A is for Action

Figures!Action Figures are

poseable figurines, often

based on characters from

movies, television, books, and video

games.

B is for Barbie!Barbie first

landed on store shelves in 1959, making her over

50 years old today!

C is for Care Bears and Cootie!

Care Bears were created to feature on greeting cards and

grew into a pop culture phenomena. Cootie is a game that came out in 1948 in which children race to build a Cootie

bug!

D is for Doh, as in Play-Doh!Play-Doh was made in 1930 and was used to clean wallpaper. Children begin using it to play and build and squish, and in the 1950’s it became a popular toy!

E is for Erector Set!

An Erector set is a building toy made up of metal beams, nuts,

bolts, pulleys, and gears. This toy is over

100 years old!

F is for Frisbee!A Frisbee is a disk shaped glider which lifts as it spins through the air. They come in many colors and sizes.

Some light up when they are thrown, and some even

whistle!

G is for G.I. Joe!G.I. Joe began as a line of twelve inch figures based on the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines in

1964. In 1982 they were shrunk to 3 ¾ inches, given vehicles,

and animated. They became one of the most successful toy lines

of all time!

H is for Hula Hoop!Nobody knows who created the

first Hula Hoop. The oldest hoops were made of vines,

grass, and strips of tree bark. Now Hula hoops are mostly

made of plastic and are twirled around the waist, arms, legs,

and neck!

I is for Imaginext!Imaginext is a brand of role-playing, adventure toys designed for kids aged three and up. Introduced in

2002, Imaginext gave children castles and cityscapes to play in. Since then, Imaginext has created mighty ships, dinosaurs, pirates, and superheroes to fuel the

imaginations of children everywhere!

J is for Jacks!Versions of Jacks have been

found that date back to Ancient Greece and Egypt

using everything from small stones to sticks and animal bones! There are hundreds of ways to play this classic

game!

K is for Kaleidoscope

!A kaleidoscope is a tube of mirrors containing loose

beads or pebbles. You look in one end while light enters through

the other. Twisting he tube

changes the image.

L is for Lego!Legos were created

in the 1940s, in Europe. Anything

built with them can be taken apart and the pieces may be

used for other creations. Legos are now popular all over

the world!

M is for Monopoly!Monopoly is the most played

commercial board game in the world! Its game pieces include: a dog, a hat, a race car, an iron, a

boot, a battleship, a wheelbarrow, and a thimble. A horse and rider, a cannon, and a bag of money have since been retired from the game.

N is for Nerf!

It all started with a little orange ball. Now Nerf creates sports-themed toys

from Soccer and Footballs, to fully

automatic weaponry!

O is for Ouija!A Ouija, or “talking board”

is supposedly used to communicate with spirits.

Ouija boards are sold commercially by Parker

Brothers.

P is for Pogo Stick!

Nothing hops like a Pogo Stick! No one is sure who invented the Pogo, but like many toys from the early

20th century, it has evolved over the years. Original

Pogo Sticks could hop only a few inches. Now they can

bounce over cars and walls!

Q is for qfix Robot Kits!

These robot kits are not only built and played with by

children, but are even used to train adults who work in the

robotics industry!

R is for Rubik’s Cube!

Rubik’s Cube is a 3-D puzzle that took the

world by storm in 1980. The Rubik’s Cube is

recognized as the best-selling toy ever made!

S is for Spirograph!A Spirograph is a drawing toy that creates beautiful,

spiraling shapes. The outer circle is called a stator, and the inner gear is called a rotor!

T is for Transformers

!For more than

twenty-six years, Transformers have captured the hearts and imaginations of children of all ages.

They have crossed-over from

toys to comic books, television, and

movies, and show no signs of stopping

there!

U is for Upwords!Upwords is a classic “build-a-

word” game, similar to Scrabble, except that players may stack their letters in order to create

new words. Upwords is available in more than twenty languages!

V is for Viewmaster!

Viewmasters allow people to see 3-D images printed on a paper disk. This toy is based on the invention of stereograms which gave the optical illusion of depth to 2-D images.

W is for Webkinz!Webkinz are adorable stuffed

animals that come with a secret code! The code allows you go

online, to the Webkinz homepage, and own a virtual version of your

plush pet!

X is for Xevoz!Based on the classic Stikfas

action figure line, Xevoz features interchangeable parts and

weaponry.Known for their high quality and

aesthetic appeal, Xevoz are developing a strong customer

following!

Y is for Yo-yo!Known as one of the worlds first toys, the oldest Yo-yo

dates back to 500 b.c. Yo-yos are made from a string tied at one end, to a flat spool. The Yo-yo has become so popular that large competitions are

held in major cities every year. Amazing!

Z is for Zoetrope!A Zoetrope is a spinning device that contains several

drawings. By looking through the slots as the Zoetrope spins, the pictures appear to be animated. The oldest

known Zoetrope was built in China around 180 a.d.