Action Figures: Smooth plastic, blue jeans, rummaging through a box of miscellaneous pieces, cops and robbers, staying up past bed time, metal lunch boxes, figures trapped behind blister packaging, loud and brightly colored commercials, wrist watches, and worn down sneakers. 

Car Rides: Road trips that last forever, focusing on one tree as it goes by, playing on your Gameboy, family talking in the front seat, looking for shapes in the clouds, “horses!!!!,” rolling mountains and endless fields, looking up at the stars, imagining something running along with your vehicle, activity books, comfy clothes, juice boxes, falling asleep against the window, and the surreal feeling of rest areas.

Barbie: De-tangling knotted hair, soft rubber, a case of doll clothes, pink vehicles, the feel of the carpet beneath you, hair barrettes, little plastic combs, make-shift doll furniture, playing dress up, fairy wings and fairy wands, sing-alongs, slumber parties, fluffy pets, pink nail polish & blue eye shadow.

VHS Tapes: Falling asleep with the TV on, sitting too close to the screen, watching the movie rewind, feeling the static on the glass of the screen, dark rooms and soft blankets, TV trays with snacks, glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, laying on the floor, waking up to the dull blue screen after the movie had finished. 

Baby Dolls: Blankets knitted by old women, toy baby bottles, white lace ruffles and ridged corduroy, bonnets, running your fingers through yarn hair, the smell of plastic, blinking doll eyes, rocking in a rocking chair, tiny hands, baby blankets, toys in a playpen, building blocks, and miniature strollers. 

Outside Voices: Trampolines, water guns, swimming pools, the feeling of grass beneath your bare feet, digging holes, wet sand & sand castles in the sand box, climbing trees, skinned knees, scooters and bicycles and training wheels, helmets that don’t quite fit right, sidewalk chalk, lightning bugs, family cookouts, the Fourth of July, swingsets and seesaws. 

Rainy Day: The floor is lava, secondhand paperback books, watching the rain on the windows, coloring books, watercolor paint sets, splashing in puddles, counting the time between the lightning and the thunder, picking out your favorite movie, wet hair and damp clothes, looking for a rainbow after the storm. 

Blanket Fort: Old sheets pulled out of the closet, stealing the couch cushions, laying in all your stuffed animals, reading with a flash light, socks and pajamas, snacks, the feeling of time standing still, handmade “keep out” signs, popcorn, surrounding yourself with pillows, falling asleep and waking up in a haze.

Tag yourself!