DIY childhood toys

[gbb]

We used to call them Dutch arrows though.

Yes, i think i prefer that...two fingers up to the French eh

 

[col]

Remember the spud guns,all you needed was a spud and you were set for a days shootout,i dont know if they are still available,could put your eye out.

 

[gbb]

Catapults made of out of just a length of elastic and a small pouch for your ammo,we used to hold the end of the elastic and pull the pouch end as far as we could,not very acurate, but didnt half go far.Oh and my brother stuck me in the leg with a french arrow,trying to throw it through my legs.

I did the same to my brother with a full sized spear

Launched it from afar, sailed through the air toward my brother who was waiting to launch it back....wham...straight into his leg

It was sticking right in the air out of his leg

Dont tell mum ........ We pulled it out and told mum 'he fell over'.

A few days later, it all went sceptic. Several days later, the doctor was pulling bits of wood splinters out of the wound

Dunno how that happened mum !!!!

 

[col]

I did the same to my brother with a full sized spear

Launched it from afar, sailed through the air toward my brother who was waiting to launch it back....wham...straight into his leg

It was sticking right in the air out of his leg

Dont tell mum ........ We pulled it out and told mum 'he fell over'.

A few days later, it all went sceptic. Several days later, the doctor was pulling bits of wood splinters out of the wound

Dunno how that happened mum !!!!

I remember my horror,it was also sticking out of the inside of my chin,when i pulled it out,it was only in a couple of mm,but left a little triangular hole,from how we had sharpened it with a knife.

 

[sheddy]

'mudsticks' - find and whittle a nice 4' green swishy stick
get some wet clay from pond or river and attach a lump to end of stick
with a simple overarm action, send lump flying to chosen target !

 

[col]

Dont forget the making a bow and arrow phase.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

Flick knives made out of ice lolly sticks and rubber bands

 

[Big Bren]

We used to make kites from bread bags and sledges out of big plastic bags - the type that gravel or fertiliser comes in.

Trolleys were big round our way too - one summer we made a kind of trike affair, substituting the pully string steerer thing with the front forks and handlebars off an old bike. It was legendary all over the estate and we took to sleeping in the garden in a tent to guard it from theft/sabotage.

Happy days!

Bren

 

[col]

Talking of lolly sticks,remember the frisby or boomarang things we used to make,needed about six lolly sticks,and made i suppose a star shape and locked them together,then threw em.

 

[mondobongo]

Ahh I remember peg guns, remember making a double barrelled one. Also remember the search for old pram wheels for a cart and hammering steel coke cans flat so the axle would clear the bottom of the cart.

 

[Dayvo]

I had my catapults confiscated (bought a second one after my Dad took the first one away - only to be given a death threat if he found a third one ) but somehow worked out that my mum's plastic kitchen spoon made a great catapult substitute; it was a lot more accurate and could propel stones, marbles and ball-bearings a lot further.

Put my brother inside a tractor tyre and made him 'drive' it down a small hill. Poor bastard, he puked his guts up from giddyness, but it looked so funny seeing him rolling away!

Discovered the power of sugar and weedkiller bombs after scaring the $hit out of the wildlife in the local park (the Olympic venue for Mountain Biking in 2012) at 7:00am one summer's Sunday morning, and having the $hit scared out of us when the police turned up to see what the disturbance was. We soon scarpered on our bikes through the woods.

Oh happy days, indeed.

 

[Aperitif]

The other thing I remembered was making hot air balloons manufactured using a couple of coathangers, a dry cleaning bag and a wad of cotton wool soaked in meths...they used to stay airborne for seemingly ages, and I still fancy making one now...

 

[andyoxon]

One good length of discarded aluminium TV aerial hollow tubing.
Pins, with wool flights bound on with cotton thread.

Instant blow pipe.
Chase each other round garden - or bush (it was Africa)

 

[Elmer Fudd]

Did you used to light bangers and throw them around near bonfire night, rockets fired over local football pitch on training night. Do kids today still climb trees ? Jeez some of the things we used to do don't bear thinking about,

 

[Fnaar]

We used to light a banger, then the dare was to ride over it (both wheels) before it went off!