Childhood Toys

Had a blast from the past today at Dollar Tree. It was one of those punching bopper bags. The kind that you filled with air and you punch it, then it bounces back upright. Totally worth the $1. It got me thinking about all the fun toys I had when I was a kid. Below are some of my favorites. What are yours?

We had video games too! Atari was the bomb back in the day. Nothing like watching little squares move around the TV screen.

The punching bag bopper. Hours of fun taking out your anger on this guy. 

The Ultimate! The Original Millennium Falcon. This was my prized possession. 

Godzilla! Complete with fire breathing, lever activated tongue and an eject-able fist. (The tail came off too and you could hide things in there. Not sure if this was by design. Bonus!)

Lego Space Set. One of the classics and a favorite.

The old Nerf football. We played football every day at lunch and then again after school.

Stretch Armstrong. Not much you could do with this toy, but everyone had to have one.  

Tobor (Robot spelled backward). State of the art technology. $13.99 was pretty pricey back then. 

Well, that's it. How about you?

Games for Kids

When was the last time you played a game with your kids? I love games, any kind of game. For a dad, it is a great way to interact with your kids. There are even some good ones online where everyone can play together. I made a list of all the games I like. What are your favorites?

Board Games:

Monopoly - probably the best board game of all time. What a great way to learn capitalism :)
Risk - another great one. Even better to learn world domination :)
Catan - great game. learn about trade, strategy, resources.
Shadow Hunter - a new game I played recently, a bit gory, but very interesting.
Pandemic - I like this one because you all work together to save the world.

Card Games:

Poker - Good game to learn how to read others and anticipate.
Gin Rummy - Easy to learn and fun
Uno - Classic, fast paced, easy to learn
Dominion - a great game that can change each time you play.
Loot - Fun pirate game where you try to capture as much gold from ships. Many strategies.
Saboteur - Fun card game where you work together as the dwarves trying to get the gold or the saboteurs trying to stop them.
Hearts - I am still learning the strategies for this.
Spades - I am still learning the strategies for this.

Online Games:

Kahoot - Online trivia that you make up yourself.
Wheel of Fortune - Hangman, bur more fun.
Minecraft - Like legos and blocks, but much cooler and faster.

Video Games:

Super Mario - Everyone knows Mario. My son is an expert.
Diablo - Walk around and kill monsters all day.
Ghost Recon - Like being on your own special forces team.
Warcraft - Control the destiny of your city and military
Starcraft - Warcraft but with spaceships.

Sports:

Football - Every play something exciting can happen.
Soccer - Great exercise, you never stop running.
Tennis - Low cost, takes only 90 minutes.
Snowboarding - Awesome!
Golf - Very relaxing, you can play when your are 90.
Bowling - You don't need to be good to bowl.
Frisbee - Cheap and fun
Volleyball - A great way to get friends together.
Rugby - If you want to feel pain, play rugby.
Basketball - Lots of running and teamwork.
Wrestling - The most tired you will be after 3 minutes in your life.
Pool - Great for hanging out with your buddies.
Foosball - Faster paced wrist action.
Darts - Another great hanging out game.

What is Your Dream Job?

I scoured the internet looking for dream jobs. Personally, my favorite is Heavy Metal Fire Breathing Bagpipe Player. I made a list of some others. What are yours?

• Astronaut
• Movie Star
• Rock Star
• Chocolate Maker
• Toy Store Owner
• Chef
• Water Slide Tester
• Professional Sleeper
• Professional Athlete
• Pilot
• Artist (Lucky Me!)
• Park Ranger
• Food Critic
• Movie Critic
• Detective
• Cowboy
• Fire Fighter
• Secret Agent
• Writer (Lucky Me!)
• Scientist