Toys you remember from your childhood Christmas

Whitewavemark2 I remember those magic books I loved them, they always fascinated me how it worked once you added water.
I also had the little red piano. I was very lucky my dear dad was a carpenter so he made me so many wooden toys.

Whitewavemark2

Anyone remember the magic painting books?

I remember them and I recently bought some for our grandson who loves them. They re still magical!

Zoejory, my sister and I collected Britain’s Miniature Garden during our summer holidays visits to grandparents in Bournemouth. We spent ages in Beales toy department deciding on the next set to get. I still have it and my children and grandchildren have played with it. The plastic ‘plants’ are very brittle now.

My best remembered Christmas presents are a bride doll called Dorothy, a large doll that walked when you held her hand and tipped her sideways, on to each leg to make them go forward, John Bull printing set and a pile of books (must have been the year I learned to read).

GolferGrandma

Absolutely obligatory in our family now is a Terry’s Chocolate Orange. First received from my Aunt about early 50’s, of course they are nowhere near as solid these days.
I vividly remember pushing a (carriage built) dolls pram around the landing from my bedroom to my parents’ room and one year Bride doll.

Yes, we had the chocolate orange and a satsuma. I also had a carriage built pram and a doll in a wedding dress. My mother was a brilliant seamstress and made the lovely satin dress and veil.
My long-suffering cat used to be dressed up in the wedding dress and wheeled about in the pram.

I used to get those knitting dollies too, I liked making the knitted snake but there was nothing you could use them for.
I remember having a big tricycle with a boot, I loved that. And later a little two-wheeler, second hand but hand-painted pale turquoise blue with little rose transfers on the front.
We were always given a tin of solid white glue which smelt of almonds, and a Cadbury's selection box.
The present I remember most was in the mid-50's, a gift box of beautifully scented toiletries, creams and bath foam. They were posted from one of my mother's friends who had emigrated to Canada after the war. I can still see and smell them now. Also a Bronnely (?spelling) rose geranium gift set of soap and hand cream, and a lemon soap.

I have still got my favourite christmas gift, its a real adult sized bureau desk I had aged 10, almost 60 years ago. I really really wanted one and my parents said that if I had that, there would be nothing elese because it was such a big (as in expensive) gift. We went to a local furniture store to see what there was and I found the one that I wanted....parents said "we'll see" On christmas morning it was there! Its not wonderful quality, just plywood and deal but I love it still and still use it.

I loved my spirograph so much so that I have bought one for my 7 year old granddaughter this year, and my first cassette recorder with a Neil Diamond tape.

Up at 5 on Christmas morning to get my Bunty and Judy annuals, I loved them kept them for years. And my Sindy and Tressy dolls.

I have only read the first page and here..
am I the only elderly (labelled) person, during the war years. we had a stocking, with a satsuma at the bottom, can`t remember much else, we didn`t have toys,, didn`t do us any harm, in fact I think we were and are the better for it.

Xylophone, and girls world dolls head. I washed her hair and it was ruined.

Absolutely obligatory in our family now is a Terry’s Chocolate Orange. First received from my Aunt about early 50’s, of course they are nowhere near as solid these days.
I vividly remember pushing a (carriage built) dolls pram around the landing from my bedroom to my parents’ room and one year Bride doll.

I remember walking into our shed and seeing dad making something. He said it was a hen house. We didn't keep chickens. On Christmas day I recognised my dolls cradle as the thing he'd been making. I also got a doll wearing red dungarees. I knew the material was from my old outgrown trousers. Mum said I was right but Santa had made them!

Christmas presents I remember a chalkboard a post office printing set a book about the world I loved books we didn’t have many in our house.
I wanted a Tressy doll (her hair grows) but never got one they were too expensive my mum told me.
We got one gift and a sock with a tangerine a penny and sweets in it and appreciated it.

My mum tried very hard to get me one present I really wanted every year and so I had a large, china faced doll, a Spirograph and a Monopoly set in successive years. I loved them all. I also had a Post Office set and a Tina doll. Cindy was the cheaper version of Barbie and we couldn’t quite run to Cindy! However, I was very happy with Tina. My dad made me a doll’s house one year and another year did up a second hand bike. My husband was given the cheap version of Tommy Gunn and he was content with him. I think it counted most that our parents loved us.

We got very little in the way of presents, but one thing I treasured for years was from the late 1940s - it was a small circular cardboard box that was supposed to be the inside of a 'big top' with loads of tiny smudgy faces of the audience, and 2 tiny paper acrobats. The box had a see-through lid, and if you rubbed it with a piece of material, the acrobats did somersaults. I thought it was magic! I didn't know about static electricity at the time!

My mum would always buy me colouring book and pencils for christmas as well as other things. that to me was the most important present.

Stylophone.
Spirograph.
Blue Peter Annual.

I always remember getting a chatty Cathy doll ,with lovely blonde hair and blue dress and when you pulled the string on her back she would say hello.

If I’d had a doll with twins like yours Grannynannywanny it would have been my favourite too! ?

Oh yes!
The hoop around the ankle thing.
I was very good at that!

Thank you Scones , I’m very fond of her and the babies. The babies are bus pass age now?

She's adorable Grannynannywanny. Those babies!

How about those things that were a hoop of plastic you put around one ankle. There was a piece of string tied to the hoop with a ball on the end. With the hooped leg you swung the ball around and jumped over the string with your other leg.

I sold my Pippa dolls on Ebay a couple of years ago and made over £100. People collect them like fury now.

Mousetrap and Twister.
Etch a sketch.

Another reminder, a box of dolls from all over the world dressed in the national dress of that country. Had forgotten all about that until GNW’s post….?