Toys you remember from your childhood Christmas

Like most, I used to always get a printing set, a toy sweetshop or post office, plasticine, and painting by numbers, usually of horses.Also the obligatory Christmas Annual, usually Film Fun
Or Rupert Bear.
Lacy hankies in a pack, and a choccy selection box.One year I remember a tin postbox for keeping pennies in ( which would have been useful if anyone had actually given me some pennies.)An Aunt used to send us a pretty tin of toffees every year.

Curlywhirly

A red plastic telephone, which I was thrilled with. A doll and cot, which I was initially chuffed to bits with. But I soon changed my mind after watching an episode of Tales of Mystery and Imagination (which I shouldn't have been watching!). It showed a doll coming to life and murdering the children who owned it ? I wouldn't sleep in the same room as it after that, and put it in the pantry!
My most favourite present of all was a pair of pink sparkly plastic shoes - they were held on your feet by two elastic straps and had stiletto heels - I was in my element, but they only lasted until Boxing Day, the elastic broke - I was absolutely devastated ???

I too had a pair of those sparkly plastic ‘Cinderella’ shoes. I can beat your record as I managed to break mine within two minutes of putting them on on Christmas Day. I had wanted them for so long and was so excited to get them I took a fairy like leap through the air and they snapped in two as I landed. Needless to say I sobbed endlessly. ?

I had a dolls house made from cardboard boxes that my mother made. My dm did all the d i y in our house. She went on to make some beautiful dolls houses two of which are in a toy museum in Scotland.

One of my brothers had a large rocking horse which was left downstairs as we all got into bed with my parents to open presents. My brother was given a present to silver (a slice of bread) which he had to take downstairs to discover his horse.

I felt very sorry for one of my brothers who was given a large tricycle for Christmas 1962 but he couldn’t ride that day as we were going to my grandparents and on Boxing Day it started snowing and didn’t stop until March!

A red plastic telephone, which I was thrilled with. A doll and cot, which I was initially chuffed to bits with. But I soon changed my mind after watching an episode of Tales of Mystery and Imagination (which I shouldn't have been watching!). It showed a doll coming to life and murdering the children who owned it ? I wouldn't sleep in the same room as it after that, and put it in the pantry!
My most favourite present of all was a pair of pink sparkly plastic shoes - they were held on your feet by two elastic straps and had stiletto heels - I was in my element, but they only lasted until Boxing Day, the elastic broke - I was absolutely devastated ???

Ooh this thread takes me back! Just recalled getting a tin washing machine with a tiny agitator, a lid and a wringer for the wet washing (handkerchiefs!) . It came with tiny boxes of REAL washing powder. I was thrilled. About 4y old and remember playing with it stood on a stool at the sink for ages. It was dark outside and my hands were as cold as stones. Mummy & daddy would have been in the other room watching tv. I think. I was in seventh heaven.

A toy sweet shop (cardboard) which had little tiny jars of teeny weeny sweets (hundreds and thousands) and a pretend till. One year a doll's pram and doll. I kept it pristine, it had proper suspension and then it was passed on to my sister (9 years younger than me) who used it as a chariot with the boy next door sitting in it and trashed it. I was so cross, even though I would have been 14 by then! A toy cooker made of tin that you could use firelighters with and boil water in a real tin kettle - Elf and Safety didn't exist in those days. I also remember those paint boxes with the names of all the colours printed underneath!

A princess Ann doll I wasn't allowed to play with it sat on the sideboard! A magic set and chemistry set with a bunsen burner that used methylated spirits a relation added chemicals to it and it foamed all over the carpet banned to the top cupboard.
My cousin's dolls house and small bicycle.
My gran knit us all a jumper or cardigan. Endless selection boxes from different relations.

Father Christmas read my letter and all my Christmas dreams came true!! My brother left this trike in the lane and someone stole it. I've forgiven him, but only recently

Whitewavemark2

Anyone remember the magic painting books?

Yes! I bought a Halloween one WW from Sainsbury’s last week for our ‘L’il Miss’ who is 4y old. She was amazed when she dipped the paintbrush into water and set it on the page to see colours appear! ‘Is the paintbrush magic grandma?’.
?

Fairy wings and wand at the bottom of my bed along with the stocking presents when I was about three.
Yes, WWM I remember the magic painting books…the ones where you just added water and the colours appeared? I also liked the books where you rubbed pencil over the page and a picture appeared.

Christmas was different in our house as there was very little spare money. The fun of all the kids plucking a freshly killed chicken on Christmas eve still puzzles me as I don't know where it came from !
The only present I remember was a doll who walked if you held her hand in a red pram. That year my brother's had an electric train set to share. Wonder where they came from ?!!

