Some say children have it easy these days. Not many will disagree. Children today grow up with a multitude and plethora of technological advancements that make daily life seem very easy. On the other hand, children have way more to handle and deal with than kids from prior generations. Regardless, the one thing that continues getting better for children is the one thing all children love—toys (and their advertisements).
Toys have always played a significant role in a child’s life. Not only can they provide a great setting to learn social skills, basic math, engineering and science skills, but toys also provide a ton of fun. Today’s toys, however, have become more sophisticated, more epic and more fun than ever. Gone are the days where kids can be entertained with an empty cardboard box. This Throwback Thursday, take a quick look at some of the most popular toys of the past and present. (See if you can spot some of your favorites).
1950s
Silly Putty, the Slinky, Mr. Potato Head, Play-Doh, the Hula-hoop, Barbie and Chatty Cathy were all introduced in this decade. Here’s a look at a Mr. Potato Head TV commercial from this decade:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkzxWo962RM
1960s
Electric toys and kitchen sets were all the rave for boys and girls of this time. The ’60s introduced a plethora of new toys: Easy Bake Ovens, G.I. Joe Action Figures, Hot Wheels, Twister and Operation. Check out one of the first Easy Bake Oven ads:
1970s
Legos, See ‘N Say, Weeble’s and video games were the prime ’70s toy contributions. While Legos may not have changed much, video games sure have. Check out this ad for Pong by Atari, one of the first video gaming systems:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhGd7flWSF4
1980s
The ’80s were a toy goldmine; Strawberry Shortcake, Cabbage Patch Kids, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pogo Ball, Donkey Kong, Pac Man and more were all created in this era. Let’s not forget a simple sounding but extremely frustrating ’80s toy: the Rubik’s Cube.
1990s
Licensed toys and video game systems such as Nintendo and Sega hit the market with authority in the ’90s. It was hard to sell a toy that wasn’t licensed and based off a television show or movie. This Super Mario Bros. 3 commercial pretty much sums up the power Mario had on kids in the ’90s:
2000s-Present
Aside from video game consoles like Playstation, Xbox and Wii, children also had a new line of popular dolls called Brats and the access to one of the hottest wheels: the Razor Scooter. Today’s generation has one-upped the scooter with one of the coolest toys on the market. It’s called the Razor Crazy Cart, which was released last year. Check out what kids can do with it:
Are we missing any of your favorites? Share them with us in the comments.
Cover Photo Source: Stefano Tinti / Shutterstock.com
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://testspace.thesanjosegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Our-Space-The-San-Jose-Group.png[/author_image] [author_info]Kevin is a Junior Executive at SJG. He is currently working towards a degree in Advertising and a minor in Spanish at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Outside the office, you can be sure he’s commuting back and forth to Champaign for other work with his radio station at school. [/author_info] [/author]