The decade of
the 1950s; a time when McDonald’s was founded, the first modern credit card was
introduced, the first organ transplant took place, DNA was discovered, colour
television hit our screens, Princess Elizabeth became Queen, Disneyland opened
and NASA was founded. But what monumental toys were created during this ten
year period?
There was no
way this article could begin with any other toy then Barbie. The toy was
developed by Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel. There’s not a lot to say
apart from this ground breaking toy was invented in 1959 and it has clearly
gone from strength to strength ever since.
Mr Potato Head
We all know
Mr Potato Head from the popular Toy Story films but you wouldn’t believe how
the toy first came on to the scene in 1952. Back then Mr Potato Head was an
actual potato and the toys were various plastic features that kids would find
in cereal boxes. They would simply stick these features into a potato. This idea
was created by George Learner, an inventor who thought this would be the best
way to make kids want to eat their veg!
Frisbie
This is
another great invention story. In America, at Yale University, some students
decided to play what we now call ‘frisbie’ with some pie plates. These plates
were from a local baking store entitled ‘Frisbie Baking Co.’. In order to warn
people that walked past so that they wouldn’t be hit, the students used to
shout ‘frisbie’ and in 1955 the frisbie was born.
Play-Doh
Play-Doh
first hit the shelves in stores in 1956 (however it was not in colour until
1980). Unfortunately the story of its existence is not as exciting as some of
the other toys. A man named Joe McViker sent the mixture to schools because
clay was too hard for the children to use, people picked up on the scope for it
to be used as a toy and then the rest is history!
Paint by Numbers Kits
Nowadays
there are so many different paint or colour by numbers kits available in stores
all around the UK and the rest of the world. These take form in a mass of
different ways, there are colour boxes for kids to use when travelling or there
are big solo boards for older children to paint with. However, paint by numbers
kits first took off in 1952 when they hit the shelves in Macys.
Water Balloons
There is a
really interesting story behind the development of the water balloon. In the
year of 1950 an English inventor named Edgar Ellington was on a mission to
create another invention – a waterproof sock. Whilst he was attempting to do so
he got frustrated with the fact that water was leaking out of the side of the
sock he was testing. He became so frustrated that he in fact threw the sock in
question against the table. And guess what happened? It burst! Thus, instead of
waterproof socks Ellington was credited with the water balloon.
