribute you could call it to the toys and games of my childhood. First here are some things me and my sisters would do to play and entertain ourselves.

Sliding  down our basement steps in a cardboard box
Playing dominos with all of our VHS  movie tapes
dressing up and playing pretend with mom
Making giant forts in the basement with all the blankets in the house
 Making mud pies with grapes hyacinths as blueberries
Red light green light or Mother may I
Making a girls only clubhouse in the field complete with traps so boys could not get in
Digging up dinosaur bones( aka chicken bones) in the field outside our house
Have a karaoke singing concert with celine dion and wilson philips
Playing  sharklava with dad ( we would put pillows on the floor and if we  fell on the floor while dad tried to catch us then we would fall in the lava)
Mom teaching us how to lay volleyball and softball oh and of course football
Playing monster we would try to escape from dad and the safe spot was the mail box if we were caught dad would stick us in jail aka the roof of our van or on top of the mailbox. The only way to get out was for someone to come rescue you.
We would rollerskate in our concrete floor basement before it was finished.

Here are some of the most popular toys we played with when we were little

Polly pockets: Now these polly pockets are itty bittty are now considered a choking hazard
Littleset pet shops: miniature animals that were absolutly adorable  with glitter  and accessories Mequette loves these and has a ton for her furure kids. But the new ones have giant bubble heads what is up with that?
Pound puppies: miniature dogs and cats that you save from the pound
My little ponies: these were the envy and most beloved  toys we used these toys till they were toast
Strawberry shortcake dolls: grandma had a awesome strawberry shortcake house that even smelled like strawberries!
Easy bake ovens: I know that they still have these but the old ones were tempramental lets just say not as safe as ones now
Legos: Now days legos consist of exrtavagant castles, space ships etc. We had a huge  container just of the blocks no people we made so many fun things with those.
Skip it's: a ball on a  plastic stick that has a hole on the other end you stick that part on your ankleand you skip over it like you almost would a jump rope my sister Bree was the best at that
Erector sets: My dad had erector sets from when he was little and he would make fun things with us like for school projects he had made a ferris wheel and a dinosaur and a catapult all of them were animated and would work off of little motors
Creepy crawlers bug making kit: where else could you make your own bugs and worms but in the 90's there was also a doll making oven we had as well
Giant bubble wands: the simple joy of creating huge bubbles on a summer day nothing better
Sidewalk chalk: we would make banners to welcome home mom and dad we would do shadow drawings and  cover the whole front of our sidewalk in drawings,still to this day I love ,love sidewalk chalk.
Sky dancers. These were pretty dolls that had wings and they stood on a stand they had a pull string and when you would pull the tring it would launch the fairy into the air. Many an hour we played with those we used them till the motors worked no more.
Beanie babies: these were collectable animals mequette has so many she could have her own toy store
American company dolls: My grandma was a  very avid doll collector she had dolls everywhere in her house and she spread that love to us by buying us all three girls the entire pleasent company dolls collection , samantha, felicity, addie,molly,kirsten these were the original dolls and they also came with the stories
My baby all gone: I took this thing everywhere with me the doll would magically eat and drink she was the coolest doll ever and I plan to get the newer version of the doll for evia.

Then when technology started to hit bree got a nano pet and that started the electronic toy phase that is still going on today. So this christmas remember the toys from your childhood and maybe try to get them the simple things that can please any kid.