Hobbies And Interests
Simon
The memory game "Simon" from 1978 was named after the classic children's game, "Simon Says." It featured four large, colorful buttons on a round pad. The buttons lit up and played designated pitches in a sequence the player had to repeat by tapping the buttons in order. The game got faster and more complex the longer it was played.
The NERF Ball
NERF toys (Non-Expanding Recreational Foam) were first sold as a form of indoor sports ball in 1970. The Parker Brothers product was a groundbreaking toy because it was dense enough to be thrown around, but too soft to cause injuries. Few injuries were caused directly by NERF balls. During the early years, the NERF football was the most popular of the toys in the NERF line.
Electronic Games
The Atari 2600 was not the first home video game console, but it was the first widely available console to feature multiple programmed game cartridges rather than built-in games. Released in 1977, the Atari 2600 featured "Stunt Cycle," a motorcycle stunt simulator. The system could also play games like "Pinball," "Breakout" and "Basketball" that had appeared on single-game Atari machines. The '70s also saw the debut of handheld electronic games. Mattel produced several battery-operated games with sports themes.
Silly String
Aerosal foam string sold under the name "Silly String" made its first appearance in 1972. It was developed as an off-shoot of products designed for medical use in the casting of broken limbs. The formula was changed many times to make the product more environmentally friendly.
Shrinky Dinks
Shrinky Dinks were thin sheets of plastic which, when baked in a conventional oven, transformed into a smaller, thicker object. Users transformed large works of line art and color into tiny, homemade collectibles. Shrinky Dinks were invented in 1973 by the mothers of a pair of Cub Scouts in Brookfield, Wisconsin.