(a close second)
Posted on 09/28/2005 5:58:42 PM PDT by pissant
For many of us, being a child was no picnic. Without the resources to take opulent family vacations, we instead spent our youthful summers painting fences, mowing the lawn, weeding gardens, washing the dogs, cleaning our rooms and picking berries to earn a pocketful of change.
When School started back up in September, the joy of seeing our friends again was quickly doused by the 2 hours of homework each night (Parochial School..ya know).
But the one thing we could rely on to put that spring back in our little feet was the trunk full of TOYS. Yes, those magical toys. Here at the Pissant Institute for Toy History and Youth (PITHY) we've compiled the definitive list of the coolest toys with which we pleasantly whiled away our precious free time. Sorry girls, none of your toys made the list (though a little Pissant did cut the hair off of his sister's Barbie).
Top 7 Childhood Toys
7. Major Matt Mason
The astronaut doll. With space helmut and rocket capsule! Inspired by NASA (or was it David Bowie?)
6. Stretch Armstrong
A goo filled, stretchable man. Good exercise, but the real joy was cutting him open to see what was inside...
5. Little Green Army Men
Countless hours setting up the armies for the ferocious rubber band wars with your brother.
4. Radio Flyer Wagon
The best part was loading 2 into the wagon and heading down a hill, only to realize how poorly they steered!
3. Legos
You could build some pretty nifty forts for your Little Green Army Men
2. Hot Wheels
Oh, the pride from having the fastest car in the neigborhood. Unfortunately, the orange track pieces made a fine whip for mom to beat us with!!
1. Tonka Toys
From the Road Grader to the Steam Shovel. Playing in the dirt and mud was every boys favorite pastime!
Well just so you know... Samantha fought Barbie over Ken.... Samantha won...LOL
Slime was cool, until it got covered with carpet fibers and pet fur. Does anyone remember Mad Balls?
Risk is still FUN!!!
Sorry, no recollection of that! LOL
VERY COOL!!!!!
I have a scar on my right knee from melting one of those little green army men.
We discovered that after dark they had most colorful, molten flames, with the coolest "zooot" sound, as they dripped into the little irrigation ditches in my buddie's freshly tilled garden.....until I got my knee in the way of one of those flaming drips.
What about Battleship? That game was so easy to cheat at.
Never heard of the Green machine. But you are right, a horse is better!
Easy to get in BIG trouble with those!
Nobody mentioned SillyPutty yet? :-)
Thanks for this thread..It brought back lots of great memories!
I loved the lame vibrating football game! Very unpredictable!!
I can't find a pic of one either.
It was like a little sled, but with four wheels -- rode it on the sidewalks. Could sit and steer with feet going downhills.
They were GREAT.
Gnip Gnop? Is that the bouncy ball with the handle?
The most fun and amazement came from pushing the silly putty into the comic page of the newspaper and getting a print!!! wow it was awesome...back then... no color copiers.. only mimeograph machines. LOL
(a close second)
What's in the middle of the Whitehouse?
Lincoln's Logs. LOL
I still play both ...LOL
Major Matt had the white space suit, if I recall...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.