What Toy Most Symbolizes Boyhood?

My son had several Tonkas when he was younger. We didn’t PLAN to have any more children after my daughter was born, so our Tonkas have new homes. The new baby boy to be born in a month would love his very own Tonka. Thanks.

I remember playing in our garden with my brother and his trucks. We always dug out trails so water would get to each plant. My son now has some and plays in the sandbox with them.

i remember playing with tonkas as a kid. great for in the sandbox.
i’d love one for my kids to play with. thanks!
amy

Count me in too please. Im not sure how Tonka has touched my life, but i do remember when I found out I was having a boy(after 3 girls), I was so excited about being able to buy trucks, and Tonka was the first thing that came to mind.

I was a tom-boy too and played with loads of cars and trucks. Now my sons enjoy their tonka trucks.

My Toddler would love this When I was little we had a big sandbox and my brothers and I would take all our tonka trucks out there and it was so fun

My older boys loves his TONKA trucks - he plays with them in the house, out in the yard and loves every minute of them! TONKA has touched my life because I see how much joy my son gets from playing with them!

Count me in on this drawing please!!

Tonka trucks are very popular in our house. My daughter and son love to play outside with their Tonka trucks

My son doesn’t have one yet … however, he loves all the ones my brother had when he was little. In fact he loves all the work truks, cranes and scoops that we see out on the road working. I can drive to a construction site and the boy is happy for HOURS! This would be the best thing … he would be in the clouds happy should I win!

I very fondly remember playing with my brother and his tonka trucks…even after he hit me w/ one, leaving a 4 inch gash that remains to this day.

My brother died as a child, and that scar is one reminder of him and more innocent days.

My girls each have a tonka truck - their favorate toy to take to the sandbox.

My son is really getting into trucks. Tonka is hands down a favorite. I love seeing him play with toys that I remember my brother and I playing with.

Tonka trucks have given my son a feeling of being a tough dude outside. He has become a vehicle noise-making king because of their vehicles.

What’s this about boys and tonka trucks? Hi. I’m a girl. And my Barbies rode in the back of a tonka dump truck, right through mud puddles and sandboxes and what have you. Okay, so I was somewhat of a tomboy but, please, girls can play with trucks, TOO!

(That said, my boy(s) really would like some more trucks!)

We used Tonka trucks in our sandbox every summer. They sat outside all winter and held up for years. They are sooo hardy. The best kids toy ever. And obviously, they’re not just for boys.

But wait. I see this was written by Susan. no baby yet?

I love TONKA! Tonka trucks have given me time to make dinner, do laundry, and unload the dishwasher every afternoon. My son loves to play with his older brother’s dump truck! He loads it full of his sister’s tea party dishes and runs full speed out of the toy room giggling with delight as she chases after him screaming “GIVE ME BACK MY DISHES!” I never would of thought it was possible for my 23 month old to torture his 4 year old sister if it wasn’t for TONKA.

My MIL saved all my husband’s Tonka trucks to give to our boys - so nice! They all burned in a shed fire last year ;-( We’ve been slowly replacing them, but this giveaway would help! We ALL love Tonka trucks at our house

I remember playing in the sandbox with my brother’s Tonka Trucks. We would spend hours out there.

My husband just recently pulled out of his parents attic an old Tonka truck of his! It was awesome to see my sons face light up! We’d love to win this new one for him for Christmas!!

my brother’s used to play with the plastic tonka’s and my spoiled cousin had the actual large cast metal tonka. well, when we were cleaning out their house last year, my (then 5 year old) was intrigued by the tonka truck! it was like a flashback looking at how thrilled my son was!

but, stingy cousin kept it to himself =P . so i’d like to win one for my ‘lil guy!

=)

One of my sons is a high functioning autistic, but he spends HOURS playing with his Tonka truck! Tonka’s are great because the quality and worksmanship that goes into them is so high. I would love to have another one for my middle son whose birthday is next week, thanks!

