Have you ever played with a toy that you loved as a child with your own child?
We talk about doing that exact thing on this blog a lot. Things we enjoyed as a kid and sharing that with our own children. And today, I did that with the Peach thanks to a Fisher Price Play Family House that I finally picked up off of Ebay for a song.
I remember playing with this cozy little blue house for hours as a kid. And I remembered when the daughter of a friend of my mother’s defaced the daffodil yellow plastic roof with a blue crayon. Boy, I was SO PISSED, but it didn’t stop me from playing with it all. Day. Long.
It was with equal delight that I unwrapped the house with the Peach Sunday morning. Oh, the delight in her eyes and her busy busy hands just touching every single piece and arranging it and arranging it and arranging it.
Boy, there is so much you forget until you see it again–like that doorbell! I was just as excited as the Peach when she discovered it! This Ebay lot came with a slew of great furniture and Little People. I love the stairs with the Harry Potter closet underneath.
And that little smiling blonde friend got her sassy polka dotted dress courtesy of some Wite Out. What clever little kiddo came up with that?
And in the middle of all of the different pieces of furniture. I found this gem. Because every house needs a sewing machine. I like your thinking, Fisher Price… My house didn’t come with it. Probably because my mother wasn’t a seamstress and couldn’t imagine owning one.
And check out the full wardrobe filled with pretty dresses. But what’s with the kettle boiling over the open fire in the kitchen below? Wow–that’s pretty new-colonial!
Once the Peach manhandled all of the pieces with complete delight, she decided these Little People needed a party–a tea party. It was quite a popular event as every seat in the house was filled–including the toilet!
As much fun as I was having with the toy, it was of course nothing compared to the glee and delight the Peach was having with the house. This is one of those moments that being a Mom is more fun and rewarding than anything else I’ve ever done. As I told my Mom about how much fun the Peach and I had Sunday playing with the Fisher Price Family House, she laughed and said, “Well, that’s why you have a child!”
What toy are you (or were) excited about introducing to your child?
One of my favorite moments last night was not just the trick-or-treating, but watching how this house made Eliza say, “Oh. She has this thing, which is the best thing ever. She is now my friend and I need to play with her all the time.”
We were this excited about our Playskool Holiday Inn, but I was a little nervous she wouldn’t dig it as much as we did. But the language of Little People, be they square or round, is universal–she loves that little motel!
OMG, we totally had the Playskool Holiday Inn and loooove it. I was TAD old, it was a gift for my brother, but I remember playing with it for hours. We always stayed in Holiday Inn’s when we road tripped over the summer and it was super special to have a “toy” of our fave hotel.
Miss Peach had such a blast with Eliza! And I love the Playskool Holiday Inn! Little People are Little People regardless of shape, color, or size! Just like Big People!
My mom kept my old FP House (looks like a little German cottage!) AND all of the cars, furniture, and people! Sydney LOVES going over there to play with it! I’ll try and get pictures of everything to share with everybody! 🙂
I WISHED I had the little German cottage. I gotta take a closer look at that one.
The little house was one of our faves!!! Alas we no longer have it ….or the Sesame Street house.(my mom still has the castle and the garage for Wolfie when he comes to visit, which is awesome!)
I’m so glad she loves this….and how cute/clever is the polka dot girl??
Great post! The FP Tudor House (the brown one) was one of the first toys from my childhood that I shared with my kids.
I love the tea on the toilet!
I LOVED that doorbell!!!
the boys loooove the old skool fisher price stuff! i am looking up playskool sets now, blowing my mind! we have the playskool mcd’s
This really brings back memories. I had most the Fisher price items: castle, farm, camper, house, gas station. They were hand me downs from my brother and sister (who are quite a bit older) and various cousins. I bet my little sister and I spent more time setting those up than any other toy we had. Part of the fun for me is that I knew my older sister and brother once loved it, as i was always trying to be as cool as they are. I am now in my 30s and my mom has kept every single piece, in the hopes that more little ones will get to enjoy them! One of the best toys ever made!
Susie–that is the best story ever! It reminds me of some of my brother’s favorite toys as a kid. We had a huge double closet filled with toys and as the last of four brothers, almost all of the toys were hand me downs. And I loved playing with their toys as well!
The house gives such a visceral feeling of being a child, but what really got me was when I came in here to comment and people are mentioning the Playskool structures. I had forgotten what they were called, but I LOVED the McDonald’s with the trays that clipped on under their chins. I used to turn it on it’s side and play with it like that, the spaces were even cooler that way (possible sign I was going to be an architect?). I’ll be stopping by eBay myself to start looking for them. Thanks for triggering the memories!
You’ve inspired me to do a piece on Playskool structures!