I love the Sylvanians too. I bought my daughter about a dozen, together with a house and the furniture when she was little. I kept them and now my 3 year old grandson loves and plays with them too.
I played so much with Puppy In My Pockets! As an only child much of my play was imagination and playing with imaginary things, but these puppies were my go-to physical toy.
I missed the Sylvanian families world as a child and it was only about eight years ago that I learned about them when my best friend started buying them for her daughter! I became a big fan and your post is potentially encouraging me to start purchasing my own collection ;-)
As a child I loved playing with smurfs and my pop used to buy me one every few weeks from the service station when he got petrol for the car! I also had a secret place which you entered through a hidden door (sneak behind some branches and then hand out under a big tree so you were hidden from the world!), and all of my imaginary friends were there....which I do remember included Moon-Face from The Faraway Tree, Mr T from the A-Team and Darth Vader! Good times!
Favourite game was Snakes and Ladders and Ludo. During childhood I loved my stilts that dad made me. I liked my bike - it was the best for freedom. Marg Gibbs
I was a big calico critters kid too!! one thing I love about my family's more recent christmas traditions is that they always get something for the inner child in my brother and I—one year it was a calico critters black cat family :,) they're sitting together in my room!
I loved Sylvanian families as a kid, but my main play obsession was My Little Ponys. My sister and I had this elaborate system of choosing who got to 'control' which pony and we would spend hours enacting all the little dramas between them.
Now my kids are into Lego and I'm so tempted to buy myself some sets because putting sets together is so therapeutic and fun!
I think we all deserve/need some more play in our lives!
Literally this exact scene at my house -- My Little Ponies were also a podium finisher (our My Childs were the final member of the holy trinity) and we had such systems in place! We could go for hours!
Your newsletter days are some of my favourite days - I love the story of how your family won the dolls house! I loved Sylvanian Families growing up - coveting my friend’s huuuge collection and making rough attempts at clothes for my own. Also, a huge thank you because it was through listening to you speak on a panel a few months ago that I was reminded and encouraged to embrace writing as play. And it’s changed my life all over again.
My favorite toys as a child were a red metal dump truck and my teddy bear; I still have the bear. My mother LOVED dolls and bought me several; they always creeped me out, and still do to this day. My enjoyment came with rearranging the dirt in the flowerbeds, creating new landscapes; then snuggling up in my room with Theodore for my other favorite pastime: reading.
It's a fine line with dolls, and they fall very easily onto the creepy side of the equation, I find! You'd have got on very well with my own kid, who is very much into both landscaping and reading!
It just occurred to me that at almost 78 i still have 2 full size mannequins and lots of yarn and knitting needles, and sewing and knitting machines. Maybe I always knew my bliss! Thanks of helping me to connect with my inner little kid! Happy, Playful New Year!
What a great story! When I was a kid my dolls didn't have lives, they were just my mannequins to make clothes for. I didn't know how to play pretend with them. My favorite toys were Lincoln Logs and an Erector Set. I loved to build things. and, of course, an enameling kiln, knitting needles and crochet hooks, and a microscope. Just ordinary stuff that every kid plays with 🙃ðŸ¤.
One time -- when I was an adult -- I thanked my mother for the amazing dollhouse we had as kids. And she said, "Oh darling, I love that you think that was all for your sake!" So I'm following family tradition, I guess!
Ah yes, Calico Critters. When I was little we called it Maple Town. Same concept of all the adorable animal families and either they made it into a cartoon or it was based on a cartoon. I think it was the latter. We had a cute little house for them too, though it wasn't nearly as grand as this! We had furniture and even a train and school bus! The bunny family especially brings up the nostalgia! They are all so freaking cute! I just bought my youngest niece a cat family for Christmas as she loves "kitty cats!"
Oh, what I wouldn't have done for a school bus as a kid! Kitty cats are very much en vogue at my place too -- the kiddo loves them, and tells everyone in tragic tones that she can't have a real one, because Mama is allergic.
I loved reading your last newsletter! And I used to love playing pretend with a friend, we would pretend that we were wizards from another world fighting red eyed unicorns. It felt as if we were living in another world when we played. We would also play games like hide and seek while pretending we were wizards
Sometimes I think that's why I write -- because you get to keep feeling like you live in other worlds, and rather than being told off for daydreaming, or failing to grow up, you get rewarded. I don't ever want to stop pretending!
I love the Sylvanians too. I bought my daughter about a dozen, together with a house and the furniture when she was little. I kept them and now my 3 year old grandson loves and plays with them too.
I played so much with Puppy In My Pockets! As an only child much of my play was imagination and playing with imaginary things, but these puppies were my go-to physical toy.
