> Atari? Did you ever play it?

> Magic Books? Where you would color in the
> answer with a felt tip pen with clear ink.
> And the answer would magically appear?

> Ring pulls on cans? The press button cans -
> whatever they were called?

> A time when CDs were NOT available?

> Rubicks Cube?

> The TV show "That's Incredible"?

> When there was NO microwave oven in your
> home?

> Jim Boots?

> Kung Fu pajamas?

> Standing in line to see Star Wars?

> Crying in the cinema during E.T.?

> The Six Million Dollar Man doll?

> Watching the first Space Shuttle launch?

> When Michael Jackson was black?

> Velvet pictures?

> What other similar things do YOU remember?

How about Lionel Trains (the big ones) that had 'real' smokestacks and smoke, log carriers that unloaded by tipping on one side with real logs, bridges that raised and lowered, cabooses with red lanterns and towns that looked so realistic you wished you lived there?

Shirley Temple and Madame Alexander dolls anyone? Or go further back to BetsyWetsy dolls?

How about old time radio shows like Boston Blackie (later on TV), the Shadow, and Playhouse Theatre?

I can recall toys that were true miniatures of things adults used: washing machines that washed doll clothes, a stove that plugged into the electrical outlet (and got hot enough to fix soup), an iron that actually ironed, baby carriages in wicker or cloth and wood that had every feature the real ones did. Sure wish I had some of those toys these days...they're worth a small fortune.

I loved the old erector sets even tho' I was not very good at getting all those screws and bolts just so.

My all time favorite, tho', was my chemistry set that you could actually DO something with. Real chemicals to do real experiments and directions written for children to actually read and follow.

Ah, wasn't childhood wonderful...and sometimes dangerous? We've taken all the fun out of it. There's no room to learn about the real world consequences and no place to exercise one's imagination...everything is pre-done and packaged. No wonder our kids are bored!

Sandi