When parents keep your childhood toys



Oooooh, it's a Big Wheels.
Flashback to the early 1980s!



In the past, I’ve blogged about special places remaining relatively unchanged. Today, I highlight toys that have barely been affected by the passing of time.

Even with the abundance of Dora, Elmo, Disney princesses, Lightning McQueen, LeapFrog and Baby Einstein toys in store aisles and family playrooms, it’s amazing to see how many retro toys still exist.

After all these years, you can still buy the following toys brand new:

·          the basic Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack (tower of coloured rings)

·          the Play-Doh Mega Fun Factory (or as my niece calls the squishy stuff: Oh-lee-oh-lee-oh)

·          a Barrel of Monkeys

·          wooden xylophones, puzzles and building blocks

·          Easy-Bake Ovens

·          Lego sets

·          Barbie styling head

·          Playmobile figures

·          Nerf balls

Granted, the manufacturers have likely substituted in cheaper-to-produce, lighter-to-ship and easier-to-clean materials. And the designs may be slightly curvier, brighter or more interactive. Still, the sight of those toys sends me on a trip down memory lane.

The only way to top that is to spot your original toys, cherished mementos your parents squirreled away for decades. While in Ottawa in January, I was logging time on my father-in-law’s treadmill when I spotted a future Random Rambling: four characters (two Ernies and two Berts) propped up on a dresser.

Despite my grueling workout, I had to crack a smile. Those stuffed Sesame Street characters signaled a time when my hubby and brother-in-law used to play with simple toys, long before they sought out hot cars/motorcycles, high-tech gadgetry, snazzy clothes, exotic travel... 

During that same trip to the National Capital Region, I enjoyed seeing my niece Makayla wheeling two dolls around in a stroller. Those dolls once belonged to my sisters; I can still recall Dorothy and Rachelle toddling about our house, the church basement, the backyard and many other haunts with those dolls. Thanks to my Mom, the original dolls live on in 2012 to bring joy to a new generation of children and to prompt a blast from the past for me.

When parents save your childhood toys, it’s nothing short of

      AWESOME!

Do you or your parents still treasure any childhood toys? Are there toys you wish you or your parents had kept?

Dish it in the comments section.