(PCM) Many parents these days feel that technology has taken over just about every aspect of their children’s lives. Heck, we even recently came across a version of the classic children’s book “Goodnight, Moon” that was changed to “Goodnight, Ipad” which truly cemented the fact that many kids are being entertained by these devices from sun up to sun down. We often wonder if children are even playing with good old fashioned toys such as dolls or blocks at all anymore.
Rest assured that while, yes, many children are getting their entertainment using smart devices, there are a ton of others who are still getting their playtime in by playing with actual physical toys. While there have been many fads within the children’s toy industry, with many coming and going sometimes lasting only a few short months and others lasting several years or longer, there are quite a few toys in particular that have withstood the test of time and are still popular sellers to this very day.
Let’s take the Frisbee, for instance. The first Frisbee was created by a man named Frederick Morrison back in 1957 and they were initially called “Pluto Platters”. The rights to the “Pluto Platters” were eventually bought by Wham-O, who named them Frisbee’s which also happened to be a pie company in Connecticut. The locals would through the empty pie tins for entertainment, and hence the Frisbee is born.
Children and adults can both appreciated the Frisbee. There are now even Frisbee sporting tournaments held around the globe and even an International Frisbee Association that was founded back in 1967. Also in 1967, some New Jersey teenagers invented Ultimate Frisbee, a game that is still played enthusiastically today. All this attention for Frisbees certainly made it a hot commodity with sales reaching 100 million Frisbees by 1994 and later in 1998 the Frisbee was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. Today they remain very popular toys.
Another toy that has lasted throughout the years in the toy industry are LEGOS. The very first LEGO building blocks were introduced in 1958 and still sell like crazy to this day. The company has expanded from just offering basic building blocks to incredibly elaborate building sets featuring entertainment properties such as “Star Wars”, “Batman”, “The Simpsons”, “Marvel” and more! The list is truly endless.
LEGO’s are a toy that has been passed down, generation to generation, and something that parents look forward to sitting down and teaching their children how to use. Parents enjoy the nostalgia and children love to explore all the creative possibilities that LEGO’s allow.
Along the same vein as LEGO are the fantastic Playmobil sets. Many of their toy sets come with tons of tiny pieces which kids will surely misplace over the years, but the toys themselves have proven to be entertaining to generation after generation. What is excellent about the Playmobli sets is that they feature a wide variety of play sets, allowing children to choose what interests them the most. The Playmobli sets feature everything from home and garden to history and fantasy, which definitely leave children’s imaginations to run wild. Playmobli sets continue to be top selling items.
Mattel’s Barbie dolls have certainly proven that they are here to stay and have continued to grow and expand significantly over the years. Barbie was the skinny, blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman that young women would strive to become, however Barbie has undergone many changes over the years and has managed to adapt with the times. Mattel realized after many consumer complaints that perhaps Barbie was providing young women with unrealistic standards of beauty. Currently, Barbie dolls are now offered in a variety of different body types, skin colors, fashion choices and more. Barbie has definitely managed to remain relevant over the years, even when at times the future of the doll looked bleak.
Abacus Calculator’s are another toy that you may have seen continuously floating around over the years. Mostly they tend to pop-up in daycare centers, after school programs and doctor’s offices, but they definitely serve their purpose at keeping the children entertained. Most parents assumed this ancient calculating tool would be a fun introduction to math for their kids, most young ones just slid the beads back and forth, but since the Abacus Calculator has been in existence since 1387 A.D., it without a doubt earns a place on our list.
Finally, how could we forget Play-Doh! Play-Doh began as a tool to remove wallpaper. Designers then decided to add color to the substance and it became a kid’s toy with colors including white, red, blue and yellow. It can be molded into anything imaginable and is now available not only in tubs, but in travel sticks as well. It still remains a popular gift item for children and even adults can have fun mashing up this fun colorful substance.
Some honorable mention toys that have definitely proven their staying power include jump ropes, Yo-yo’s, toy kitchens with fake plastic food, anything Fisher Price, Lincoln Logs, Slinkees, Transformer action figures, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures, the Pokemon craze (trading cards, plushies, video games), Nerf sports toys, My Little Pony (which made a comeback in a big way) and Disney toys to only name a few.
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