Lethal toys of the 60s emphasized fun over safety. I’m amazed anyone in my generation survived to adulthood.

Mattel’s Creepy Crawlers enabled children to create insect-like creatures. Young scientists poured Plasti-Goop into open molds heated to 400 degrees. We removed the molten plastic from the fiery forge with bare fingers.

A Flexy-Flyer was a snow sled mounted on rubber wheels. Helmetless riders rested headfirst on a wooden frame. Handles provided rudimentary control but no brakes. My friends and I alternated launching each other down steep sidewalks.

Clackers featured two tempered-glass balls connected with a cord. Players attempted to smack the balls together repetitively in rhythm. Glass balls under high impact next to children’s faces—what possibly could go wrong?

Jarts wins the deadliest toy award. The lawn darts possessed long metal tips with plastic vanes. Opposing players launched the missiles in high arcs towards each other, aiming for a circular target. Turns out deadly darts plunging earthwards work better in medieval warfare than backyard play.    

I survived the lethal toys of the 60s. They may not have been safe, but we sure had fun. 

Toxic toys of the 60s emphasized fun over safety. My generation smoked candy cigarettes and chewed bubblegum cigars. We inhaled noxious fumes from six-shooter cap guns and Testors-glued model cars.

One Christmas Santa brought me a Chemistry Set with glass beakers, measuring cups, litmus paper, and test tubes. It contained bottled chemicals with exotic names like Calcium Chloride, Calcium Oxide, Cobalt Chloride, Phenolphthalein, Ferric Ammonium Sulphate, Sodium Ferrocyanide, Sulphur, and Tannic Acid.

A booklet described science experiments for children of all ages, but I enjoyed mixing the agents haphazardly. A ten-year-old boy with access to bases, acids, and cyanides—what could possibly go wrong?

 The same Christmas my sister and I discovered Super Elastic Bubble Plastic in our stockings. The tubes extruded a thick, plastic substance that could be rolled into small spheres. We used straws to inflate the plastic into big bubbles.

The viscous goo contained polyvinyl acetate and ethyl acetate dissolved in acetone. Children inhaled the witch’s brew while blowing through the straw. I blame the product for many of the ills that plagued my generation.  

I survived the toxic toys of the 60s. They may not have been safe, but we sure had fun.