OK, believe it or not, even though I have THREE boys, we don’t have any Tonka trucks. My oldest wasn’t much into trucks when he was younger so we didn’t buy him any. But I knew that my 2 year old would love them. As a matter of fact Tonka Trucks are on his Christmas list. This would be great to help with Christmas shopping. :o)

[...] a girl this time around, the house would still be overrun with fire trucks. In fact, I just left a comment on a post over at 5 Minutes for Mom this afternoon about how I played with Tonka trucks, in the [...]

I remember playing with my brother with our Tonka Truck in the backyard all year round. I would love to have one for my newborn son so that he can play with it outside next year once it warms up!! Thanks!!

When I was little, I used to play with my brothers old Tonka trucks (my brothers are a great deal older than me so they weren’t around to play with, but I had fun alone and it was a great way to make me think of them). They were the best to play with in the sand box. My son would love his very own Tonka truck. He’s really getting into cars and trucks now.

I have a daughter who would love this. And, growing up, Tonka touched my life by watching (seemingly in slow motion) his Tonka truck roll down the sidewalk, onto the patio and into the picture window. But, then that’s probably something that Tonka doesn’t want me to advertise for them!

My son age 3 LOVES tonka trucks… I love that he loves them because it brings me back to what seem like just yesterday, when my little brother played with them … my “little brother” is not so little anymore, he is 20 now and leaves for U.S. Coast Guard Boot Camp on the 23rd of this month…. I guess the Tonka trucks remind me to live in the moment because before I know it my little boy will be all grown up to just like my little brother and not playing with Tonka trucks anymore.

Trucks are a favorite in our house!

I played with Tonka Trucks as a kid with my cousin. my girls love trucks. I’d love to win one for them!

I love Tonka trucks! And, so does my little boy. My daughter is still too young to enjoy them (6 months!) but we’ll make sure she has the opportunity. Happy Birthday, Tonka!

The kid across the street when I was little had a big sand pit that I would go over and play with him and his tonka trucks.
My youngest has a few trucks but not a Big Tonka and he’d love to have one!

I was the oldest child and only girl but I was such a tomboy. I would rather play in the backyard with my brothers than in the house with my dolls. So I remember playing in dirt with the old metal Tonka trucks (we had them in all sizes). We were allowed to dig deep holes and make big piles of dirt to drive our trucks over since our backyard was big and mostly dirt. My parents still have those old rusted Tonka trucks in the backyard. My son will pull them out now and then and drive them around “Papa and Oma’s” front yard. I am sad that we can’t find the metal trucks anymore. But everytime I see them I am intstantly transported back in time to my backyard with my toes in the dirt and the dirt under my finger nails and loving every minute of it.
Le Anne
yardsaleprincess1@yahoo.com

I was a total tomboy growing up. My favorite toys were Tonka trucks and tractors. My boys love them also.

We love trucks around here–and I just love the traditional look of the Tonkas.

4 boys = need trucks!!!!

My son and daughter love their tonka truck. Its one of their favorite dump trucks. Nice heavy duty truck, withstands the roughest play.

I remember Tonka when I was a child. I loved my toy truck. Our sons each had one and now our grandchildren are enjoying their own Tonkas. What a memory to pass down. Thank you Tonka

I boys have a Tonka or two. My brother had them also. I enjoyed playing with them whether my sons or my brothers. Although my brother didn’t like to share his tonkas with me. I guess the way tonka has touched me most was when my brother took one of his tonka construction vehicles (made with metal) and hit me with it in the head. It really hurt and I had a big bump. TOnkas are definately made well and I would love to have some for my boys and girls

Cole’s first birthday was all Tonka themed! We found tons of decorations and plates at our local party store, we had tonka trucks everywhere, and Cole’s birthday cupcake was presented to him in the back of a little Tonka dump truck In fact, as I sit here writing this, there are two Tonka trucks in my field of vision!

My son played with his Tonka trucks and they were his favorite. I still have him most favorite — my son is 42 years old.

My grand-nephew deserves a brand new one to play with! I hope I can win this contest so I may give it to hom.

We love Tonka toys here. Noah is so boy! And there is nothing better than a truck to him. Lately he’s been piling them all up in the sand box and calling the pile his motor. Then he poors sand on it and it is smoke coming from the motor.

