What kind of dangerous toys did you have?

tallyho8 · Aug 13, 2009

While I was rummaging through my attic I found part of an old woodburning kit that I got when I was about 7 years old in the early 1950s. It got me to thinking about all the fun toys we had when we were young that they couldn't possibly sell for kids nowadays.

Besides the woodburning kit, I had many guns that were made to shoot corks or suction cup darts but we quickly learned how to shoot many other objects in them. I had some real darts too, a wham-o slingshot, a Red Ryder BB gun and a pretty sharp cub scout knife. I even remember lead soldiers. My sister had a minature electric stove with minature loaves of real bread that you would slice and toast in the oven. My chemistry set had real chemicals in it!

We had sliding boards much taller than ones at playgrounds today and they always came down into a mud puddle. Also swings with heavy wood seats, weak chains and not anchored in the ground.

We even got to stand up in the back seat of the car so we could see out the windows when we were not riding in the bed of a pickup truck.

I don't think they even made bike helmets then or knee and elbow pads for skaters.

What "dangerous" toys did you have?

CurlyDave · Aug 13, 2009

Chemistry was a big hit with me, my dad used to bootleg potassium nitrate from his work so I could make real black powder. We made rocket fuel from powdered zinc and sulfur -- melted one of my mom's silver spoons with that.

We weren't allowed to have real guns, but since our cousins had them we were allowed bow & arrows. Many a suburban rabbit fell to an arrow...

The bicycle helmet was yet to be invented, as was the seat belt.

ToadHill · Aug 13, 2009

Well I guess playing superman with cape and all then jumping out the second story window of the garage was pretty foolish. We did it many times and as long as you rolled when you hit ground, no problems. It works for playing paratrooper as well. My grand children have that garage now but I don't think they have yet been foolish enough to try the window trick.

Probably the most dangerous (toy?) was the old WWII dodge power wagon dad had at the cabin that he let me drive starting at about age 10. I was driving that think for years before I ever drove a tractor.

Will_C · Aug 13, 2009

Bicycles that we jumped off a plank at the end of the hill, BB guns, chemistry sets, snowmobiles, mini-bikes,tackle football games in the lot without equipment, the "Evel Knievel" jumping motorcycle (the one that weighed 2-3 pounds, you cranked up the back wheel and let it go) that once took the legs out from under my 4 year old sister, ah...those were the days!!

Will

Thomas · Aug 13, 2009

Had handful of toys..some home made..you would never ever find on store shelfs today.
Home made bow arrow,sling shot..Daisey BB gun.

Heck back than 8 track tape play wasn't even a dream..78's 33 1/2's 45 albums were tops,and if you had FM radio you were the cats meow.

Tig · Aug 13, 2009

Cox model airplanes were fun and gave us some sore fingers.
Anyone remember "clackers"?

They have the dubious distinction of being quickly banned in the 70s. I'm sure I still have a set packed away somewhere. You can make your own out of golf balls and cord. Homemade one's don't shatter or hurt as much when you get "clacked"

polo1665 · Aug 13, 2009

The chemistry set was a big hit with me too. It all started when my dad gave me the job of doing the soil tests for his garden.
It seems in retrospect that we could make just about anything dangerous and did. It's a wonder that our parents weren't tossed in jail for the things that they let us do. I had a minibike (honda 50) at 12 or 13 years old. We rode that thing through the woods everyday as fast as it would go, never even thought about a helmet.
If you're from western Michigan (Muskegon area) you would be familiar with "Snurfing". Nothing like standing on a waxed board, holding onto a rope and hurtling down a hill in the woods.
BB guns, fire crackers, and such things were a must while we grew up. Couldn't imagine not having them.

Good thread, brings back alot of fond memories.

Mark

weldingisfun · Aug 13, 2009

By today's standards, every toy I had as a kid would be considered dangerous. DOB 1945.

20 20 · Aug 13, 2009

Loved it when the grownups would sit around and make cannons for us out of the old "tin" beer cans. They'd hand us some lighter fluid and a tennis ball and we'd go see who could shoot the furthest.
I'd have to agree with Weldingisfun; pretty much everything was dangerous, compared to todays mambee pambee world.

LBrown59 · Aug 13, 2009

tallyho8 said:
While I was rummaging through my attic I found part of an old woodburning kit that I got when I was about 7 years old in the early 1950s. It got me to thinking about all the fun toys we had when we were young that they couldn't possibly sell for kids nowadays.

Besides the woodburning kit,
I had many guns that were made to shoot corks or suction cup darts but we quickly learned how to shoot many other objects in them.
I had some real darts too, a wham-o slingshot, a Red Ryder BB gun and a pretty sharp cub scout knife. I even remember lead soldiers. My sister had a minature electric stove with minature loaves of real bread that you would slice and toast in the oven. My chemistry set had real chemicals in it!
We had sliding boards much taller than ones at playgrounds today and they always came down into a mud puddle. Also swings with heavy wood seats, weak chains and not anchored in the ground.

We even got to stand up in the back seat of the car so we could see out the windows when we were not riding in the bed of a pickup truck.

I don't think they even made bike helmets then or knee and elbow pads for skaters.

What "dangerous" toys did you have?