Additional Coverage:
- 13 Toys Boomers Loved That Are Still Popular Today (momswhothink.com)
These Toys Still Spark Imagination
Baby boomers, the generation born between 1946 and 1964, recall a time when play involved imagination and creativity, not smartphones and tablets. Toys weren’t just diversions; they fostered cooperation and community.
Today’s kids live in a digital world, with many toddlers owning tablets before their second birthday. Classic toy stores are fading, and some beloved toys have vanished.
Yet, many enduring favorites continue to delight children. Even Gen Z, raised in a screen-saturated era, recognizes the value of traditional play.
Let’s revisit some iconic toys that still capture children’s imaginations.
Slinky:
- Invented: 1943
- Released: 1945
- Claim to fame: Its mesmerizing stair-descending ability.
Hula Hoop:
- Marketed: 1958
- Patented: 1963
- Inspiration: Wooden hoops used by children in Australia.
Barbie Dolls:
- Invented: Ruth Handler
- Released: 1959
- Maker: Mattel (founded by Ruth and Elliot Handler, and Harold Matson)
- Still going strong: New Barbie dolls continue to be released.
Mr. Potato Head:
- Invented: 1949
- Distributed: 1952 (Hasbro)
- Notable: The first toy advertised on television.
Tonka Trucks:
- Invented: 1947
- Origin: Mound Metalcraft Company, Mound, Minnesota (near Lake Minnetonka, hence the name “Tonka”)
- Fun fact: Tonka uses 119,000 pounds of yellow paint annually.
Play-Doh:
- Origins: Wallpaper cleaner
- Modeling clay debut: 1955
- Renamed Play-Doh: 1956
GI Joe:
- Introduced: 1964
- Not a doll!: Marketed as an “action soldier” or “action figure.”
- Expanding ranks: Initially an Army soldier, later joined by Navy, Air Force, Marine, and NASA astronaut figures.
View-Master:
- Original name: Sawyer’s View-Master
- Debuted: 1939-40 World’s Fair
- Initial purpose: Adult education tool.
Easy-Bake Oven:
- Invented: Ronald Howes
- Introduced: 1963 (Kenner)
- Heat source: Two 100-watt incandescent bulbs
- Real baking: Could bake edible food.
- Still available: A redesigned version is still on the market.
Etch A Sketch:
- Debuted: 1959 International Toy Fair
- Original name: L’écran Magique (The Magic Screen)
- How it works: Aluminum powder coated screen, stylus controlled by knobs creates lines.
Lite-Brite:
- Released: 1967
- Inventors: Burt Meyer, Dalia Verbickas, and Joseph M.
Burck
- Licensed to Hasbro.
- Colorful creativity: Kids create pictures with multi-colored pegs.
Hot Wheels:
- Debuted: 1968 International Toy Fair
- Inspiration: California hot rods
- First batch: “The Sweet 16” (16 cars).
LEGOs:
- First plastic brick: 1949
- Origin: Denmark, workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen
- Hall of Fame: Inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998.
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