Yessssss - jacks and pickup sticks! When I was growing up, we were not really encouraged to play sports like my younger sister was, but I was great at jacks and pick up sticks and ... roller skating in the streets if they weren't too busy or on the sidewalk, which wasn't quite as smooth as the blacktopped streets were. I grew up in the heart of Baltimore City near a very busy thoroughfare, so I'm sure my mother didn't know we were out there in the streets!

The mention of pickup sticks reminded me of another one- Barrel O' Monkeys.

Donna

I don't recall Barrel of monkeys, but I remember the sticks! I loved that one too. How the times have changed!!

Yeap, Chutes and Ladders and Candyland are still around.

[ July 26, 2004, 02:51 PM: Message edited by: Songbird ]

Oh yes Joyce, the skates. And the ones with the medal keys, remember? We were pros at skating, AND falling! My first job was at a skating rink too.

What about dolls? And something else we use to do was to play at the base of old trees...we would build entire cities with branches, flowers, twigs, etc. We would make roads leading up to our houses and streets (twigs lined the streets). We had nothing new to do this with either. We used cardboard boxes and things laying around the house...same way with our Halloween costumes, homemade. Ah...life as a boomer. What fun! Still is!

JJ

JawJaw,
Skate keys - I had forgotten that part of the equation! I used to lose mine all the time and we wasted a lot of time looking all over our apartment to find it so we could go skating. Do you remember that you couldn't wear those skates with tennis shoes? They had to be hard leather (like saddle shoes or oxfords) or the skates wouldn't connect or adhere or whatever the word is. Thanks for reminding me.

Jawjaw, I was the king of the pick-up sticks and never lost my skate key because my dad fashioned a leather pocket to the bottom of the one skate where it slipped inside. Now does anyone remember the ball attached to the paddle by a long rubber band? That and ping-pong were my best games. Jacks can be purchased in metal and I get a catalog with them 9wholesale) as soon as I get another one I'll post the address for anyone who wants some....

oh how cool! Your Dad was so smart, wasn't he? Ahhh..maybe you were the Queen of pickup sticks, right? Not King?

I would love to have the addy of that catalogue and thanks.

The paddle you mentioned was a staple in our home for years, right along with the jigsaw puzzles..except that particular game was Mother's baby. She could do that paddle longer than anyone and every Christmas somebody gave her one. She would perform her paddle antics for the entire family while we cheered her on. I had totally forgotten that. I must wrap her up a paddle this year. Bet that would be a smile to her face!

JJ

Pickup sticks and jacks were so cool. And don't forget jumprope. How many hours do you think we played Monopoly? And slates! Remember those? That funny red wooden pencil. I'm doing a chapter in my book on the games we playd. I started thinking about the toys we played with and I have a whole other chapter.

I love going into an antique store and seeing the old toys. There is a five and dime in North Conway, NH that is just like it used to be. You can find jacks and slinky's and it even has the creaking wooden floors.

Now the kids have inland skates and rollerblades and all that. Not as good as the old metal ones with the key are they? And remember how those things on the front held the skates onto your shoe? You'd be skating along and they'd come undone and off we'd go. When we got to go rollerskating inside, we skated to organ music on wooden floors.

Louisa

Louisa,
what is a slate? I don't remember that toy. I do remember the Barbie dolls and their clothes...and the suitcases. I would love to visit that store in NH that has all of the old toys. That would be so much fun!

JJ

you sure do bring back memories with jacks, pickup sticks, paddles and etc.
How about Hula Hoops and pogo sticks?
We also played workup baseball with the neighborhood kids. Never had enough for a team.
Maggie