Just a quick post on one of my favorite games as a child… well, as an adult, too! Sometimes, the simplest toys bring back the absolute best memories.
Since I’m currently not able to go real bowling, I decided to bring out the ultimate backup plan: my vintage portable bowling alley. If you grew up in the 80s, you probably remember the sheer joy of Tomy’s pocket and wind-up games. There’s just something incredibly satisfying about setting up those ridiculously tiny plastic pins and winding up the mechanism.
However, things didn’t go quite as smoothly as I remembered. Everything started great, but by the 6th frame, tragedy struck. The poor ball just couldn’t make it down the entire lane without some serious manual assistance. I guess its little mechanical legs are feeling their age just as much as we are! You have to respect the effort, though. #GenX
Playing with it immediately got the old commercial jingle stuck in my head. If you were a kid back then, you know exactly how these catchy songs permanently embedded themselves in your brain. I’m pretty sure these are the lyrics—let me know in the comments if I missed a line!
Strolling Bowling
Strolling Bowl When you open the game There’s a little bowling alley right there You wind up the ball It’s got little bowling shoes to wear Strolling Bowl Strolling Bowling It’s a little bowling ball that walks right down the lane It’s funny It’s great This little ball and game
Strolling Bowling is a little portable bowling alley from Tomy, and even with a tired wind-up motor, it’s still an absolute strike in my book. Do you still have any of your favorite childhood wind-up toys?
. Since real bowling is off-limits, I busted out this vintage Tomy gem. By the 6th frame, even the little ball needed a pep talk! Also sharing what I think are the original lyrics. #GenX memories in full swing.){kind=link}