04 Apr Toys that stand the test of time
As part of our 50th anniversary this year (1969-2019), we thought it would be fun to look back at popular children’s toys over the past 5 decades and pick a few iconic and memorable toys from each decade. Were you a child in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s or noughties? Some of these may bring back memories…or you might even still have them. We’ll also ask the children in our Playsafe clubs which toys they enjoy most today.
Many of the toys we can recall playing with as children were designed to develop key skills – everything from cognitive skills to improving coordination and confidence-building. Looking back, did we know just how much we might be gaining from playing with these toys and games? All those important development skills disguised as enormous fun!
1960’s
In 1960 a mechanical drawing toy called ‘Etch A Sketch’ invented by André Cassagnes launched onto the American toy market. The Etch A Sketch allowed children to create a drawing made up of magnetic lines on a screen and when finished to shake the device and clear the screen, starting all over again. Wikipedia explains how it works: “There are two white knobs on the front of the frame in the lower corners. Twisting the knobs moves a stylus that displaces aluminum powder on the back of the screen, leaving a solid line. The knobs create lineographic images. The left control moves the stylus horizontally, and the right one moves it vertically.” Children could practice their artistic skills with a blank canvas. This website explains the enduring popularity and benefits of the Etch A Sketch.
Image credit: Pinterest
Board games also grew in popularity in the 1960’s and most households had at least one. Popular games launched in the 1960’s include ‘Mouse Trap’, ‘Twister’ and ‘Operation’. Apart from being an activity the whole family could take part in, did you know board games have health benefits, including improving your memory, lowering stress levels, and increasing vocabulary? This website lists 8 surprising benefits of board games.
Image credit: Pinterest
1970’s
Film memorabilia and merchandise became a global industry in the 1970’s, thanks largely to the blockbuster movie ‘Star Wars’. Hasbro released action figures based on the films characters to coincide with the film’s worldwide release in 1977, and today those original Star Wars figures are highly collectible.
Aside from Star Wars figures, did anyone else experience any rivalry between ‘Barbie’ and ‘Sindy’ fans, when they were at school? At our Marketing Officer’s primary school, pupils who liked Barbie would even sit on a separate lunch table and refuse to eat with those who liked Sindy – the doll battle lines were well and truly drawn!
Image credit: Pinterest
It isn’t just us celebrating a milestone anniversary this year. Barbie is celebrating her 60th birthday (1959-2019) and a number of articles on her 60th have highlighted the myriad of ‘careers’ Barbie has had. Wikipedia reveals “According to Mattel, Barbie has had over 200 inspirational careers, and more recently including more STEM fields.”
Image credit: Pinterest
The 1970’s was also the era of little egg-shaped plastic people called ‘Weebles’. Some of us may be familiar with their catchy advert jingle “Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down!” If you were a child of the 70’s, did you own the iconic Weeble tree house or playground set? Weebles have collaborated with other popular toy brands over the decades and the likes of ‘Peppa Pig’ and ‘Paw Patrol’ have recently become Weebles figures too.
While reflecting on toys from the 1970’s, several JACE staff spoke fondly of ‘Fuzzy-Felt’ and the hours spent with their Fuzzy-Felt pieces and a blank board, creating a farm, ballet or hospital scene. Happy memories!
Image credit: Pinterest
Talking of memories…..
Whilst writing this blog, our Marketing Officer asked two of her colleagues how they remember spelling Sindy, and they were sure it was spelt with a C (for Cindy). Similarly, one staff member remembered Weebles as having a silent ‘h’ in it (spelt Wheebles). There is something known as ‘false memory’ syndrome, also referred to as the ‘Mandela Effect’, which, when you google the term, brings up examples of how our collective memories can remember something incorrectly – for instance, toy’s names, cartoons, advertising jingles, or even historic events. There are endless YouTube videos devoted to the ‘Mandela Effect’ and you can read more about false memory syndrome here.
1980’s
When we asked our staff for toys they remember most vividly from the 1980’s, the two most often mentioned were ‘Simon’ and the ‘Rubik’s Cube’.
Simon was a popular electronic game of memory skill throughout the 80’s and was named after the verbal and listening children’s game ‘Simon Says’. Wikipedia explains how “The device has four colored buttons, each producing a particular tone when it is pressed or activated by the device. A round in the game consists of the device lighting up one or more buttons in a random order, after which the player must reproduce that order by pressing the buttons. As the game progresses, the number of buttons to be pressed increases.” When it first launched, Simon came at rather a high price point – the equivalent today of nearly 100 dollars.
Image credit: Pinterest
Still a popular puzzle game with school-aged children today, many of us can remember owning a ‘Rubik’s Cube’ while growing up. This website lists the many benefits of solving the Rubiks Cube, including:
- It helps with improving memory. …
- Learning the ways of solving the cube improves patience. …
- It helps become a problem solver. …
- It helps with mapping of the things. …
- It keeps the mind active. …
- Speed cubing makes your reflexes faster. …
- It will improve your fingers dexterity and agility. …
- It is an awesome conversation starter.
1990’s
The Era of Computer Games, first evolving in the 1970’s and 80’s, truly saturated the toy industry in the 1990’s. Brands like PlayStation, and Nintendo Game Boy became household names, and a gift on many children’s birthday and Christmas wish lists. ‘Kids Computers’ became a popular industry term and 90’s games paved the way for today’s games consoles and portable devices including iPads, tablets and iPhones.
Image credit: Pinterest
2000’s
Games moved online and increasingly interactive in the 2000’s. Today, young players can connect with friends from school or players from around the world with games like XBox and PS4, Fortnite and Fifa. For children Playsafe-aged and above, follow the NSPCC advice for keeping children safe online whilst gaming. There is also helpful safety advice for young people, parents and guardians on the website www.thinkuknow.co.uk.
Image credit: Thinkuknow
Finally, we asked our Playsafe Clubs what their favourite games are. The children at Buddies Playsafe Club, Keston Playsafe Club and Satellites Playsafe Club all told us their favourite is ‘Monopoly’. Buddies also love ‘Uno’, and ‘Guess Who?’ Toy-wise they most enjoy Lego and ‘dress up’ – where they can use their imagination and role play.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this little trip down memory lane and agree how wonderful it is that so many of the toys and games we’ve played with over the past 50 years are just as popular today.
Keep up to date with our 50th anniversary activities and events over on our Twitter page, and follow our hashtag #JancettAt50.