I remember playing with my lil brother and his tonka dump truck. At Christmas time, it was the best way to crack a walnut. I plan on making sure my grandson has them when he gets a little older(he’s only 4 1/2 months old now).

i had loads of these as a child, i love tonka

I remember the big metal tonkas!

its a generational toy company it stands the test or time from me to my sons and now my grandson

Count me in. i have a little boy after 3 dd.My brother have a dump truck when we were kids. I was a lot of fun.

I can remember playing Tonka trucks out in the back yard with my brothers as a kid. They would use the trucks to bring me the dirt for the mud pies we would bake!

Now that I have three little boys of my own, I would love to pass on the fun of Tonka to my kids.

Thanks for hosting this great contest (as always)!

My little guy loves trucks, especially Tonkas! This has been the one thing that has encouraged him to speak more (something we were a little worried about). He now chatters on and on about his trucks - definitely music to his parents ears! He loves Tonkas, and so do we!

i used to play with tonka trucks in my sand box. never really played with dolls. my girls already love trucks and cars. i’d love it if they could have their first tonka truck.

My son has taught me more about construction equipment in the last two years than I knew in the first 36. He loves everything TONKA!

My son loves Tonkas. Now that his little sister has come along, she loves playing with his Tonkas. Maybe with a win, she can have her own!

When I was pregnant with my son (now 4 1/2) I received a Tonka Dump Truck as shower gift. How appropriate for my son, who loves all things vehicles! I even have a picture of him as an infant laying in the bed of that truck.

My son LOVES TONKA!!! He needs this for Christmas!!

My Tonka truck was my favorite toy for quite a while when I was young. I wasn’t much for dolls, but I liked to push a truck around in the dirt. One day, our neighbor backed her car over my truck and that was the end of that… It was a sad, sad day. Anyway, my oldest has a Tonka truck, but I’d love to win one for my youngest, so that when he’s ready to go dig in the dirt, we’ll be all set.

Cute.

Need this for grandchild

I definitely remember playing with Tonka trucks when I was little. Recently were were visiting friends and my little 2 year old daughter had a grand old time playing with their trucks. It shouldn’t surprise me though, he little boy cousins love them too.

When I was a kid, a friend of mine had Tonka trucks, graders, and a whole host of other earth moving machines that he used to spend hours out in their garden building roads with. It was really quite a feat of civil engineering!

When I had a son of my own, one of the first major toys we picked up for him was his very own Tonka dump truck. That thing drove for miles and miles loaded with everything from blocks to dolls (once my daughter came along!)

I remember wanting a Tonka truck that ran on batteries, but we couldn’t afford it. Fortunately, I can now.

I still have my childhood trunk. It’s a big metal car hauler!

When I was a little girl, I played with my brother’s Tonka trucks.We used to give kittens rides in them. Tonka came into my life again, once I had my son.We got him a brand new Tonka truck,on the way home from the hospital with his new baby sister. He felt special…a little sister AND a Tonka!!!

My sons would love this. Please enter me and thanks for the fun contest.

Loved tonka as a child.

Tonka trucks were a part of my childhood. They were tonka tough like my brothers.

When I had sons I couldn’t wait to buy them their own tonka trucks.

Now I have grandsons and guess what I bought them on their first birthday? I have even nicknamed one of them tonka because he’s indestructable.

I would love to win this!

My grandson is getting to the age where he needs a truck. I’d love to win him a genuine Tonka!

TONKA YOU VERY MUCH I WOULD LOVE TO WIN THE TRUCK

would love it for my little guy!!thanks for the great contest!!

I remember playing in the driveway (dirt) with my brothers and using tonka trucks to build our play area…those trucks always held up! My little one would love this!

I would just love to win this!

Tonka is such a great name for toys. I can remember it as far back as I can remember, even as a girl I loved playing with them myself, loading them and dumping them.

I remember playing with Tonkas outside in the rain…I have enjoyed replaying that memory with my two older boys! Awesome giveaway!

