What Were Your Favorite Toys as a Child?

A Velveteen Rabbit, A China Tea Set and A Little Sewing Basket

My favorite toys as a child included a stuffed velveteen rabbit, a china tea set and a little sewing basket.

You’ve seen the velveteen rabbit, and while he looks bedraggled now, he was quite fine when I was three. Gosh, that rabbit is 59 years old and qualifies for membership in AARP! When I was three years old my Mammaw and Pappaw took me to an Easter egg hunt at their country club in Tulsa. I’m not sure I knew what was going on except that I was supposed to find as many eggs in the grass as possible. All the excitement from the adults and everyone dressed up in special clothes meant this was a pretty important job - I remember seeing the eggs around me and just hurrying to pick them up. My grandparents were pleased that I had collected so many and, while I did not find the golden egg, I did gather the most eggs in the 3-year-old category. And, then I got to pick out a prize!  The most beautiful yellow rabbit is the only thing I can remember on the table - so soft looking with ears that stood up tall. I think it came with a little metal pail painted with an Easter rabbit scene - I wonder where that ended up? But the rabbit was immediately important to me and I was so proud of him.  I have no idea if the pride came from my being able to choose the toy or if it was the joy of having a new special friend who could go with me anywhere.  I really did love that rabbit, so much so that Mom removed the stiff wires in his ears so that I could safely sleep with it - they were a bit pokey.

I remember playing with the rabbit for years, but the other toys stick in my memory because they were special Christmas gifts. The sewing basket and china tea set were left by the Santa I “heard” walking down the hall one Christmas eve, so that alone makes them memorable. Did I still have the china tea cups when you were little? The sewing basket did not make the move from the Midwest to Oregon, but those little cups and saucers seemed to hang around for a very long time.