TMNT, Transformers, GI Joe. Great toys? Hell yes! But we all know that! Heck, it's the reason why half of us are here. But sometimes as a kid, the best toys, were the ones you improvised! Ah, the fruits of a fertile young imagination. Hours spent, sitting on a kitchen floor or out in the sun, playing with virtually anything you could get your filthy little hands on. And don't sit there and try to say 'hey, my hands weren't filthy!', because we all know they were!





So with that, lets take a look back at some memories of my own improvised toys.....





THE PEN

Let's start with a classic. I'm pretty sure every single kid that has ever held one of these in his or her hand, has at the very least once in their lives - pretended it was a rocket ship. I can personally vouch for countless hours wasted, spent day-dreaming in class of a rocket propelled pen spewing flames from its back end as it rocketed through the cosmos.
....probably why I never learned my multiplication tables. Meh.






TUBULAR LEVEL

If you were like me, and grew up around 'handymen', you might have been lucky enough to find a few of these laying around. They made totally tubular mutagen canisters for your turtle play!






TIRE TREAD GAUGE

For the more morbid kids like me, these made a pretty cool needle. Fit for administering that life saving dose of antidote after being poisoned by some nameless villain.







FLASHLIGHT

The poor man's Lightsaber. Fiercely wielded as you struggled with your friend and quoted the line 'Luke, I am your father!' like a total boss. Sorry George Lucas, no royalty cheques here.







BEAN BAG CHAIR

Remember 1987 when the Technodrome was sent to the Earth's core on the TV show? Well if you had the Technodrome Playset and a red bean bag chair - then yours was too. Sunken deep, into the red molten lava as you baddies plotted their escape.







REMOTE CONTROL

Another great imaginary spaceship, in the vein of a Star Destroyer. Also good for pretending to control your friends.







TOILET PAPER TUBES

For the kids with imagination, these things brought out the architects in all of us! Great for building walls and towers for your toys to crash through. Also great for binoculars - and megaphones!







LONG CARDBOARD TUBES

To an adult, it's just a cardboard tube. To a little boy, it's a devastating cannon to blow enemies out of the sky!







CARDBOARD BOX

Planes, trains and automobiles - boxes could be whatever you feel! Wow. I'm a poet, and didn't even...uh, realize.






TOWELS

Cotten-blend fabric used to dry yourself, or the cape that adorns the back of the greatest super hero that ever lived? It was up to you to decide!







CIGARETTE LIGHTER PLUG

Anytime my parents had a faulty gadget that had plugged into a vehicles cigarette lighter, I always made sure to get them to save the plug end. They made a great 'master switch' for all your imaginary WMD's.







And finally we end with the penultimate classic.....

SOUP CAN

You can make a freakin phone outta these things! Need I say more!?




Well that's concludes today's tour through my memories, retro fans. Hope ya enjoyed the ride!