I don't remember that name specifically but the game sounds familiar

Coach lines up 50 balls midway on the tennis court. Two teams, on on the back of each side. When the whistle blows, it's game on!

... But where's the update?

Yeah,we played warball.Some kids were so accurate that you might as well just stand still cause if they wanted to hit you ,you were toast.I was generally the kid at the end getting wasted up against the gym wall.

I had PE early in the morning in Jr. High. First time I played warball was one of the coldest foggiest winter days around here. One of the better baseball players in school took aim and nailed me in the nads with a fastball. I'll never forget that. First time I ever thought I should "play better". And soon after that I did.

Sounds about the same for me.I wasn't much of a athlete in grade school.Just curious,what year were you born Odin?

!962. Our PE coach was a sadist and I wasn't sure he didn't make this game up himself, but I guess it must have been in the school manual.

Me,1959 . My kids are lucky.They don't have to take showers in PE like I had to.That sucked.

Don't ever send them to military school then. My venture there made warball seem like a walk in the park.

That's pretty crazy.Did you want to go to military school or did your parents make you?

Every 5th grader wants to go to military school, doesn't he?

Yeah we did play something like that inside the gym on snow-days, I just don't remember it being called warball (but it fits)

59 as well, there was something oddly sadistic about the way they forced us to shower.

I didn't care for it either but it was either shower or stink the rest of the day. And in Jr. high it's time to start impressing the ladies.

We played that same game in the 70's but it was called "bombardment". Whole lotta fun!

I did some searching and it's funny how partial images in memory be so vivid. All I could really see in my mind was the shape and color of the engine but that was so clear in my mind when I saw this I knew it was it
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So these weren't really "toys" but I spent a lot of my childhood with my head buried in the Tom Swift Jr. book series.
I was lucky enough to find decent examples of my favorites to give my son when he was younger but he never got into them like I did so took them back.
I still look for them at used book stores or antiques shops.

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Say hello to my little friend.

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There ya go!!! bombardment... that was it!!

You went to military school in the 5th grade?Are you serious?Why?
"

I was a bad boy. I could get into details, but combine a recent divorce, my brother and me fighting, my mom pulling her hair out, and me not doing my schoolwork, then you get the picture. 2 years of hell for me was my reward. But I came out of that place knowing how to fight and take care of myself. After that I answered to nobody but myself.

On the plus side it taught me self dicipline, how to stay healthy, and be productive throughout the day. But I don't wish the experience on any kid today. Although they probably no longer physically torture and punish kids like they did back then.

Man ,that's pretty rough.Your a strong person to have gone through that.

I was stronger coming out than I went in. You have to understand that most of the kids there were there for a reason. Some with way bigger issues than I had. Throw them all together and you have quite a crew. You had to know who your friends were because they were few. But we had a great football team and they served fish sticks on Friday.

I kind of liked fish sticks with tarter sauce my self although I don't think I have ate them in a good 45 years.I hope things got better when you got out 2 years later.

It was rough when I went back to regular school , but soon I adapted. There were no toys in military school, but when the weekend came and mom picked me up, it was party time so to speak. Until Sunday evening when it came time to go back. I rebeled. I escaped that prison 4 times which may be a record, but there was no where else to go but back. I'm starting to think it was a good overall experience in preparation for life.

Now I'm going to go make some fish sticks.

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I'm actually thinking of getting some.

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I was gonna ask if Kanye West ever dropped by on fish stick day!

Looking back I guess we weren't without toys.

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I work in the office at a school and I give any empty cardboard boxes to the young students when they come over from class, ....... "Wow, this will make a great car / will be good for my toys to go in / I can be a robot!" Is what I hear as they run out the door.

While we all tended to play outside more than today's kids,
on those rainy days I did play board games.
Was really into military/war/strategy games.
Most of you probably remember Stratego and Battleship and Risk,
but does anyone remember Combat! (I was obsessed with that show when I was a kid)
This game was not half bad for a game based on a TV show.

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Or what about Conflict (loved the game pieces on that one.)

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I didn't watch Combat! back in the day (I wasn't even born yet), but I've developed a love for it in re-reuns. It's really a shame what happened to Morrow while filming Twilight Zone: The Movie.

I watched that show when it was on and thought it was cool, that's why I played army with my bazooka, morter and machine gun posted earlier. At least Morrow went quick, never knew what hit him.

Don't forget SSP's too!

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Ding A Lings

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Still play with mine!

Was waiting for that...

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OK, I just remembered another one. I used to spend hours and hours with this one.....

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Wait a sec. Thought you are married.

Yes, but the bicycle was still the no. 1 item to have/use/play with, so that we could go places around town and hang out with friends.

Sure, we had some great toys/games/sports equipment, but most or all ranked below a bike.
Well, at least til around age 16-17.

A bike was your lifeline if you lived in the suburbs!

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Remember when cereal had toys in the box? These were cool the first throw or 2 before they hit the carpet and didn't work anymore.

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I am which is why I have to play with my own.

There was a board game we used to play, 'Pro Quarterback'. As I remember, there were cards for offensive plays and defensive plays. Each player (2 player game, of course) would pick their play and you would roll the dice. The number on the dice determined which row to use, and you'd look at the card to determine the result of that play against that defense. You had a wipe-off pen that was used to mark the play on the board. It was a great game in combining both strategy of picking the right play and the luck of the roll. Anyone else ever play that one?

x a million.

As I have said this thread has got me reminiscing with family and I shocked at the reality of how many toys we had as kids ... and the cost.
I know that it doesn't apply to everyone but I would guess that , as kids (and some of us still to this day ), many of us thought the grass was greener at the neighbor’s house ... more or better stuff ... and now we look back realize we weren't really missing anything. My mother reminded me that when I was 6 or 7 I really wanted a G.I. Joe armored car (like a friend got for his birthday) but they couldn't find it anywhere so they got me the Jeep combat set and I was totally disappointed (thank goodness there was no video shows or you tube to show it and try an make money ).
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At $10 it seems cheap but at the time it could have taken the whole family out to eat and I realize what a spoiled, ungrateful little prick I must have been. So often it is only the disappointments we remember and this thread really has me wishing my dad was still alive so I could tell him how amazing he made my childhood, with toys, experiences and most of all … knowledge.

Absolutely, not to mention the lack of worry by our parents if we took off for a few hours ... the dangers were minimal back then.

Without my bike I doubt I would have gotten into pinball as a kid ... the arcade was in a mall that was a 5 mile bike ride from the house.

From the age of 6 or 7 we were out the door after breakfast and home for supper. Then usually a few more hours until dark.

Remember the first time you bought a Super Ball and went out to the street to play "catch" with your friend? You threw it and it bounced soooo high and went sooo far and then you had to go find it 2 blocks away!

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