When I was a kid growing up in the 50s, entertainment was much simpler. Instead of watching movies on a long road trip, I passed the time playing with one of these.
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| Sliding number puzzle artskooldamage.blogspot.com |
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| Cat's cradle tumblr.com - simplejustin |
When friends came over, there were no movies to rent and no computers to play on. We played Chinese checkers or Sorry.
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| Chinese checkers on metal board that turned to store marbles life123.com |
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| Sorry board game etsy.com - revivecrafts |
I must have made a million potholders for my mother and my grandmothers. It was my entry into the world of crafts...and, hey, a kitchen can never have too many potholders, right? Even ugly ones.
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| Making a potholder with stretchy loops flickr.com - penmarklet |
Another favorite alone-time activity was playing jacks. Nothing was quite as satisfying as a successful "tensie." For those of you who have never played, that means picking up ten jacks in one swipe.
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| Jacks and ball etsy.com - sweetkate |
An intense game of Pick-Up Sticks could also keep me occupied for hours, taught me patience and honed my manual dexterity.
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| Pick-Up Sticks boardgamegeek.com |
Give me a few pop beads, and I could make you a fashionable necklace and bracelet set. I blame these for my jewelry addiction.
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| Pop beads pinterest.com - Diana Finlay |
Or give me a piece of notebook paper, and I could tell your fortune. Pick a color...any color.
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| Foldable fortune telling game instructables.com |
Sunday morning comics were the best for Silly Putty. That stuff was magical.
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| Silly Putty imremembering.com |
And, yes, I remember a time when I thought looking at a set of Viewmaster slides of national parks was really exciting. Like I said, I was easily entertained.
But did you notice? Not a single electronic device in the lot...and I don't particularly remember my childhood as deprived. In fact, I remember all these activities very fondly, which is why I'm enjoying doing simple crafts, playing old games and reading books from my childhood with my grandsons. Playtime doesn't have to cost a fortune to be fun.
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| Viewmaster etsy.com - birdiesattic |
But did you notice? Not a single electronic device in the lot...and I don't particularly remember my childhood as deprived. In fact, I remember all these activities very fondly, which is why I'm enjoying doing simple crafts, playing old games and reading books from my childhood with my grandsons. Playtime doesn't have to cost a fortune to be fun.
I played with all of those and enjoyed them... except the sliding number puzzle - man I hate those things! I don't have the type of brain that can see several steps ahead. You might surmise that I was no good at Rubik's cube either.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a great strategist either. Maybe that's why it kept me occupied for hours. Other kids may have been able to do it in 5 minutes...LOL
DeleteI grew up in the 80's and all of these were still quite popular at the time. However, my absolute favorites were Playmobiles and Legos. No computer game or tech gadget could ever be as fun.
ReplyDeleteSadly, the newer versions of some of these toys and games changed. I wonder if the really beautiful metal Chinese checker games are still made today.
DeleteOh, I had forgotten Playmobiles...but Legos are another story. Once you've stepped on one of those in the dark, it has a tendency to stay with you. My grandsons already play with Legos and love them, and Weebles are a big favorite too.
I have that same Viewmaster at the Casablanca! It was my Great Granmothers, I blame it for my love of Old Holly Wood and Flamingos, as the slide sets she had were of down town Los Angles, Culver city, and a whole set dedicated to the Florida wild life preserve.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother had a friend named Ola who was a travel agent, and my grandmother loved to travel with her. She brought slides back from all her trips,, so I was a geography whiz before I ever started school. I'm sure I saw those same flamingo pictures! :)
DeleteLol, foldable fortune telling game! I used to play that a lot. Well, that goes for most of the other games too. Back then, it didn't take a lot to keep kids entertained and stimulated. Just look at the utter simplicity of pick-up sticks! Now it's all high-tech and high-maintenance.
ReplyDeleteI think the fortune telling games were dubbed "cootie catchers" by later generations, but I don't remember their having a name when we played with them.
DeleteYou're right about the simplicity of our games. Drop a pile of sticks on the floor and pick them up. Can't get much simpler than that...or cheaper to produce...but we loved playing.
Games today certainly entertain, but I have my doubts that they do much more than that.
Thanks for the walk down memory lane! Sometimes simple wins, doesn't it? Thanks for sharing these. Loved the Silly Putty and the slide games.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how a walk down memory lane sparks other recollections. After I wrote this post, I thought about Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs. I even started to remember some of the names in my set of Old Maid cards...Art Smart, Greasy Grimes, Hiram Hay, Betty Bumps...:)
DeleteI'm 39 and my parents bought us what would be considered the simpler toys and I can only speak for myself not big sis, I loved'em. When I was a kid spending my summers in Wiarton(home Wiarton Willie the albino season predicting groundhog)we would hit "Lloyds Smoke Shop" for a bottle of pop still chilled in a 50s Coca Cola electric cooler and then "Bennetts" 5&10 for candy. It was the 70s 80s but still simpler than now. Driving to Florida in dads 79 Jeep Cherokee Chief we had and "eye spy" travel version where you would slide open windows to reveal things that you saw. Know parents can't do with out the fully loaded minivan and dvd player. I could reminisce for ever a fill your blog but I digress. Oh and I just caught your reply to Pam, TINKER TOYS!!!! my great aunt had all kinds of them and other classics in a trunk at the cottage in Wiarton.
ReplyDeleteLast comment I swear. Viewmaster I just dug out last week my mom or dads 1951 Viewmaster with all the old slides I'd look at for hours it seemed as a kid, there was the Queens inauguration and seven wonders of the world and animal slides and they still draw my attention when I see them.
DeleteI wish I knew what happened to my grandmother's Viewmaster. I suppose it was one of those things she tossed at some point. My daughter is almost 34, and while she has a DVD player in her vehicle, it is very rarely used. She and my SIL prefer to have the boys learn to entertain themselves rather than stick them in front of a screen.
DeleteThese are so great Dana! Trips to my Nan's always meant games of Chinese Checkers and lots of Gin Rummy with playing cards. Good memories.x
ReplyDeleteI am trying to make a lot of memories with my grandsons by buying them toys to play with at my house like the ones I had as a child and doing lots of craft projects. I want them to remember being with me like you remember being with your Nan.
DeleteYes! I was a child of the 80's and played with all of these as well...man it brings back memories especially the chinese checker. My brother and I always played with that at my grandmothers house. And Sorry too! I think board games need to have a comeback.
ReplyDeleteI think it's cool that lots of families are having board game night each week. I think they're making some great memories for their kids.
DeleteI used to get frusterated with those sliding numbers and puzzles I would pull the pieces out and put it together my own way! *lol*
ReplyDeleteI won a metal Chinese checker game in a draw when I was little. (My brother used to always play with it and lost alot of pieces so I think it got thrown out.) I need to find a replacement.
I loved the game Sorry and I used to play jacks on the kitchen floor.
I haven't seen pop beads in ages but I know I they were my jewelry of choice when I was 6 or 7.
Silly putty was one of my favorite's and still is I found some glow in the dark silly putty recently and just had to buy it.
I'm going to buy a vintage Chinese checker game. I love that you bought Silly Putty to play with. :)
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