"In my time, we would entertain ourselves with anything," the grandfather told his grandson. A ball, a stick... Those times have changed. Now, children handle the tablet -better than you and me- before articulating a word, they are able to take a 'selfie' with their father's 'smartphone' at three years old, they cannot conceive of life without a video console at six and they play in Red at nine. Even so, there are toys of the analog generation that do not go out of style. Others passed away. We review them.
A simple, brightly colored plastic hoop that was placed around the waist, arm, ankle, and even neck to spin at high speed. And to see who could hold out the most to the cry of: "Bring, it's my turn." The instrument, which dates back to 1958, took its name from a Hawaiian folk dance - hula - attached to the English word for hoop - hoop-. Only five years after its launch, the entrepreneurs Richard Kerr and Arthur Melin, co-founders of Wham-O, had already sold 100 million units. A round business, never better said.
Long before the arrival of Tamagotchi -virtual pets-, children played with these mythological beings with garish hair and bright bulging eyes. Although we owe the invention to the Danish Thomas Dam, who made the first ones in wood, the trend arose in the 1960s in the United States. It has made a comeback in recent years with different names, manufacturers, and a more sophisticated design. The older ones also collected trolls as figures that attract fortune. Not surprisingly, they were marketed with the slogan 'good luck'. However, some children's hair stood on end and they burst into tears when they saw them.
These spheres of glass, clay, metal, marble or porcelain have been part of the best recreation of yesteryear. Although there are variants by country, the most popular game is to throw them to get as close as possible to the opponent's holes or marbles and thus win them over. Hence, their number increased until they accumulated several full boxes at home, it was not very clear why. Today, marbles are still very present in our lives every time our upstairs neighbor drops something at three in the morning.
A spiral spring dyed like the rainbow that, in addition to going down the stairs by himself, was used by the not so young to do experiments. This is precisely how the toy arose, 70 years ago, when the naval engineer Richard Thompson James fell to the ground and jumped forward. In metal or plastic, Slinky has expanded its offer with more than 20 different products which includes, of course, the springy dog from the movie 'Toy Story'. Without a doubt, it was a great amusement that managed to catch the children with its hypnotic movement... until it broke in two.
This toy, which we owe to the creativity of the snack and chip companies, brought the children of the 90s to their heads. And the mothers, who had to deal with the desires of their children and a healthier snack. Because the only way to get these plastic tokens with pictures on the front and dots on the back was to buy a bag of 'snacks'. So until you accumulate towers that were kept in their corresponding Porta-Tazos and then play to knock them down. What were repeated? They changed at school to continue collecting or betting. They arrived in Spain with Matutano, and they had different classifications, from Macro-Tazos (with a larger diameter than normal ones) to Magic-Tazos (with special impressions). Some nostalgic have dedicated a Facebook group to them: 'The only thing I gained with the Tazos was obesity'.
And we're still in the 90s, when tabas games resurfaced with a modern twist. If in the past the talus -short bone that forms part of the tarsus- of the animals was thrown as if it were a dice, from 1995, the fun was carried out by small plastic figures in bright colors. Also collectible, each one was a more or less sinuous character -hence it bounced better or worse at launch- and with its corresponding -and strange- name. In its glorious time, McDonald's took advantage of the pull to give them away with its children's menu. In some primary schools they even prohibited them as they were a frequent cause of disputes and distraction during classes.
Popularly known as 'elastic mucus', it's the dirtiest hobby on this list. Cold and soft, putting it on all the walls for the first time was a real pleasure for the child. Within five minutes, he had all the bacteria and dust in the house encrusted and was no good for anything other than receiving his mother's screams. "Man, that's what mops are for and you're going to get an infection!", I had to think while I washed it under the tap. Since the filth didn't come out and tired of scrubbing the walls, which remained green, she threw it in the trash. But in the end he always ended up buying another, a tantrum of the little one through.
This game has been responsible for all childhood injuries that did not occur on swings. The jump with an elastic rope could be individual, if the child tied the rubber band on a surface or put his parents as figurines, one at each end, while he sang the entire repertoire for them. But it was also a pastime that encouraged socialization, when the little one would go down to the square and make friends while ending up entangled up to the neck. Today, it has practically disappeared from the streets and parks.
