Until NOW, I have never thought of the things we did with the simple can, as I grew up.
One of our favorite games was kick the can. That was a hide and seek game. Another was just competitively kicking different cans down the road to see who could kick them the furthest without them going in the ditch.
We made intruder alarms out of them for our childhood hide-outs. We hung several cans together and had a hidden string attached, anyone walking up the path rattled the alarm.
Sometimes they were brake pads on the end of the brake levers of our homemade wagons. They would add spark to the braking at night. These were Tin Cans, not aluminum.
One of the most fun things was the telephones. Most kids have stretched a long string between two cans and talked back and forth on them. That reminds me of once getting scammed by a‘Funny Book’ ad.
(You might remember the ads included in comic books, I believe the most famous was the Charles Atlas course, it promised to make you a muscle man so the guy would not kick sand in your face at the beach.)
There was an ad for Walkie-talkies. the picture was of actual Army units. The ad boasted these are not plastic and completely wireless. 50¢! what a deal 
. I ordered them. They were as advertised: wireless and definitely not plastic. They were cardboard and had string attached and they worked like our cans but not as good. 
Empty cans held things: marbles, extra skate wheels and assorted nuts and bolts.
We could stomp in the middle of a beer can and it would wrap around your instep and became a metal shoe. If you had concrete to slide on, you could run fast and slide and make sparks. At night that was fun.
I loved WEDDINGS, you could tie many tin cans on the back of the car and get a kick out of the noise as they drove off.
Growing up I heard that some people actually using tin cans to do their canning. I always wondered how they got those suckers sealed. Yeah, I know that is where the term canning came from, but mama always used Mason jars.
We also made carbide cannons out of snuff cans. Snuff cans were a prize. Most snuff dippers kept their cans.
Any memories about the world changing tin can?
Nite Shipslog
PS:
Someone asked if I had ever dipped snuff. Oh yeah, I loved to mix sugar with cocoa and dip that stuff!!!!
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12 comments:
My BF and I used cans to talk to each other between houses.
You keep coming up with the best entries. Have you ever made coffee can bread? I have two coffee cans in the cabinet just for that. My husband's grandmother mixed her pancake batter in a large can that was mashed on the side to make a spout for pouring onto the griddle. It was a thin batter and passed down from generation to generation. Oh and don't forget the stilts made from cans and wire. Oh boy! You stirred up the memories.
You surely did supply lots of uses for those tin cans. I have never been very inventive but there are a lot of cans on the shelf that I'm thankful for. Best thing I do with them is recycle them. Sending best of Christmas wish to you and Sherry for a bright and merry day!
From one end of the can string to the other end....Merry Christmas....to the youngest couple i know....!!
We used to stump them on our shoes and walked with them on. Used them as telephones. Never invented all those other things you used them for. I hope you and Sherry have a very blessed Christmas.
You know what I feel kind of sad about - the kids of today will never ever know the fun we use to have! lol Merry Christmas to you. sandie
What a fun post!
Yes, I've dipped cocoa, too. You have to learn not to inhale when you put that dry cocoa in your mouth, lol.
I think my frugal father kept money in a snuff can. (He might have actually kept the can buried as well.)
It would be fun to dig up an old snuff can full of old money.
Cans make good targets (with various ammo)--always good for a satisfying "ping."
bonnie k.
When we still had the bait shop the guys used to bring in their empty snuff cans for me. I would use them to put wax worms in. The guys liked them because they fit in their pockets better than traditional worm containers. I always wondered though if they ever grabbed worms instead of snuff...hmmm?
I never realized how much fun tin cans could be and how they could be used for a variety of toys. I know we did try the tin can telephone system :)
It is amazing what one can find to use as a toy if they just allow their imagination to work. Like Sandie said, it is sad that the children of today do not have a chance to be creative and imaginative like we were growing up!
Merry Christmas to you and Sherry!
betty
Just read this to Jua, we both enjoyed the reminders of similar uses for cans! (our toys were limited only by our imaginations). Great post Jack, Love You & our beautiful sweet voiced Sherry Darnell!!!
Tin cans made for perfect toys.
I've used them for stilt-like toys, too. Daddy tied some kind of strong string or twine to each one, and we held the string, put our feet on top of the cans and walked with much merriment.
I wanted to pop in and wish you and your sweet Sherry a very Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year.
Sending you both love,
Jackie
hee hee...
You should run for Congress, Jack! They are good at kicking the can down the road instead of fixing the problems!
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