I love Tonka! I played with them as a child (borrowing my cousins trucks) and would rather play with them than barbies or dollies any day. That is one of the reason’s God gave me boys I think (that and I can’t to dmy hair pretty much less a little girls). Gimme a chance to win a tonka truck and I might let my boys play too. LOL

tonka’s the best

I LOVE THIS STUFF IT HAVE ALWALYS BEEN AROUND.

I gotta win this!

My 3 boys always loved their Tonka’s while growing up and I would love to win this one for my Grandson.

aww cute

I love that Tonkas are something that my husband and I both loved as children and now our son has the same love for them. We still have many of my husbands original Tonkas out side in our sand pile:) LOVE THEM!!!

I couldn’t wait to buy my son his first Tonka yellow dump truck.

Having never had the pleasure of my own Tonka, I would love to see my little boy in action with one!

My sister and I played with my dad’s Tonka trucks….some of the originals from the early 1960’s. When my brother was born in 1983, my parents started buying him his own set, so he’d have them to pass on……now all of them are at my parents house, and our son (18mos) will get to play with them on Sunday, as we’re going to visit! I can’t wait to take pics for his scrapbook! (Am gonna make my brother come visit and get pics of papa, uncle robbie and my son playing together!).

We’ve only got one truck so far, but Christmas and his 2nd bday in April will both have a Tonka/truck/tractor theme!

Thanks for hte contest!

My son loves trucks and plays with my Brother’s old Tonka truck that is 30yrs old. He’d love this new one!:)

My brother and I loved playing with Tonka trucks when we were younger. My son and daughter both love them as well.

My Godson loves Trucks and they don’t have to be Tonka. John Deere works too. But those Tonka trucks are really age appropriate and easy to handle.

My brother grew up playing with Tonka. They affected me to. My grandpa bought be some Tonka stock when I was born that I cashed in in college. What’s better than that?

My sons would love this!- And Tonka ROCKS!

As my boys where growing up they had tonka trucks and we still have them.
I got a few grand nephews would enjoy one.

I’d love to win this for my son!

My husband and grandson will love playing with theis truck!

The little girl I care for would love this to use at the park.

Tonka Trucks were the best because they’re nearly indestructible. We were horrible boys. WE threw rocks at our trucks, we pushed them down hills and into creeks. They got battered but they kept going. Good times.

Of course we had a Tonka growing up, we lived in the country! We played with it in the garden and took it down to the river to play in the sand with us. It held all kinds of fun things!

My brother had a BIG Tonka truck, that my sister and I stole to give our dolls rides! My daughter is obsessed with trucks these days…she would have a blast with her very own Tonka!

I grew up with all girls, and we never had Tonka Trucks. Now that I have a little boy who loves Tonka trucks I can see why they are sooo cool. It is a toy that the whole family can play with.

My grandson is only 2. He would love this.

Growing up with 2 brothers, I also played with cars, trucks and other boy toys a lot. I would love for Bubbie to have a huge Tonka truck, just like my brother and I played with!

Yeah, Tonka!! The best!

Tonka…such great memories of playing in the sandbox with Tonka toys…and of course inside too…there’s nothing more fun than a dumptruck!!

fantastic!

I remember playing with tonkas as a kid. great for in the sandbox.
i’d love one for my kids to play with

I have given birth to 4 boys. I never truely understood “boyhood” and the whole idea of Tonkas till my lil guys got one of the big Tonka trucks. It was oneof the most enjoying experiences I had with my boys, playing with them. One i will never forget, I hope they will tell thier children & grandchildren.

i’m 53 and i fondly remember tonka trucks! we had ‘em all

They are so durable! My brother had Tonkas as a kid and they’ve been passed through the family to each boy. We just bought my son one from a garage sale for $2.00 and even though it is 10 years old, it is in great shape!

My brother and I use to play out in the sandbox with his Tonka truck. I remember filling it up with sand and delivering it to all over the sandbox. Always a good time. Now I have a son that will be 2 next month, maybe a Tonka truck will be in his future!

I always felt so loved anytime my brother let me play with him in his serious “game” of road making with his Tunka loader and dump truck.

