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When I was a child, I was never one to play with dolls or play house or play with Barbies, although I had all those things. My very favorite past time was playing school. It should come as no surprise that I grew up to be a 3rd grade teacher.
I had a little classroom set up in the basement, complete with a chalkboard and chalk and erasers and old text books that we purchased when the school was getting rid of them. We even had a couple of old fashioned wood desks — you know, the kind where the desk and the chair is all one piece? I would line up my stuffed animals and dolls and teach school all afternoon.
My mom tells me that she was talking to my grandmother on the phone one day, and my grandmother heard all the commotion on the other end of the line. She asked my mom if I was having a party, and my mom said, “No. It’s just Jo-Lynne playing school.” She says I would even give each stuffed student a different voice, and I could keep them all going for the longest time.
When I sat down to write this post, I thought about my childhood and what my favorite toy might have been, and I remembered those days playing school. I considered those real text books and that chalkboard, and then I remembered the day that I got my prized teacher possession — one of those industrial strength metal chalk holders. You know what I mean, one of these. I absolutely loved that thing. I thought I had arrived, downstairs in my basement teaching school with my real chalk holder just like my teachers used. It sounds silly, but I think I’d have to say that was my favorite toy.
What was your favorite toy when you were little?
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I honestly can’t think of a favorite toy. I had all the typical stuff you mentioned, and I played school a lot. I lived in a neighborhood with probably 30 or so kids w/in a 4 year age range and we just played in packs. Baseball, touch football, hide and seek, etc. When I think of my childhood that is what I think of most often. I did love puzzles too, though, now that I think about it. I’m such a nerd.
I played school with my siblings. That was my favorite past time (I teach college level courses now). And then I played with my brother’s cars and trucks. I only played dolls with my sisters under protest–but could usually bribe them with being my “students” for a bout of “school.”
Cabbage Patch dolls!
With out a doubt it was my Barbie house! I was totaly a Barbie girl. Still am.
While I LOVED (forcing my sister to) playing school, I think my favorite toy was my Cabbage Patch doll, Ginger.
I was and still am a book girl. I have always loved books and reading. (Anyone else’s mom beg them to put the books down and please go out and play or give them strict orders on how many books could enter the house at one time? Yeah, I was that nerdy.)
If we’re talking pure toy, though, I guess it had to be my vast collection of Barbies which I played with every day for years. (In fact, I still have almost all of them in a box in my basement. Can you say hoarder?) Then there was the stereo I got for Christmas the year I was in fifth grade. That thing blared music every day until I wore it out in my late teens or early twenties.
Strangely, I’m no longer a big fan of Barbies for girls. Books and music, however, factor signigicantly in how I parent my son.
I loved my Cricket and Cabbage Patch dolls. I played school too and covered wagon, big Little House on the Prairie fan
Oh I loved books too. I read CONSTANTLY!
Legos and my 64 box of Crayolas. Is it a wonder I became an architect?
Absolutely have to say that it was the dollhouse that I got for my tenth birthday.
My mother got the same dollhouse when she herself was ten and always had it in the basement; but there was a strict hands-off rule about the whole thing.
On the morning of my tenth birthday, imagine my surprise when I peeked into the living room and there it was, updated furnishings and all.
I now have the house in our home and still love to tinker around with it.
Anything that kept me outside was the favorite. One year my dad got us a sled and I was gone by 10! It was the best thing ever, until I was 13 and it just wasn’t cool anymore.
Definitely Barbies. Add to that Breyer’s and Barbie horses – my Barbies were wealthy ranchers
My favorite board game by far was Mall Madness.