Traditional British Toys

I doubt that you could buy one these days Iam64!
Nor a golliwog! but oh, how I loved mine, he had grey rabbit fur for hair, so must have been an elderly dolly.

It all depends on what is meant by 'tradition' - my DGC loved the pull-along telephone from Fisher Price and DGD2 still likes pulling along the FP dog.

My DH makes them, and very nice they are too.

Mine have all loved their wooden Snoopy Dog by Fisher Price my DS had his since he was a baby and he is 40+ it is now used by GGD the pull along string has been been replaced a few times but what joy Snoopy has brought over the years.I'm sure you can still buy him.

Ours was a hand-me-down from some friends but I am sure you can still buy them.
Unfortunately his tail has been docked!

I just checked, you can buy the dog still but it looks a bit different now.

And a shape sorter - fun and educational.

Jalima, I saw a original black sambo money box for sale, in an antique/vintage shop this weekend.
My sister still has the gollywog doll grannie knitted for her in 1960 when sister was two years old. Golly went on holiday with the family for years. He is confined to a cupboard these days, my sister recognises he is no longer acceptable but understandably, he hasn't been ditched.
There is a gift shop in Whitby which sells various trinkets but many gollywog dolls and ornaments, the shop owner takes pride if she's challenged by what she describes as 'politically correct lefties'. A couple of years ago I heard her describing to a customer, how a black man had told her he found the dolls offensive. When asked by her if he thought the gollywog looked like him, he said 'no'. There, she said, how could he possibly be offended.

I expect my dear golly got thrown out! He was probably falling to bits anyway and DM was a great thrower-out, although I did rescue my dilapidated teddy bear who is in need of a makeover.

Teddies are very traditional and absolutely essential.

I agree, nothing quite like a much loved Teddy bear. My bear is 68 and safely wrapped up in the attic. He was pristine until his early fifties, when my dog ate his nose off. He had a bit of a repair job but something was lost.
I'm a big fan of push along trucks containing wooden bricks, such a versatile toy.

If I could edit my post about the black sambo money box and the Whitby shop owner, I would stress I found her attitude pretty shocking. I wouldn't have bought anything in her establishment.

A friend used to collect those Robertson's golly badges and wear them, wonder if she still has them

Make the most of buying these traditional toys now, in a few years their house will be full of bright coloured plastic!
By the way, these traditional toys are not necessarily British.
I bought a lovely spinning top in France a few years ago. Don't think Brio is British (might be wrong) and Fisher price is American isn't it.
Not that it matters.
If I was trying to think of a traditional British toy it would probably be a London bus, or a Beefeater teddy.

There is a lovely teddybear shop in Eton, I think it's called Asquith's.

I could have spent a fortune in there

This is what my teddy should look like the style doesn't seem to have changed in over 60 years, unfortunately mine is now called Fred Bare

I didn't like the Sambo money boxes because I think it gave the little ones the wrong message about putting things in their mouths. They do enough of that anyway!

The push along trolley/walking aid with coloured bricks was a big favourite of DGS. An unexpectedly popular item was a Doctor's Bag with plastic stethoscope, ear thermometer and tongue spatula etc that was bought in a hurry to explain what was going to happen at the surgery the next morning!

DGS didn't take to the pull-along telephone at all - he just didn't recognise it as a phone. Mum and Dad (and me) had mobiles and even the landline was a hands-free thing - nothing like the toy phones.

Iam64, my suggestion wasn`t in any way meant to be racist. I had one of those money boxes, and so did my eldest daughter, and we were very fond of them, and no way are we racist, precisely the opposite in fact.

I'm sure you didn't mean to be racist and I apologise if it seemed that was my point. I posted also about my sister's much loved gollywog. At the same time my gran was knitting that toy, she was probably watching the Black and White Minstrel Show, something else we don't see as acceptable now.

Both teddies and wooden blocks are not only traditionally British, but perhapy European.
What is a really traditional toy and is at least not to be found in Germany is snakes and ladders.
Ludo under another name is very popular and monopoly.
We have to agree on whether to play Ludo with English or German rules, we are a very European family...

As for a one year old. I find all babies play with the same things and actually later he'll want to play with other children and play with their things. Little boys love cars and he will soon be old enough for one to sit in and then there is this wooden bike without pedals which toddlers love and enables them to walk as fast as their parents.

Today I went to the Early Learning Centre. I thought I remembered them having the Brio train set annodomini but no luck. I got quite excited when I saw an abacus Rosesarered but the recommended age was 3+ so I passed. I'm still on the Brio train though!
I did, however, manage to get a hammer bench thing HildaW so thanks for that.
Chewbacca — xylophone duly ordered!
Twiceasnice I thought about the Fisher Price pull along telephone but then wondered if my little GS would know what that was. Then I thought ... would it matter if he didn't? Still musing on that one. He already has stacking cups and the like so they're ok in that department. I did buy him one of those little 'lift out animal shapes' wooden puzzles though - that was a great idea so thanks.
Jalima — a bit of both. They're visiting for GS's BD and I'm going again in August so the toy arrival will be split in some way. I think they're (very sensibly) going to introduce them over time. You brought up a great point re traditional toys from which era. I'm more leaning towards my own children's childhood. My DS and DIL inferred that they'd like stuff from their own childhood memories.
Ana — I agree... it does seem a lot for any child's first birthday, especially since he wont remember any of it. I'm toying ('scuse the pun) with the idea of sending one a month. I'm also a bit astonished that normally sensible old me is in this position ha ha. Maybe it's because I have 3 sons in their 40's and this is my only GC. Maybe it's because his naughty parents are encouraging (humouring?) me. The one constant is... it's a lot of fun.
I do think I'll pass on the samba toy Callgirl1. I did google them and was surprised to see that they're still being manufactured. My children are particularly PC when it comes to these things though so I won't take the chance.
I'm off to google Brio train sets. Please keep any other ideas coming though. I'm finding this wander down memory lane really enjoyable.
Oh yes... need the trolley with coloured wooden bricks too! ?

Swanny I've just read what you said about the Fisher Prive phone so that answers that.

Iam64 I don't think you can buy golliwogs any more (might be wrong). Having said that, mine was my favourite toy when I was young ?

Fisher Price* - oops

The FP phone may not look like today's phones but my DGD have enjoyed it (and the 5 year old still likes it, it occasionally has an outing).

I am buying Fuzzy Felt for DGS this C,,,,,,mas, just google it and the company comes up. I am getting the anniversary edition.

Thomas the Tank Engine is always popular with boys and can be added too over the years for birthdays and for C*******s!!!!

www.nokonwood.co.uk/toys

Taken me ages to remember this company. Used them a lot when gc were younger