Today’s post features more Favorite Childhood Toys. This is Part 6.
This series features favorite childhood toys of my family members. I’m enjoying this so much, it will be a continuing series, so I hope you will leave a comment sharing what your favorite childhood toy was. I’ll do a future post on faves of my readers and other people I know.
I have to laugh at some of the sibling rivalry incidents. Reading those stories has triggered more memories from my childhood. A few incidents that happened with my sister Pam had me laughing so hard earlier, I was crying.
To start from the beginning, go to Part 1 – Rebel on a Pink Scooter.
Jeff – Born 1959: “Not sure I had a favorite one. I did have a vibrating football game but only for a short time since Gordy destroyed it because I put a pen cap in his navy bean soup.”
“I also used to play with toy soldiers.
“I will go with string bowling (correct name?), which I remember playing for hours and hours with Scott Hager. (It was his game.) It was bowling pins, about 3 to 4 inches high, and you swung a ball attached to a string (like a tether ball game) and try to knock them all down. I guess I pick it ’cause it was challenging and fun to do with Scott.”
Deborah – (Jeff’s wife): “I had a stuffed monkey with a banana in his hand that I could put the banana in his mouth. He was only 8 inches tall and wore a yellow vest. His head and the banana were made of rubber and the rest was made of cloth and fur.
“I named him Bongo. Got him when we lived in Iowa. I was about 3 or 4 years old and always held him and took him with me. He was my best friend through a lot of childhood stuff. When I was a freshman in high school, I kept him on my bed. One day my mom took him and put him up in the closet. She still has him.”
“Also, one of my very favorite toys growing up was a pair of homemade stilts made for me by my Uncle Ron. He made them out of 2×2’s and attached wooden triangle footrests with big bolts. I loved them! He made these for me when I was 10 and I played with these all the way through junior high school. I even took them to the ranch all of us kids were shipped off to every summer (up between Camp Verde and Strawberry, AZ). These were really special to me!”
Tahnee – Born 1986: “My favorite toy was Big Bird. I got it for my first birthday. Mom and Dad bought it right before my birthday, and Dad couldn’t wait to give it to me, so he did. When I saw it, I kept saying Bi’ Bir’, Bi’ Bir’! Then on my birthday, Mom and Dad took Big Bird away the night before and wrapped it. When I opened it, I said, Bi’ Bir’ again! I had him for years until I went away to college and then he bit the dust, and when I came home, he was gone.”
Dane (Tahnee’s husband) Born 1986: “Dane played outside most of the time as a kid. One time while riding his tricycle he hit a ditch and fell face first in the mud. His mom took pictures because it was so funny!”
Jaimie – Born 1988: “Captain Planet action figures about age 5, maybe a little younger. She had the ring, all four of the VHS tapes, the ooze station that slimed real green ooze and even has a booklet declaring her an official Planeteer!
“When she was 3 or so, she loved, loved, loved spiders. Another of her favorite things was her ta-wanch-a-wa (tarantula) book. This led to her having her very own tarantula way back then. She has one now.”
Briana – Born 1990: “My favorite toy was a white Teddy bear named Smokey, which I still have. I think he was my favorite because he was the perfect size to dress up like a baby and push around in an umbrella stroller that my mom got me for him.”
Jeffrey – Born 1994: “At age 3 he had a VW Beetle car with a button on the top to push down, which would make the car shoot across the room. He played with it for years.
“He also had a toy muscle-man figure that was yellow and would pivot at the waist. When you pushed on the head, the arms would go up over its head. He got it about age 2 and always held it in his hand, constantly clicking it and making the arms go up. He carried it everywhere until he was about 6 years old. His mom still has it in her desk drawer, and it still works!”
Finding a muscle-man figure that fit that description proved to be challenging, but it must have been one of the 4 inch Hasbro figures in the above video. They were made between 1990 and 1994, and I’ve got to say they’re a hoot. Each figure does different movements. Very entertaining!
Can you relate to any of these favorite childhood toys? Did they trigger any childhood memories? Do you have any funny sibling rivalry stories you’d like to share?
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Great comments and photos, Lynnie. You’re doing great! I’m going off the grid in the morning for Christmas so I thought I’d quickly swing by.
I remember a very simple toy I was given as a young girl that was basically a plastic ball on the end of a long rope, the end of which you looped around your ankle. Then you swung it round in a circle with one leg, jumping over the rope and ball with the other. It had a particular name which I forget now. Great fun, though! 🙂
Oh, that sounds like the Skip-It toy my daughter Suzee had as a kid and broke it the first time she played with it on Christmas Day. It wasn’t made out of rope, but was hard plastic and she hit it on the post to a patio cover. I also had a similar toy, which was called a Jingle Jump! Same idea. That’s a really fun toy. I love that you described it so well and I especially love that you shared it with me! Thank you, Yvette, for stopping by. Wishing you and your family a lovely Christmas. Enjoy your time off the grid!
It amazes me how you find these videos and pictures!
Also, I have heard that pen cap’s add flavor to navy bean soup 🙂
Hahahaha! I guess a little bit of plastic would add a new flavor to navy bean soup, huh? The more popular toys are easy to find. Some of the toys in this post took a lot of patience. I almost gave up on the muscle man action figure, but then I found the video and watched it and it sounded just like what little Jeff must have carried around when he was so little. Those figures were 4 inches, so that’s about the right size. The stuffed monkey was challenging, too, but it sure felt good to find it when I did! Thanks for visiting my website, Pambelina! You made my day!