5 Gift Ideas to relive those childhood memories - The Forgotten Toy Shop

5 Gift Ideas to relive those childhood memories

Most people think that when they grow up then they can’t enjoy toys anymore. This is not true. Toys and games are great for any age to play. And what’s great is teaching the younger generations the games we you used to play.

 People think that our current generation of children only want electronic games nowadays but if we introduce them to the old classics then they can enjoy them too.

Here are my top 5 classic traditional toys and games.

1. Marble Games

How many of you have tins of marbles stashed at the back of the cupboard?

Marble Games

There are so many different types of games that you can play with marbles. You can play on your own or with a group of friends. Also with marbles because some of them are so beautifully decorated, they can also be a collector’s item.

The Marble Games we sell comes with a selection of marbles, a wooden arch for scoring with the marbles, a die and instructions of games to play.

 

2. Snakes & Ladders

 No one can deny Snakes & Ladders is one of the classic family board games to be played. 

It’s a great game that can be played by all ages and it is also a great game to get children learning to count.

Snakes and Ladders 

Did you know that Snakes & Ladders was first found and played in ancient India. It was very popular by the name of Moksha Patamu and was invented by Hindu Spiritual teachers. The game was called "Leela" - and reflected the Hinduism consciousness around everyday life. Another name for it was the ladder to salvation, the game then made its perilous journey to Victorian England where a newer version was introduced by John Jacques in 1892. It also made its way into the USA by game inventor Milton Bradley in 1943. It was then given the name Snakes and ladders. 

The Snakes & Ladders game we stock has an authentic 1920's feel to the board and box.

 

3. Knitting Doll (French Knitting) 

Now this is a toy that has many names. It can be known as Knitting Doll, Knitting Nancy, Spool Knitting, Corking, Tomboy Knitting, Bizzy Lizzys or Knitting Knobbys. They all derive from the medieval tool called the lucet. The lucet was a two prong fork, the knitting dolls are four-prong variants of the lucet.

 French Knitting Doll

The Knitting Doll, started off as a wooden bobbin with four nails tapped into the top, something difficult to do these days since most thread spools are now made from plastic.

The Knitting Dolls you can get today are now shaped similar to a wooden peg doll and come in various sizes and most come with looped wires at the top instead of nails (probably a H&S issue) but the concept is the same, you loop the yarn around the wires in a figure of 8 formation and then using the needle to carry the yarn over the loop then pull down through the centre of the doll. You keep doing this and eventually you get a long braid of cord that can then be made into all sorts.

The Knitting Doll we well is a natural wooden doll with a face, it comes with a wooden needle, some yarn to get you started and full instructions to use it.

 

4. Hopscotch

Admit it, who walks on flagstone pathways and thinks this would be great to play hopscotch. I know I do.

 Hopscotch

Hopscotch began in ancient Britain during the early Roman Empire. The original hopscotch courts were over 100 feet long and used for military training exercises. Roman foot-soldiers ran the course in full armour and field packs to improve their footwork, much the same way modern football players run through rows of truck tires today.

Roman children drew their own smaller courts in imitation of the soldiers, added a scoring system and "Hopscotch" spread throughout Europe. The word "London" is often written at the top of hopscotch courts to make the court reminiscent of the Great North Road, a 400 mile Roman road from Glasgow to London frequently used by the Roman military.

Our Hopscotch game, comes from the House of Marbles company. It is a beautifully decorated box, which contains everything you need to play the classic game. Chalk, beanbag counter and instructions.

 

5. Humming Top

The traditional spinning top is one of the oldest recognisable toys found on archaeological sites. Spinning tops originated independently in cultures all over the world. There are many different types of spinning top, from small ones that you use with a cord (known as whip and top), these are usually made from wood, to larger ones that have a handle to spin them and are usually made from metal.

Humming Top

The handle in the top of the spinning top that you press converts reciprocating motion into rotational motion. It is extremely simple: a spiral bar, drive gear with a rectangular slot, tapered protrusions on the top itself and a housing to keep the drive gear down. As it spins it emits a humming noise, changing in volume and tone depending on the speed.

These are also called humming top, tin top, pumptop or whistling top.

The humming tops we have in stock are made from metal and have a bright rainbow design on. These tops also have a plastic base. This is a great toy for young children to develop their motor skills with pushing and pulling the handle up and down to make it spin.

 

So this is my 5 top traditional classic toys and games.

I hope I’ve took you on a small journey down childhood memory lane. Please check out the rest of our store for more great toys to relive your childhood memories. If there is a toy or game that you remember that you can't find anymore, please get in touch.

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