Vintage Toys & Games
Instructions: Remember Slinkys, Etch A Sketches, and Lite-Brites? Test your knowledge of the toys that defined childhood!
- 1.
The Slinky was accidentally invented in 1943 by a naval engineer. What was he originally trying to develop?
AA coiled antenna for radiosBA new type of spring for watchesCA shock absorber for tanksDTension springs for sensitive instruments on ships - 2.
The Etch A Sketch was introduced to American children in 1960. In which country was it originally invented?
AFranceBGermanyCJapanDUnited States - 3.
Approximately how many Hula Hoops were sold in the first four months after Wham-O introduced them in 1958?
A25 millionB10 millionC50 millionD5 million - 4.
When Mr. Potato Head was first sold in 1952, what made it unique among toys at the time?
AIt was the first toy made entirely of plasticBIt was the first toy sold in cereal boxesCIt was the first toy advertised on televisionDIt was the first toy to talk - 5.
The first Barbie doll debuted at the American International Toy Fair in 1959. What was Barbie's full name?
ABarbara Louise MattelBBarbara Ann HandlerCBarbara Millicent RobertsDBarbara Jean Carson - 6.
GI Joe was introduced by Hasbro in 1964. What term did Hasbro coin to market GI Joe to boys?
ABattle buddyBCombat toyCAction heroDAction figure - 7.
Lite-Brite, the toy that let children create illuminated pictures with colored pegs, was introduced in what year?
A1963B1967C1975D1971 - 8.
The Easy-Bake Oven, introduced by Kenner in 1963, originally used what as its heat source?
AA small gas burnerBTwo 100-watt incandescent light bulbsCA wind-up friction motorDA battery-powered heating element - 9.
Spirograph, the geometric drawing toy, was invented by a British engineer named Denys Fisher. In what year was it first sold in the US?
A1960B1966C1962D1970 - 10.
Hot Wheels die-cast cars were introduced by Mattel in 1968 to compete with which established toy car brand?
AMatchboxBTonkaCCorgiDDinky - 11.
Lincoln Logs, the notched miniature log building toy, were invented in 1916 by the son of which famous American?
AFrank Lloyd WrightBThomas EdisonCHenry FordDAbraham Lincoln - 12.
Tinkertoys, the wooden construction set with spools and sticks, were first sold at a toy fair in which year?
A1914B1924C1944D1934 - 13.
Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, the boxing game with two plastic robots, was manufactured by which toy company?
AMarxBMattelCHasbroDKenner - 14.
How many smaller cubes make up a standard Rubik's Cube?
A16B27C26D9 - 15.
Cabbage Patch Kids caused near-riots in stores during what holiday season?
AChristmas 1983BChristmas 1984CChristmas 1982DChristmas 1981
Answer Key
Richard James was working with tension springs to stabilize sensitive instruments on Navy ships when one fell off a shelf and 'walked' down — inspiring the Slinky.
French inventor Andre Cassagnes created the Etch A Sketch (originally called 'L'Ecran Magique') in the late 1950s. Ohio Art Company brought it to the American market in 1960.
The Hula Hoop craze was one of the biggest fads in American history. Wham-O sold an estimated 25 million hoops in just four months, and over 100 million in the first year.
Mr. Potato Head became the first toy ever advertised on television in 1952. Originally, kids used real potatoes — the plastic body wasn't included until 1964!
Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. Creator Ruth Handler named her after her daughter Barbara. The doll was inspired by a German doll called Bild Lilli.
Hasbro invented the term 'action figure' to market GI Joe because they believed boys wouldn't want to play with a 'doll.' The term has been used for similar toys ever since.
Hasbro released Lite-Brite in 1967. Children placed translucent colored pegs into a backlit black panel to create glowing pictures. The jingle 'Lite-Brite, making things with light' became unforgettable.
The original Easy-Bake Oven used two 100-watt incandescent light bulbs to bake tiny cakes and treats. Over 30 million units have been sold since its introduction.
Spirograph hit American shelves in 1966 after Kenner licensed it from British inventor Denys Fisher. It won the 1967 Toy of the Year award in the UK.
Mattel created Hot Wheels specifically to challenge Matchbox's dominance. With faster wheels and flashier designs, Hot Wheels quickly became the best-selling toy car brand in the world.
John Lloyd Wright, son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, invented Lincoln Logs. He was reportedly inspired by the interlocking log construction technique used in his father's Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.
Charles Pajeau introduced Tinkertoys at the 1914 American Toy Fair. He got the idea watching children play with pencils and empty spools of thread.
Marx Toys introduced Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots in 1964. The famous tagline was 'You knocked his block off!' when a robot's head popped up after a winning punch.
A Rubik's Cube has 26 visible smaller cubes (called cubies) — 8 corners, 12 edges, and 6 centers. Hungarian professor Erno Rubik invented it in 1974, and it became a worldwide sensation in the 1980s.
The Cabbage Patch Kids craze peaked at Christmas 1983, when demand far outstripped supply. Parents got into actual fistfights in stores trying to buy the dolls, each of which came with unique adoption papers.