I’m not a boy and I had Tonka trucks..lol. My son doesn’t have any…does that make me a bad mom? lol It never occurred to me to get him one!

I have three boys and we have a remote contol Tonka truck. They are so sturdy and made to withstand the abuse of boys! :o)

DD is a truck girl! Yea!

would be great for the kids

my grandson needs one more truck

GI Joes and Trucks

My husband always tells me about his favorite Christmas as a boy. His grandfather gave he and his brother a bunch of Tonka Trucks. He still calls it the Tonka Toy Christmas.

I have 2 sons and there is no other toy that beats a Tonka truck. I would love to win this and give it as a gift to my nephew so he can grow up having as much fun as my sons did with theirs.
Thanks for the chance to win such a great toy.

My son is obsessed with all kinds of trucks. I would love for him to play with a true classic.

My son, now 28, loved his Tonka trucks. We saved them all and now his son, 21 months, loves to play in the dirt with them. This one he doesn’t have! Let him give it a try.

I LOVE TONKA! When I was little, I had a dump truck and a tractor, I think. Anyway, I dumped EVERYTHING from there–inside or out! When my now 13 yo son was about 3 or 4 a dear friend of ours, who has since died, passed along TWO of his old, metal Tonka trucks and they moved lotsa dirt and such for us. They are a great treasure to us.

Yeah, Tonka over Barbies anyday! (Not literally, however!!!! LOL)

My boy just loves Tonka trucks. (My 3 year old girl too, for that matter!) They are so ruggedly made, and have stood the test of time. I will not buy any other kind of sandbox toy, or push around toy. They others just can’t compete! Would love to be considered for the prize!

Well, my little boy is only 3 1/2 months so we don’t have many big boy toys for him but this looks great! Maybe Tonka will touch our lives very soon! : )

I grew up with 2 brothers and we played with cars and trucks all the time. We had a creek by our house and would use our dumptrucks to build dams and such. I always wanted a girl but here I am with 2 boys. ANd I love it!

Tonka is one of those classic toys that last forever! I remember playing with them when I was little! While visiting my husbands grandparents, they brought out my father in law’s TONKAS! My son got to play with the 50 + year old trucks! amazing!

I would love for my daughter to have a tonka truck. She loves to be in dresses..bows and all…but when it comes to play time…she is digging in the sandbox..pushing and hauling the sand with her buckets, she would get good use out of tonka! I remember having an old tonka truck–the heavy metal one–from when I was younger–I just think girls needs to have them just as much as the boys do!

My husband and I have 6 kids and 15 grandkids between us,so there have been a lot of Tonka trucks in our lives.We have a grandson who loves trucks,he will love this.

My son LOVES Tonka’s! He would love to win this!

My grandkids would love the truck!!!

I was a tomboy growing up, too. Tonka was just way cooler and more fun than Barbies! Thanks!

this would make a perfect gift for my son’s 3rd b.day

oh man. i remember my brothers playing with their tonka trucks all the time. now it’s my son’s turn. he even takes his plastic tonka into the bathtub so it can lift up bubbles. crazy!

I actually have TWO boys and I don’t think we have any tonka! Crazy!!!

My year old grandson, who has just discovered his sandpile would love this!

Tonka tough can hold up against any mother’s child. Even mine.

My brother used to have Tonka Trucks growing up. I would love to have one for my little 3 year old son.

It was something I grew up playing, I mean they were fun. So when my kids were born what else to get them right, and now they have softer ones for the younger tots to play with. We haven’t bought one for our fourth child yet but I’m sure he’ll get one soon enough. He’s just about to start crawling so I must start thinking about his toys.

A Tonka truck would be a wonderful gift for our eldest, who will be three next month. Funds are tight so I can say it would touch us and our son to be drawn as a winner for this cool toy!

Tonka trucks definitely symbolize boyhood but also childhood. My daughter loves trucks - especially dump trucks she can put things in and push them around. My son likes cars and trucks also but it’s my daughter I think of when I think of Tonka.

My grandson loves Tonka trucks, and he touches my life!