I remember watching this show on days when I stayed home “sick” from school (and just about everything else that was on Nickelodeon’s Nick Jr.). If I’m honest, though, I don’t remember anything specific about it. Other than, you know, there were gnomes. And according to the laugh-tastic theme song “trolls and wizards and fairy kings, birds that talk and fish that sing.” Wow. The show, which originally aired in Spain, was based on a series of children’s books. For the American version of the show, Tom Bosley voiced David’s character and Christopher Plummer provided narration.

Submitted by Anonymous, who wishes to remain anonymous.

It’s hard to imagine, after looking at the image above, that, as children, we could want to eat food that looked like that. And then actually eat and enjoy it. I remember trying to peel the plastic film off of the scorched tray and never being totally successful. I also remember that, contrary to everything I understood then, the dessert was always the worst tasting part of the meal. And that’s saying something. Cute penguin mascot, though.

Submitted by Peter H, aka Burger Court Jester.

Certainly we can all remember how badly we begged our parents to take us out to places like Burger King for dinner. Maybe some of you threw fits when they said No!” And, as I recall, they said “No!” often. But every now and then, they’d get tired of hearing you cry, and take you out. It wasn’t just about the food, which probably tasted good to our unseasoned palates, but about the toys and the crowns and the colorful commercials featuring a cast of interracial cartoons who did cool things. I don’t know about you, but the memories of attending my friends’ birthday parties in the playrooms of local Burger Kings are rushing back.

Submitted by Andrea T, who still sleeps in one.

What a combination! A bed + a tent = Tent beds! Because why camp outside in the cold on the hard ground when you could do it in the comfort of your own room on a mattress?! Most of us liked building forts, but nothing made out of couch cushions could ever look as cool as a princess castle or a fire station. You just know the kid with a tent bed ended up hosting all of the best sleepovers.

Submitted and Written by Charles H

The glass Skippy Peanut Butter jars were an essential part of my childhood. They had a million uses ranging from where dad held screws, nail and other various items on the workbench in the garage to providing a terrarium for all the bugs I hunted as a child. They were way bigger (and more useful) jars than the other brands used. There was nothing that sounded quite like that metal lid being unscrewed from the jar…it was just so satisfying.

Charles H is tapping into something big here (great write up too!). More than a win for the Skippy jars themselves, every kid had a secret container to hold their valuables. What did you use to hold your precious things — a Skippy jar, a shoebox, an ammo box from the Army Surplus Store? What’d you keep inside of it?

When I was a kid, I used a hollowed out book. I glued the pages together, then cut the middle out. That’s where I hid my basketball cards.