TEACHING CHILDREN THE ART OF BOOBY TRAPS?

Do you remember:

“YOU CAN TELL IT’S MATTEL …. IT’S SWELL”?

Yup, seems like a lifetime ago because it actually was. I was thinking about all the violent messages being sent to kids back then, especially on television….invasion of malevolent outer space aliens, nuclear detonations and resulting mutant blood thirsty creatures scavenging the burned earth, Intercontinental and Submarine launched Ballistic Missiles, high altitude bombers, jet fighters, death ray satellites, massive aircraft carriers, tanks, grenades, machine guns, rifles, side arms, bayonets, knives, etc…..

Naturally, all available in various scaled model action toys.

Gosh, the world hasn’t really changed much when you stop and think about it for a bit.

Maybe the process in which violence is now presented and explained to children has changed and become more politically correct and all that, but it still exists. The availability and acceptance of toy weapons has been greatly reduced. (Recall a while back when an elementary school student was suspended from classes for shaping food like a pistol? Evidently, in light of the horrendous school shootings that have occurred there has been little tolerance granted in some areas for anything “gun”). Still, the basic world situation has not changed since I was a child with the all too common threats and realities of war, nuclear detonations, sickness, some sort of invasion, diseases, how best to defend yourself in case of the “what ifs?”, etc.. (Remember hiding under your desk in case a nuclear attack occurred while you were at school? LOL!)

ANYWAY, I occasionally rummage through old boxes and re-discover things I had long ago forgotten. You know, the internet is absolutely amazing. I couldn’t remember some of the particulars of the “booby trap” toy but after only a few keystrokes – PRESTO! A long misplaced childhood world of almost make believe brought back.