Toys you remember from your childhood Christmas

Every year we would sit down to write our Christmas lists. At the top was the main present followed by a selection of smaller ones and ending up with chocolate - which was always a selection stocking made of net and a tube of smarties. I can remember receiving my first pair of stockings - lace ones with a suspender belt to go with a kilt and polo neck jumper. Must have been about 11. I felt very grown up.

Walking, talking doll that walked like Frankenstein if you held it by the shoulders and forced it along. The talking was limited to Mama.
A toy cash register, Rupert Bear annuals, colouring books, crayons. Not all in the same year.
I remember longing for a dolls house but never got one. Don’t think my parents knew but anyway they probably couldn’t afford anything like that.

My brother always got Meccano from an Aunt but he never wanted it! I couldnt wait to get my hands on it. Much better than the silly dolls one Aunt kept giving me. I was always a Tomboy & never have changed! Very ungrateful child at times!

Whitewavemark2

Anyone remember the magic painting books?

Yes I remember those. You just used a paintbrush dipped in water and the colours would magically appear. They were very wussy washy colours as I recall.

My Girls Crystal annual was usually my big present. One year I got a muffin the mule string puppet. He was made of metal and lasted for ages. I also got one of those things that you press the bottom and the creature on top wriggle and jiggles about. Don’t know what they’re called.

My brother also got quite a lot of Meccano and also a Bendy rabbit I think he was called Brer? Rabbit. Also when we had made our Christmas lists there was the excitement of setting fire to them and sending them up the chimney to Santa ? I expect health and safety would have something to say about that these days but it was innocent pleasure and also we were always so grateful for what we received, it may not have been much compared to what kids receive today but I think I was a lot happier than a lot of children today with my Christmas presents because that was the only time we had anything, maybe a small something on my birthday but Christmas was the big one for toys, such a shame it isn’t like that now, I think with my own grandchildren they have far too much and I have to really rack my brains to think what to get them.. i’m seriously thinking of opening bank accounts for them if any banks do bother with children savings accounts these days

Someone mentioned "We'll see".
That was the stock response to asking for something for Christmas in our house.
You really did have to wait and see, too, because you didn't always get what you'd yearned for.

A John Bull printing set and a Post Office set. I was born to be a civil servant

A dolls house built by my Dad when I was 6 my Mum made me furniture out of matchboxes covered in green velvet. Dad made my brother a garage the same year he was 4. My grand parents bought me some kitchen items and tiny dolls that legs were stiff so the couldn’t sit on the lovely arm chairs. I loved that house and spent many happy times making furniture rugs etc.

The ones I remember are those Dinky Toys or Corgi Toys , the difference between them was Dinky did not have windows or gadgets like the Corgi range.
Mick

Like the OP I had a paintbox with little squares of paint colours. Unusual names I thought - Gamboge (an orangey yellow), coral pink, vermilion, Prussian blue, Cobalt blue and too many more to mention. Post office set, Etch a Sketch and a Diana annual every year which was read from cover to cover many times.

A large dolls house, I remember wondering how it had come down the chimney. Our lovely neighbour had made curtains and carpeted it for me, they nicknamed it Balmoral. Also one year a cash register then later on a train case, loved the names in the paintbox, rose madden, burnt sienna, can’t remember any more!

Tiny Tears doll, I had her for years and my mum used to knit clothes for her every Christmas.
Shaker Maker to make characters, let them dry and paint.
My dolls house, it was beautiful. My mum made me give it to my niece and she drew all over it with felt tips, I was so upset as I really looked after it, it was like new when she got it.

Stocking had usual apple tangerine in silver paper, a very few walnuts, almonds (which I hated) peanuts in shells (loved those) chocolate drops and some kind of novelty paper party toy. From FC the only item I can recall is a childs tea set. The best present I can remember was a pair of roller skates with rubber wheels. I had wanted a pair for so long but too expensive for parents I suppose but, I had a brother 14 years older who was a professional footballer who could afford them (nothings changed in that world) and he sent them for me. Must have driven parents mad clunking about the house until the snow disappeared that Christmas.

I loved fuzzy felt. It wasn't like it is today, ready made people, animals, houses, etc., but thin bits, round, square and triangular bits of different sizes. I spent hours playing with it.

MissAdventure

Someone mentioned "We'll see".
That was the stock response to asking for something for Christmas in our house.
You really did have to wait and see, too, because you didn't always get what you'd yearned for.

that was me and yes it really did mean "we'll see" because money was tight

Oh yes magic painting book, painting by number set. I remember one year my mum 'delivered' my pillow case and then fell down some of the stairs. She was ok but I remember thinking that FC couldnt have brought the presents. Then I checked the fireplace and there was no soot. I still have some of my teddies, one still has his burp! I didn't really like dolls either. As I got older Sindy came along and Cluedo, Monopoly. Happy days.

Litterpicker

*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).

Oh I had Britains Garden! I gave it all away and its worth quite a bit now!

I also had a little 3-legged piano, loved it. My brother 5 years older got a tool set......... 'yes', he used screwdriver to remove main lid and the ivory keys all fell out; he could not fix it; hence plenty of tears from me!

What a nostalgic post Shinamae . I remember getting a Hornby train set, my Dad and Uncle putting it together, my Sister and I loved it. Also the Bunty annual, post office set, the knitting peg. A doll that my dear late Mum had knitted all the clothes, even the pants………..must of been itchy.
We both received a marionette puppet each, and an elderly Aunt had a go and tangled all the strings!!!!!
The tangerine in silver paper, the sixpence in the Christmas pudding.
We certainly didn’t receive what today’s youngsters get, but sure we were much happier
Wonderful memories.

I took my tiny tears doll to my mums friends house, and despite having been warned not to let her son near my doll, I did.
He poked her eyes, and she was forever cross eyed as a result.
I got into terrible trouble for letting him do it.

A rosebud baby doll that weed in it's nappy.

As a small child during the 1940's toys were hard to come by as were books, etc. However, every Christmas my parents would somehow manage to get together enought things ( gathered all through the year), to half fill a pillowcase. So exciting. Usually also got one BIG present. One year a much-wanted and well-loved doll - it stood up by itself. Later I understood that my parents had actually ordered that during the Spring of the year for the shop to get it from USA. That doll was the love of my life. Another year my Dad managed to get a pre-loved (as it would be called today), large trike. He rubbed it down, painted it, renovated it and I had several yers great fun with it.
Had a large extented family and Aunts and Uncles allhad their own children and did not give presents to neices /nephews. Neither did g.parents (far too many grandchildren.
There was the satsuma inthe corner of the pillowcase, and maye a small bar of chocolate also. The rest of Christmas Day was not really much different to any Sunday.

I remember receiving a typewriter one year. Just as I was growing out of toys, the last doll I had as a Christmas present was a teenage doll. She had blue/silver long hair, a blue sparkly dress and white high heeled shoes. She eventually got passed on to my little sister.