Top 10 Children’s Toys 1930-1940:[1]
1. Scrabble – Originally named Criss Cross Words, the creator, Alfred Butts, an architect, didn’t do anything more than give a few games to family and friends. Its popularity among them was so high, that it was the fans of the game that pushed the marketing and distribution. Today, it is the second best-selling game surpassed by Monopoly.
2. COOTIE – Created in 1948, Herb Schaper, a letter carrier and creator of this toy, carved the first forty thousand out of wood by hand. How's that for dedication?
3. Model Airplanes – Initially coming in kits where consumers had to cut pieces of wood themselves, model airplanes were made to help sell airplanes to the military. Once plastic was widely used, creating kits was easily mass-produced.
4. Silly Putty – This is a great story. James Wright created this synthetic, pliable rubber to be used in WWII for caulking and molding. After the war, no one had any use for it and he had a huge amount of leftovers. He sold it to a store owner in CT, Peter Hodgson, who repackaged it by placing some in a plastic egg and labeling it Silly Putty. The rest is, as they say, history!
5. Slinky – Richard James, a navy engineer, was trying to figure out a suspension device when he knocked over a torsion spring and watched it walk. His wife named it.
6. Candy Land – Developed for children with polio, the creator, Eleanor Abbott, developed it while recovering from polio herself.
7. Clue – Probably one of my favorite board games. It was known as Cluedo in England and was bought in 1949 by Parker Bros bringing it to the US.
8. Bubbles – Apparently children were blowing bubbles for centuries but it wasn’t until the ‘40s when someone decided to create a bubble blowing solution, package it, and sell it. Bubbles is the best selling toy in the entire world. And I love them.
I couldn't find an image for Bubbles from the 1940s so I thought this was kind of cool. Besides, I think we all know what "bubbles" look like.
9. Paper Dolls – The need for weapons during WWII stopped production for consumer products. Toys from paper products became an inexpensive way to make toys for kids.
(Notice how stereotypical this is and how it's only white people.)
10. Magic 8 Ball – I had no idea this dated back to the ‘40s! Invented in 1946 by Abe Bookman it’s apparently a slumber party favorite and comes in a variety of colors and designs.
An actual image from a 1940s ad.
What it typically looks like today. Who's asked it a question about someone you liked and shook it until an acceptable answer was given only to act relieved that even the Magic 8 Ball thought that person liked you? Yes, I have conducted myself that foolishly. Now, where is that darned thing? I need to ask it if I should have kids...
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