This doll by Feber S.A. Created by a manga artist, it was like a teenage Barbie that emerged in the 80s and was discontinued in the 90s. It also had its dozens of versions, its thousands of accessories and its particular Ken, whose name was Danny, and he was very modern. Chabel's charm resided in her values: friendship, family, caring for animals... The big downside, her legs couldn't bend. Fans of the doll have opened forums for her to come back and end Mattel's reign.
Although there have been many building games, Meccano was one of the pioneers. The metal pieces were joined with screws following the instructions until a replica of a drawing with structures and joints was achieved. Like Lego, it has been one of the most praised distractions for its didactics. If the child was a handyman, he could spend hours and hours entertained. And, if it wasn't, the one who finished the work was the father, who was delighted to do it.
The unfortunate protagonist of the story by Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), who, missing a leg, became a child's favourite, was one of the most coveted toys in childhood moment. This metal and resin figure reproduced the different corps and battalions of the army. Craft production received a fatal blow with the appearance of plastic soldiers from the fifties of the twentieth century. However, today they continue to be collector's items.
"Yes, yes, yes, no! I'll change it for you." Collecting stickers has been one of the great hobbies of the last century and so far in this one, although now it focuses more on the great figures of football. A fun experience for all ages, because parents also had fun exchanging them and even went to the markets for those last four stickers that were so difficult to find, fed up with their children spending Sunday pay on duplicate envelopes.
The 'fashionistas' had a great time with scissors and paper figures that could exchange their dresses thanks to the folding of some tabs. A very cheap game to create a world of fantasy and dreams with a simple sheet from which a complete dressing room could emerge. Cut-out dolls, with their outfits and accessories, are centuries old, but they are gradually being lost. In some schools, there are still nostalgic teachers who teach their students these crafts with cardboard.
Before the mobile phone took control of our lives, there was correspondence, and it didn't matter if it took days, months or even years to respond, because it was always exciting. Especially if the letter from that summer friend was written on a background of scented colors. Some were so pretty it was a shame to put a pen on them. In those cases, they accumulated in a folder waiting to find even better ones that deserved the exchange. There were small, large, heart-shaped and animal-shaped ones, each with its corresponding matching envelope. They smelled good, although all the same.
This articulated action figure has even been dedicated to exhibitions. The Madelmans emerged in the 1960s and evolved over the years, until they disappeared in the 1980s. They were very realistic figures, their clothes were perfectly sewn and they could adopt any position, incredible as it may seem. In his prime, there was no kid who didn't have or want one, whether it was the individual that came in its red box or the super kit full of accessories - a dream for every child.
During the 1980s and 1990s these miniature cars were a hit with kids. The size of a pencil sharpener, some reproduced real car models. Many children enjoyed simply putting them in a caravan, although over time complex scenarios emerged that included circuits with lights. Hasbro continued marketing until 2000, when declining sales forced the company to stop manufacturing them. Even today it continues to be a special object for lovers of retro -and cars-.
In the late sixties, Spanish children had a ball with this attractive building game. Based on Saints, birthdays and Kings, they were accumulating pieces to be able to go from a solitary tower to a complex fortification. Worlds enclosed in a blue box that turned into fun afternoons between walls and drawbridges.
Two discs connected by an axis with a thread wrapped around it that made it go up, down or perform different tricks. It goes back to nothing less than the Ancient Age. Already in the V century BC. C. there is evidence of its existence. However, it was not until 1928 that the toy emerged as we understand it today. Seven years later, Donald Duncan registered the yo-yo brand after acquiring the business of Pedro Flores, the first to set up a factory in California. Currently there are true fans of this instrument and international competitions, but it is no longer a matter of children.
This rotating wooden or plastic object could be played with one hand or a string. It is one of the oldest toys, but it has evolved and current spinning tops have nothing to do with the ones our ancestors had. The top allowed to show off before an audience with tricks and acrobatics only suitable for skilled -children and not so children-.
When there was nothing else, bottle caps were used to play with. From soccer matches -with their goalkeeper and everything- to races around circuits drawn in chalk. They also played heads and tails. They even made bets. Many children were waiting for the older beers to go picking them up. If they picked them up off the ground they got a good scolding.