Sorry, that was in reply to WW2’s comment about magic painting books.

I used to see a black bear in a shop window and was delighted when Father Christmas gave him to me! I don’t know why my mum threw all of my dolls and teddies away. She even threw out a photo I’d taken of them. I think it was her disappointment in me leaving home when I was 17. Used to love my Bunty Annual. I’ve spent years hunting down the books I had in my childhood and feel the same delight when I find one as I did when I first got it on Christmas Day. I’m currently re reading my favourite book, Ghost Horse by Joseph E Chipperfield that I found via a book search a few years ago. What’s even more nostalgic is that I’m on several Facebook pages that show the plight of the American mustangs that are being rounded up and, in some cases, sent to kill pens. It’s breaking my heart. In the book (1950’s) they said that the government was going to protect the wild horses. So much for that….

Yes! I loved those.

I remember that as an under-five, I got some sort of squeezy bath foam as one of my presents every year. A soap on a rope too. Not at all exciting, but I still remember their smell.

There would also be a satsuma in the bottom of the pillow cases that Santa left our presents in.

When I was three, one of my presents was an umbrella. I remember it because that year, my older brother and I had woken up in the early hours of the morning and discovering that Santa had been (he delivered all our presents, whoever they were from!) we started to open them, and the umbrella was the only one I managed to open before my mother heard us and made us go back to bed.

The same year, I visited Santa's grotto, and he gave me some animal puzzles, each animal with just two or three pieces.
There were also dolls, but looking back, I really wasn't a doll kind of girl!
At the time, it didn't matter - the whole atmosphere of Christmas was so exciting, and I was happy whatever I received at that age.

To be honest, it wasn't until I was seven or eight that I started getting presents that I genuinely liked, that included craft type things and things like roller skates.

I can actually remember huge numbers of the gifts that I received over the years, but the one and only time that I remember being genuinely disappointed and actually upset - though I would have tried, though probably unsuccessfully, not to show it, was when an aunt gave me a pair of mittens, while my brother got a record token.

My elderly mum remembers a Christmas present that she was disappointed with - a lovely set of poster paints, but with no red included!

A Japanese doll in a silk kimono my father bought back from Japan, a blue paisley homemade drawstring bag with a homemade sewing kit inside my granny made for me. What a lovely thread, that takes me back.

A red and cream coloured tea set is the first thing I can remember getting. I think I was about 3. It had everything and I loved it.

I remember getting a Triang scooter in the 1950s I also loved any kind of stationary and still do - I'm still a sucker for a new pack of crayons or paints. Also I loved the smoker's set with chocolate pipe and sweetie cigarettes. (.....I've never smoked!)

Oh, Plasticene! That was in a stocking more than once. I loved the smell, too.

I loved the look and smell of a new packet of Plasticine, before the different colours got squidged together.

Alison Uttley's Snug and Serena books had lovely illustrations.

I was thrilled to wake up to a pair of red leather gnome-style slippers with little brass bells on the toes.... I wonder if the jingling got on my parents' nerves after a while.

I remember most of those from the early 70's.!
Some I had forgotten but remembered when I read your posts.
Great toys then. Paint by numbers, play doh sets, Christmas annual.

My favourite Christmas present came to me as a long parcel wrapped up in tissue paper. I unwound it and there was first a brown hair doll all dressed in a blue knitted outfit and then a blond doll all dressed in a pink knitted outfit. TWINS!! My darling mum had knitted all the outfits - including white vests and pants for both of them. I was so delighted and loved those dolls for years

i remember getting a wooden cradle with a doll, even though my mum knew i hated dolls, i never played with it, always loved pencils and crayons, colouring in books, dot to dot and any books for reading (they did not have to be new). christmas came to an end when i turned 13 and had to help my mum set up the younger kids toys...wendy house and a train set, she gave me a couple of books and explained she ran out of money. i never enjoyed christmas after that, i always felt my gifts were an afterthought. i made a fuss with my son but when he grew up i never celebrated, this christmas i will be on my own ...my choice.

Anyone remember the magic painting books?

Elless

I really wanted Tippy Tumbles and one night my brother told me to follow him, he showed me underneath Mum and Dad's bed and there were loads of toys hidden and there was a Tippy Tumbles, I was really excited but it spoilt it for me on Christmas day and I swore I'd never go snooping again.

One year I found a lovely pink umbrella in my mums wardrobe and was so excited at the thought of getting it for Christmas. I was so disappointed not to find it among my presents - mum had bought it for my cousin! I never went snooping around again!