Glass clackers and lawn darts

/ erichmichaels


I made it…I’m still here. I grew up before and during the advent of getting plugged into a zombifying home game console. Don’t get me wrong, I used to love playing video games…many hours invested in burning every bush in Zelda, but I also knew what playing outside meant.

I used, at one point or other, toys that have been banned, like glass clackers that could shatter into a million razor sharp pieces (all destined for my eyeballs), and lawn darts that had metal tips. I even remember that one friend, like out of a scene in Grownups, who thought it was funny to throw it straight up into the air and watch everyone scatter, but luckily no one got hurt.

I’m sure some of you have played with these notoriously banned toys…what were they and do you have any stories to go along with them?

55 thoughts on “Glass clackers and lawn darts”

  3. They were called Jarts. “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” George EliotThe secret to joy in work is contained in one word….abstinence.Jim

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  4. There are always dangerous toys – it makes you wonder if the people who create them have ever had kids of their own.

    When my girls were little, Mattel came out with a Barbie that came with in-line skates. The skates had a little switch (like in a cigarette lighter) so that when the skates were rubbed against any hard surface, sparks would fly out. Really? Give a child something to play with that can cause a fire? Why not just skip the very expensive middle man and give the kid a box of matches?

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  5. I was one of the children that walked the now banned walkers down a flight of stairs. I also remember making my own sword out of real wood and real tools to sword fight with my siblings at one point and time. I know for sure I played with lawn darts.

    Having said that, there’s still a huge amount of questionable toys out there, and many that will be banned before my children hit adulthood.

    A handful of concussions and a few broken bones are good for you though…right?

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  7. Playgrounds, in general….tall slides, monkey bars, etc., merry go rounds over asphalt. Pocket knives. Pocket knives and playing “Chicken.” Tree climbing. Secretly playing with my Dad’s lead solder. My mom’s entertaining us briefly with the mercury from the broken thermometer before disposing of it in a way which I am certain is not considered safe. Literally rolling down hills in a barrel. Biking and skating without helmets or pads. I am sure there are others.

    I remember lawn darts! I did get a dart in the thigh once, but it was a regular one. A neighbor boy was trying to impress me with his aim and missed the tree he was aiming for. Of course he did not tell me that, and I did not even know he had a dart. Suddenly I looked down from what I was doing to find a dart sticking out of me…

    Great topic! Enjoyed this!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • I had a friend who played chicken with a pocket knife and ended up sticking it right in his foot. Oh and I probably got too close to Mercury once…might explain some things for me. Lol. We’ve led quite the lives! Thanks…glad you enjoyed 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  8. I so remember glass clackers and lawn darts. You use to get such awesome toys, like the Evil Knievel doll and bike, hours of fun. of course their was much worse out there including a glass blowing kit and the the U-238 Atomic Energy Lab…Crazy!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. We played with Jarts, the metal-tipped lawn darts, with no horrid consequences. We played hardball without helmets and road bikes without helmets, too. My sisters and I survived it all without incident, which was lucky.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. We also had lawn darts and the normal sort of metal tipped darts for in the basement. I don’t recall ever being warned about them. My brother had a wood burning set. He wanted a b.b. gun and wasn’t allowed, but his friend had one and put a hole in the windshield of our station wagon.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. My brothers used to tell me what a baby I was and because of that I couldn’t hold a firecracker. Stupid me, held it in my hand for way too long. Thankfully, my cowardice (and common sense) kicked in and I dropped it just before it exploded. My mother was furious with them.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  16. I was just thinking about how dangerous our childhood games of lawn darts were. I bet they’re still on a shelf at my family’s summer cabin.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  18. I remember playing with mercury from thermometers in school. It was some sort of science experiment the teacher came up with. I guess we were learning about how it’s both a liquid and solid or something. Who knows what it did to our brains, though!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a reply to erichmichaels Cancel reply