Record #:

8821

Author(s):

Hinkle, Bob

Abstract:

Children raised during the Great Depression were sometimes forced to play with home-made toys. That did not matter to them, or course, as home-made toys can be just as much fun as those bought at a store. Today, grandparents raised during the depression years can pass along their knowledge of home-made toys to their grandchildren, as the author did when his young granddaughter made a recent week-long visit. One such depression era toy is the shoebox streetcar. Made out of a shoebox, children can cut out windows, attach a string, and light a candle inside to create a night-time toy that glows in the dark. Children wishing to grow tall like adults may want to create tin-can stilts. These stilts are not as dangerous as those used in the circus, but they still make children feel ten-feet tall. Tying a string to two halves old oatmeal boxes creates a toy telephone while a candle lantern makes for a fun night-time exploration. These toys are not only fun for children, but also teach them a history lesson about life during the Great Depression.

Source:

The State (NoCar F 251 S77), Vol. 51 Issue 7, Dec 1983, p24-26, por

Subject(s):

Toy making; Toys