Games and Toys

My brother Ellis A. Parker who is nearly ten years older than I describes toys and games as he remembered them and I am including mine along with his. If you have knowledge of these games or toys or pictures that would be appropriate to the subject, please feel to EMAIL me.

Tops & Yoyos

Ellis tells me he was never good with tops, or yoyos for that matter. I was fairly good with a top. The key was making sure the string was wound around the top properly and then it was all in the wrist, you had to release it with a snap onto a flat surface. Its all in the timimg of the snap and release. Practice,practice....
I was pretty good with a Yoyo, at least I thought I was, the "Duncan" yoyo was the premier brand of the time. They didn't have fancy lights or plastic parts; they were wood though some of them were painted real fancy. I did tricks like "round the world" "walk the dog"  "rock the cradle"and numerous others  that I can't remember. I won a few small prizes, but usually another yoyo, if I won anything at all.

Slingshots

Ellis: "Slingshots; made them out of the crotches of China Berry trees and could use those China Berries hurt when shot from a sling". I would also use the "Y" or crotch of a tree or I would sometimes cut one from wood using a jig saw. China Berries, marbles, rocks and other objects were used by me as missiles. Currently I do not have a photo or drawing a old fashioned slingshot. But, I'm working on it.

Washers

Ellis: "Pitching washers; used to bury 15 oz. cans the same distance apart as horseshoe stakes, used heavy washers slightly smaller around than the mouthof the buried can. Close and in the can scored the same way as horseshoes. I remember playing, but don't remember anything else.

Rubber Guns

Ellis said "Rubber guns, never waste waste a blown out inner tube, save and make ammunition for rubber guns" I have a very active memory of this toy as it was one of my favorites.

Mumbly Peg

Ellis: "Mumbly peg, I wasn't any good at it. It was played with a knife with the blades open. One blade straight  with the handle the other 90 degrees to the blade. You held the 90 degree blade between Your fore finger and thumb then flip the knife by the rear of the handle. The position it landed and stuck was the way you scored points."

Marbles

Ellis said: "Marbles, except for one guy I was the city champ in marbles, this guy also lived in our neighborhood, so I wasn't even neighborhood champ. I wasn't any good at marbles I used to loose all mine and get some from my brother's (when he wasn't looking).