TOYS FROM THE VAULT
What were Barbies made for? The origin of 11 timeless toys
Published on October 25, 2024
Image: Super Snapper
Who comes up with toys? From dolls and teddy bears to kites and frisbees, these beloved classics have origin stories filled with creativity, serendipity, and often family games. Over the decades, these toys have influenced several generations of children. How did they come to be? Let’s uncover the tales behind 11 timeless toys that left indelible marks on childhoods all around the world.
Play-Doh
Image: LMoonlight
It wasn’t a plaything, at first. The famous modeling putty was created in 1933 by American soap manufacturer Kutol Products for cleaning coal residue from wallpaper. When houses stopped being heated by coal and soot was no longer a housekeeping problem, the company neared bankruptcy.
It was then that the McVicker family, creators of the compound, became aware that a kindergarten teacher was using their coal-cleaning putty to make art projects with the children. Inspired, the McVickers brainstormed names for the new toy. They considered "Rainbow Modeling Compound" and "Play-Doh," ultimately choosing the latter. They launched it in 1956 and became an international success in a matter of 5 years.
Teddy bears
Image: Sandy Millar
You might think that teddy bears have been around for centuries, but that’s not the case. The Steiff company, founded in Germany in the 1880s, was the first to popularize plush toys in their country and across Europe. It wasn’t until 1902, however, that these toys became famous in the U.S.
This happened because, simultaneously, toymaker Morris Michtom had patented and released the design of a plushy bear figure. He based the design on a cartoon depicting President Theodore Roosevelt refusing to shoot a small, cute bear. Inspired by this incident, Michtom named the new plush toy "Teddy Bears." His and Steiff’s versions of the toy became widespread in the world. Some years later, in England, author A.A. Milne bought a fuzzy bear for his son and, in 1921, published a series of books inspired by it, called Winnie-the-Pooh.
Playmobil
Image: Teo Zac
Large heads, big smiles, and no noses. Did you know that the iconic design of Playmobil’s face was inspired by children’s drawings? In the early 1970s, Hans Beck, a German toymaker, revolutionized the industry with the invention of these small plastic humans. At the request of the owner of the Geobra Brandstätter company, Beck set out to design a toy that would be simple yet engaging, fitting perfectly in a child’s hand.
Beck developed the small figures, which, during the 1973 oil crisis, became a much cheaper and more viable product than larger plastic toys like hula hoops. Launched in 1974, Playmobil was an instant hit, and the brand went on to release accessories like automobiles, cranes, and boats that became just as classic as the main figures.
Lego
Image: ta98mori
Lego bricks have to be one of the smartest inventions in the toy world. They were introduced in 1949 by the Danish company Lego Group, today the largest manufacturer in the industry. The company was founded by Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter who started making wooden toys in 1932 under a name inspired by the Danish phrase leg godt, which translates to "play well."
In 1949, the first version of the famous interlocking plastic bricks was released. This version was based on similar existing wooden blocks on the market. Over the years, seeing the inventive potential of these construction toys, the company developed a variety of brick types. Lego bricks soon became a symbol of creativity and free play to the point where they are no longer considered just toys for children but are popular among adults as well.
Jenga
Image: Michał Parzuchowski
As simple and brilliant as it is, the first game of Jenga wasn’t played until one family invented it in the 1970s. For 13 years after that, it remained a family tradition. Its creator, Leslie Scott, and her family had once purchased a set of wooden blocks from a sawmill in Takoradi, Ghana. Playing with them, they had come up with an exciting game that followed the rules that we now know as Jenga.
Scott explained that its name is derived from the Swahili word kujenga, which means "to build." She officially introduced Jenga to the world at the London Toy Fair in 1983, and it quickly became a global favorite.
Barbies
Image: Sandra Gabriel
It is estimated that two Barbies are sold every second. The world’s most famous doll was introduced in 1959 and remains one of the strongest brands in the toy industry. The concept was created by Ruth Handler, who, along with her husband Elliot, co-founded Mattel in 1945.
Ruth had noticed that their daughter, Barbara, would play with paper dolls and assign them various adult female roles. At the time, most dolls simply represented babies or infants. Combining this vision with the image of a Bild Lilli doll that Ruth had purchased in Europe, the Handlers created the Barbie doll. It became Mattel’s signature product, and the company is today one of the world’s largest toy manufacturers.
Frisbee
Image: Shubham Sharan
One evening after a Thanksgiving dinner in 1937, Fred Morrison and his fiancee Lucile started taking turns tossing a popcorn can lid at one another—a form of play that humans have engaged in for ages. That’s why it didn’t strike Morrison as an excellent toy idea, until one day when continuing the game of tossing a cheap pan back and forth on some beach, Fred and Lucile were approached by someone interested in buying the flying object. That was when Fred's lightbulb went off.
Marketing them as "Flyin-Saucers" to ride the wave of interest in unidentified flying objects that surged in the 1940s, Morrison and his partners started selling pan-shaped plastic discs. They eventually sold the rights to Wham-O, the company that changed the product’s name to "Frisbee."
Kite
Image: Agnieszka Ziomek
Kites originated in China over 2,000 years ago, but their original uses long preceded their role in park playtime as we know it today. The earliest kites were made of materials like silk and bamboo and were used for various practical purposes, including military communication, measuring distances, performing religious rituals, and testing the wind.
It wasn't until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that kites became widely recognized as recreational toys for both children and adults.
Hula hoop
Image: Los Muertos Crew
Of the list, these are certainly the oldest. Hoop-shaped objects have been around since 500 BC and were often used recreationally by both kids and adults. In the mid-20th century, though, bamboo hoops became extremely popular in Australia, where children would use them in playgrounds and around the streets.
In 1957, the company Wham-O (the same one that patented the "Frisbee") became aware of its success in that country. They began manufacturing the hoops in a plastic material and selling them in the U.S. as the "Hula Hoop." They did not invent the name, which had been in use since the 18th century, but they trademarked it, and it became one of their legendary products.
Etch-A-Sketch
Image: Klim Musalimov
Etch-A-Sketch, the famous drawing toy, was born by accident. French inventor André Cassagnes, an electrical technician, was writing with a pen on a translucent material when he realized that traces could easily be produced and erased. Based on this, he created a device he named L'Ecran Magique, or "the magic screen." The first version used aluminum powder and glass to create a toy that could be drawn on with a simple stylus, and then shaken clean to start anew.
Later on, the Ohio Art Company saw the idea at a toy fair in 1959, recognized its potential, and rebranded it as the "Etch A Sketch." For many decades, even with the advancement of digital technology, this analog toy remained a timeless classic.
Slinky
Image: Adam Valstar
Slinky, the beloved coil toy, was invented by naval engineer Richard James in 1943. He had been working on a project to stabilize equipment on ships when he accidentally knocked one of the springs off a shelf. He watched the spring "walk" instead of falling. That funny image gave him an idea.
Together with his wife Betty, James refined the concept and introduced it as "Slinky" through department stores. They created a toy that was as charming as it was simple, and completely affordable, initially selling for $1. The toy could walk downstairs, stretch, and bounce back, which hooked children and adults. Its timeless appeal has even earned Slinky a place in the National Toy Hall of Fame, and even an eponymous character in the Toy Story franchise.
