Toys of My Youth

by Guy Belleranti

I have many memories from when I was a child. Among these memories are the many toys I enjoyed.

The Hula Hoop was one of them. Some people may have used Hula Hoops for exercise, but my friends, sisters and I used them for play. Of course we also received lots of exercise just by playing with them.

We would put them over our heads, move our hips and start the hoop whirling. Sometimes we’d also whirl it on our ankles or necks. As I improved on my Hula Hoop skills I would start the hoop on my waist and then get it to move downwards to my ankles or up to my neck without stopping. I know I wouldn’t be able to do that today. In fact, I have doubts I could even keep it whirling around my waist. Maybe I’ll have to get a Hula Hoop and try sometime.

I also used to roll the hoop to a partner and he or she would roll it back. Sometimes we’d also put a little spin on the hoop so when we rolled it forward it would also roll part ways back.

My friends and I also liked playing with glass marbles. I had quite a collection in a marble bag – solid colors, transparent marbles, cats eyes and “steelies” (metal balls of both regular marble size and larger). Sometimes we played “keepsies” where you’d “shoot” your marble at an opponent’s marble and if you hit it you got to keep it.

Building toys were also fun. We didn’t have Legos, but we did have Lincoln Logs. These little wooden logs are notched on the ends so they can be fitted together in the construction of small log buildings, i.e. Abraham Lincoln log cabins. The Lincoln Log sets also included flat pieces for roofing (and I suppose they still do). My friends and I would combine Lincoln Log buildings with plastic animals, dinosaurs, soldiers and more and spend hours having great adventures.

My Erector Set was another favorite building toy. Consisting of small metal beams with holes, the pieces could be assembled and bolted together into all sorts of interesting things. My favorite project was when I made a metal robot.

Spinning records on our portable kids’ record player was yet one more kid-fun activity. As I grew older rock and roll was something my friends, sisters and I listened to, but as a youngster I listened to story records. Two I especially enjoyed were “Peter, Please it’s Pancakes” and “Story of Slow Joe”.

My older sister and I also enjoyed listening to “The Purple People Eater”. I listened to this not because it had been a hit song (actually #1 for six years in 1958), but because I was a boy who liked “monster” stories, and what could be more cool than a monstrous purple people eater!

I am sure there are many other classic kid toys I enjoyed back in the 1950’s and 60’s, but these are some that I remember most today.

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