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(Image modified from original picture uploaded by unloveablesteve on Flickr – check out the website and book TV Cream Toys for more cool toys).
Do you remember Uncle Remus Play Kits? I have fond memories of these from my childhood, although I think they may well have disappeared from shops by the early 1980’s. No matter, I enjoyed them, so they’re being included here.
Nothing to do with the Uncle Remus associated with Brer Rabbit and the Disney movie Song of the South, Uncle Remus toys were more often than not craft kits of some kind or another, and were more likely to be found in newsagents than in toy shops, hanging on one of those rotunda stands that shops sometimes have. They were fairly cheap but ever so cheerful, and were the perfect rainy afternoon distraction. They came for the most part in cardboard wallets with a distinctive logo consisting of a friendly looking balding old man pointing at the word REMUS.
One of my favourite kits that I had as a child was one where you made a picture, a tiger in my case, from little bits of sticky backed felt. You had to cut out funny shapes from a sheet of felt and stick them onto a paint by numbers style image of the tiger. When finished you had a fairly realistic image of a tiger which was also furry to the touch. The left over sticky felt could then be used for further art projects, or stuck on the furniture to annoy your Mum.
Colouring sets, model making kits and other crafty things of that ilk were all present, as were activity books, finger puppets, sticker sets and just about any other sort of toy that could be packaged flat and sold cheaply. There was something for everyone in the range, and it’s a shame they aren’t around today for my little girl to learn from.
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the disney playtrain was the remus kit i longed for as a child. you pressed out parts and slotted them together.
dopeys flap fell off and he never stood up straight.
I don’t remember that particular kit but it reminds me of when you used to get promotional cardboard toys where you had to press out all the parts and then insert tabs into slots to build a toy lorry with a shops name on the side or something of that ilk.
Wow remus playkits. As a child I used to model the toys including jigsaws and my face was on the cover of the box. I am still yet to find some examples from 1979 – 1982.
Anyone know if there is an image library for their stuff??
Wow! Clare,you are now the second person to comment on my site who previously spent their childhood as a model for products. I heard from a fellow named James who was in an advert for KP Outer Spacers!
Big Boo, I remember thick cardboard dinosaurs that were made by slotting the pieces together. Does anybody remember Kalkitos transfer kits? A selection of transfers that could be rubbed onto a cardboard panorama?
I didn’t remember the name as Kalkitos but I do remember what you’re talking about. Today kids just seem to have those reusable sticker things instead. Anyway, rub down transfers are another thing on my list of future posts!
By the way Laura, thanks for all your great comments. Hope you’re enjoying the site!
Thanks Big Boo, enjoying the site loads – lots of good memories!
i can distinctly remember the zoetroepe kit, which was amazing fun!
That would have been a very cool kit. There’s something almost magical about watching a Zoetrope spinning and playing back a simple animation. Normally it’s something like a little man running, simply because it has to be a looping animation, but even when you know how it works you still can’t believe your eyes.
Yes,I remember Uncle Remus kits fondly.I always bought mine at the Little Chef restaurants from those rotund stands near the till.
Hi Laura, I just saw the new kalkitos. They have brought it back July last year. check out http://www.kalkitos.sg
I remember fondly the remus playkits as a child. A man used to call to my mums house and give me lots of pictures to sew and when i finished them all i got some toys to keep and it helped while away the hours when i had the chicken pox.
I remember them so much.i use to buy one regular with my pocket money or as a gift if I was poorly.in the shops they would hang on a stand that you could spin
I also remember getting these at the little chef as a reward for being good!
I knew the man who designed the Remus logo. He was called James Laidlaw and he also worked for Ragdoll Productions in charge of Teletubbies merchandise.
Remus were going as early as 1974, perhaps even before that.
It was such a long time ago. The kits were pocket money priced and ideal purchases to keep children amused during a car journey. Talk about a ghost from the past. Glad the kits are well remembered.