I missed the Sylvanian families world as a child and it was only about eight years ago that I learned about them when my best friend started buying them for her daughter! I became a big fan and your post is potentially encouraging me to start purchasing my own collection ;-)
As a child I loved playing with smurfs and my pop used to buy me one every few weeks from the service station when he got petrol for the car! I also had a secret place which you entered through a hidden door (sneak behind some branches and then hand out under a big tree so you were hidden from the world!), and all of my imaginary friends were there....which I do remember included Moon-Face from The Faraway Tree, Mr T from the A-Team and Darth Vader! Good times!
Favourite game was Snakes and Ladders and Ludo. During childhood I loved my stilts that dad made me. I liked my bike - it was the best for freedom. Marg Gibbs
I was a big calico critters kid too!! one thing I love about my family's more recent christmas traditions is that they always get something for the inner child in my brother and I—one year it was a calico critters black cat family :,) they're sitting together in my room!
Well this is a fantastic idea, and I'm going to institute it in my family as well!
awww, yay!! :,) I hope you and yours appreciate it as much as my brother and I do!
I loved Sylvanian families as a kid, but my main play obsession was My Little Ponys. My sister and I had this elaborate system of choosing who got to 'control' which pony and we would spend hours enacting all the little dramas between them.
Now my kids are into Lego and I'm so tempted to buy myself some sets because putting sets together is so therapeutic and fun!
I think we all deserve/need some more play in our lives!
Literally this exact scene at my house -- My Little Ponies were also a podium finisher (our My Childs were the final member of the holy trinity) and we had such systems in place! We could go for hours!
I used to play games with my cousins
Love this! I had a pile of cousins my age, but all in Ireland -- I can still remember what we used to play when my family made it over there.
Your newsletter days are some of my favourite days - I love the story of how your family won the dolls house! I loved Sylvanian Families growing up - coveting my friend’s huuuge collection and making rough attempts at clothes for my own. Also, a huge thank you because it was through listening to you speak on a panel a few months ago that I was reminded and encouraged to embrace writing as play. And it’s changed my life all over again.
Oh my goodness, thank you! Play was the one thing I truly wanted to share that day, so this makes me so happy. Thank you for telling me.
My favorite toys as a child were a red metal dump truck and my teddy bear; I still have the bear. My mother LOVED dolls and bought me several; they always creeped me out, and still do to this day. My enjoyment came with rearranging the dirt in the flowerbeds, creating new landscapes; then snuggling up in my room with Theodore for my other favorite pastime: reading.
It's a fine line with dolls, and they fall very easily onto the creepy side of the equation, I find! You'd have got on very well with my own kid, who is very much into both landscaping and reading!
I love your word choice for the year!
Me too -- I love when the right word clicks into place. I'm in love with yours, as well!
Thank you for the LFTL shout out!!
I will be shouting nonstop!
It just occurred to me that at almost 78 i still have 2 full size mannequins and lots of yarn and knitting needles, and sewing and knitting machines. Maybe I always knew my bliss! Thanks of helping me to connect with my inner little kid! Happy, Playful New Year!
Oh, I love this! You knew yourself early, and you've stayed true all this time.
What a great story! When I was a kid my dolls didn't have lives, they were just my mannequins to make clothes for. I didn't know how to play pretend with them. My favorite toys were Lincoln Logs and an Erector Set. I loved to build things. and, of course, an enameling kiln, knitting needles and crochet hooks, and a microscope. Just ordinary stuff that every kid plays with 🙃ðŸ¤.
Oh I LOVE the story with your little toys. And now it's something you get to share with your daughter. <3
One time -- when I was an adult -- I thanked my mother for the amazing dollhouse we had as kids. And she said, "Oh darling, I love that you think that was all for your sake!" So I'm following family tradition, I guess!
Ah yes, Calico Critters. When I was little we called it Maple Town. Same concept of all the adorable animal families and either they made it into a cartoon or it was based on a cartoon. I think it was the latter. We had a cute little house for them too, though it wasn't nearly as grand as this! We had furniture and even a train and school bus! The bunny family especially brings up the nostalgia! They are all so freaking cute! I just bought my youngest niece a cat family for Christmas as she loves "kitty cats!"
Oh, what I wouldn't have done for a school bus as a kid! Kitty cats are very much en vogue at my place too -- the kiddo loves them, and tells everyone in tragic tones that she can't have a real one, because Mama is allergic.
I loved reading your last newsletter! And I used to love playing pretend with a friend, we would pretend that we were wizards from another world fighting red eyed unicorns. It felt as if we were living in another world when we played. We would also play games like hide and seek while pretending we were wizards
Sometimes I think that's why I write -- because you get to keep feeling like you live in other worlds, and rather than being told off for daydreaming, or failing to grow up, you get rewarded. I don't ever want to stop pretending!