Staying Power...

I love toys.

I don't mean the plastic encased, fad driven, advertisement based products

or that really out of proportion girls doll...

Or the million pieced robot alien things...

I'm talking about the ones that seem to last throughout the years that have charm and character...

I have a big basket full of things in the studio for kids that come and play and I try to keep things in there that I think take a bit of imagination to play with....although they may not look exciting to start with, I've never had any kids get bored with the toy basket.

Some things I have are not old but destined to become classics...

This little wooden carved fox...

...or these beautifully made figures. They are made from a really durable hard plastic and you name it...you can usually find it amongst the vast collection this company produces.

How about this little band of finger puppets? One of these days my nieces and nephews and I will make a grand stage and props for these fellows.

Then there's the old timeless ones like Leo...an old favorite of my husbands boyhood.

(I added the felted crown...he just seemed like he deserved one after 40+ years of being played with!)

This old toy train, complete with tracks AND a tunnel came from a rescue operation in my great Aunt Thoras' basement...it was headed for the junk pile...

Along with this hundred year old doll carriage...

The wheels are a bit rough but the kids are allowed to play with it gently and indoors.

 I got this one in a grab bag at the Sally Ann when my daughter was a little girl...

it's one of those toys that has a little button on the bottom that you push in to make it 'dance'.

It's travelled with us to many different houses and always seemed to find its way to a windowsill where it sits and reminds me of innocent times...

These two dolls came from my childhood. My father brought them back from the Far East when he was in the navy and were only brought out once in a while.

We had what was called a 'rainy day box' which contained a collection of special toys which we were allowed to play with on days when school was cancelled or it was too dangerous to go out because of thunder and lightening storms. 

We would sit at the kitchen table and examine all of these exotic things from far away places.

It seemed to make them that much more precious when we only took them out 5 or 6 times a year...

So cherish those things that are well made or have a special story to them...

because they may just be in the hands of the next generation one day and they'll say...

"I remember when I was a kid and this toy........."