Simple Childhood Toys

Childhood is something that is always featured with a smile on the face and the toys make up a significant section of that memory. The past toys were extremely simple in comparison to those that children possess now, yet with them a lot of fun and happiness. To most individuals who grew up between the 1950s and 1970s, the toys were nonelectrical, none battery-powered, and none costly. They were prepared out of common materials, or purchased at low prices at little stores. Although they were not elaborate, the thrill they caused was invaluable. The hoola hoop is one of the toys that a person can remember. It was simply a plastic ring, and children enjoyed their hours laughing with it. The difficulty was to sustain it in revolving round your waist without dropping. Other children would turn it around their necks, arms or even their legs. It was a balance, and skill, too, and a good sort of exercise. I recall how I tried it numerous times and first failed, then I got the beat. The pleasure of continuing to do so was memorable.  [IMAGE SOURCE](https://pixabay.com/photos/girl-walking-teddy-bear-child-walk-447701/) The other type of toy used was the yo-yo. It consisted of two circular pieces of wood or plastic that are attached by a string. Nonetheless, it was capable of numerous tricks. Children would fight to determine who would be able to make it walk the dog or go around the world. Watching the yo-yo fall and go up again with a flick of the wrist was good. Although it was miniature, it produced a great deal of enthusiasm at children's assemblies. Spinning tops were also very common. Others were of plastic and others were of wood. Playing was to wrap a string on the top and then pull it fast so that it spins. Children were fascinated with the sound and speed of the top. In other cases, friends would gather and offer competition over which one would have the longest spinning top. It was a very simple game, and so full of fun with the laughing and applause. We also had marbles, or little glass balls of various colours. Marbles were inexpensive but they brought about a lot of games. Children had to circle something on the ground, put marbles there and tried to get out marbles of each other with their own. There are times when you might even win the marbles of your friend as long as you play well. To a large number of children, the small bag of marbles was treasure.  [Image Source](https://pixabay.com/photos/girl-teddy-bear-carry-plush-1836401/) Naturally not everything was purchased. On numerous occasions, we used to create our own toys using what was in the house. To take but one example, the boys used empty tins, wire and bottle tops to make toy cars. We also used old rags and tied them in footballs. Girls tended to play with dolls some of them being homemade using cloth. Those self-made toys taught us to be creative, and the entertainment was no inferior to the one the purchaseable toys could have. Actually, we built them by ourselves and therefore cherished them more. Other than the toys, games were also of great essence during childhood. We used to play games such as hide and seek, hopscotch and tag. These did not require any equipment but only space and friends. They kept us active and happy. Looking back I would say that those games brought closer social ties as we used to run and laugh together outside rather than sitting inside and playing. When I compare those days to present times, I find that there is a huge difference. Children nowadays have unlimited toys, most of which are electronic, video games, tablets, and robots. They also have more options, although there are occasions when I think they are not as carefree as we used to be. We could have had simple toys but they made us use our imagination. We were forced to be imaginative, energetic and mischievous with the little we possessed. To sum up, even past childhood toys were simple yet joyful. Among hoola hoops, and marbles, and spinning tops, and home-made toys, was the charm appertaining to each. They did not necessarily have flashing lights or even sounds but they provided us with laughter, friendship and lifetime memories. Indeed, innocent toys added the most abundant childhood experiences.