Banana Don’s Slice of Americana – Best Toys EVER

I had a chance to visit the "Toy House" in Jackson on Thursday for the first time. Very impressed. The owner, Phil Wrzesinski, says it's one of the last few independently owned toy stores in America.

Phil has put together a list of his Top Ten + One toys on the Toy House website. Most of these toys are relatively inexpensive, last a long time and provide hours or YEARS of entertainment. And with Christmas coming up, that made me think about my Top Ten. And then I got lazy and decided to just do my Top Five (as good as it was, "Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots" does NOT make the list).

Here are my "Top 5 Toys Of All Time"

5. Little brother or sister. On the good days, they're your best friend. When you're bored, they get to star in your own version of "Fear Factor".

4. Dog or cat. Strangely like having a brother or sister, on good days they're your best friend. However when you're bored, they're still your best friend, but then your mom or dad makes you clean up their poop.

3. Dirt. Can be everything from a Major League Baseball diamond to a Superbowl venue to Europe on D-Day. In mud form can be a chocolate cake or a volcano. As a dirt clod can be used as a relatively harmless weapon. On the "safety and getting yelled at by your mom scale", falls somewhere between a rock and a water balloon.

2. Stick. Used as pretend rifle, sword or spear, old person cane, king or queen's scepter. Also used to poke at unknown things in holes.

1. Big cardboard box. When my kids were 4 and 6 years old, we got a big screen TV. I was about to get rid of it, but then they started using it as a playhouse. And then they took it out in the backyard and had me attach a rope and drag them around on it. And then winter came and they used it as a sled. One of their favorite toys ever.

                                                    "Dog" makes the list...

                      "Creepy marionettes that will haunt your dreams" did not.