Hobbies And Interests
Toy Soldiers
Toys resembling military forces have been found at archeological digs in Egypt and China. Toy soldiers are among the oldest toys on the planet and in the 1700s Europe began manufacturing tin soldiers as toys. Originally made of lead, these toys were toxic but in the 1930s toy manufacturers began to use plastic.
Slinky
A classic toy in America, the slinky was invented in 1945 by Richard James who was a marine engineer. World War II was raging, but Richard and his wife Betty James were able to find a little fun amidst the destruction. One day he witnessed a torsion spring fall off his desk and the thought of making it a child's toy hit him. Since then, 25 billion--and counting--Slinky's have been sold around the world.
Ball and Paddle
The game of badminton originated from a game played in Ancient Greece and Colonial America now referred to as battledore and shuttlecock. This popular one-man racket and ball toy was probably inspired by this ancient game. The wooden paddle usually had a bull's-eye painted on the front and a rubber band connected the rubber ball and racket. How often can you hit the bull's-eye? This toy is sometimes referred to as paddle ball.
Spinning Top
This classic toy has an entire museum dedicated to it. Called the Spinning Top Museum, this kids palace is located in Burlington, Wis., and features 2,000 types of tops, yo-yo's and gyroscopes. This classic toy may have come from the spinning of an acorn or a nut and evolved into the wooden toys they are now. The dreidel is a Jewish top used in a popular 2,000-year-old Hanukkah game. Tops have also been popular in Japan for centuries.
Kaleidoscope
The kaleidoscope was patented in 1817 by a Scottish inventor David Brewster. He was studying the properties of light and optics when he saw the reflection of it between two mirrors and came up with the idea for a kaleidoscope. Today, these colorful light refractors are not only toys but works of art. The first exhibit for kaleidoscope art was in 1980 and it fueled more artists to continue the tradition.
Play-Doh
Noah and Joseph McVicker are responsible for the patent on 'plastic molding composition' which is what Play-Doh was originally called when it began to pop up in classrooms throughout the late 1960s. Originally, the only color Play-Doh came it was an off-white in a cardboard container. Joe McVicker had invented the dough as a wall paper cleaner, but found that it was a hit with children and teachers as a modeling clay.