The Surprising Origin of Famous Toys

Some toys are just as popular today as when they were first invented decades, centuries, or even millennia ago. Children around the world still play with yo-yos, marbles, Slinkys, and skateboards—just like their parents and even their grandparents before them (see Key Moments: Toys Through the Ages). How did the creators of classic toys come up with their now-famous inventions? Almost every toy that’s withstood the test of time has an interesting tale behind it.

“You never know where creative inspiration will come from,” says Christopher Bensch, chief curator at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. This museum houses the National Toy Hall of Fame, which adds a new batch of timeless toys to its collection every year (see Is It Iconic?). A brilliant idea can strike toymakers at any time. “Playing around with concepts and devices creates the potential to come up with something entirely new and fun,” says Bensch. Read on to learn about how four popular toys came to be.

Some of today’s toys were invented decades, centuries, or even thousands of years ago. But they’re just as popular now. Children around the world play with yo-yos, marbles, Slinkys, and skateboards. So did their parents when they were kids and even their grandparents before them (see Key Moments: Toys Through the Ages). How did the creators of classic toys come up with their ideas? Almost every toy that’s passed the test of time has an interesting story behind it.

“You never know where creative inspiration will come from,” says Christopher Bensch. He’s the chief curator at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. This museum contains the National Toy Hall of Fame. Every year, it adds more timeless toys to its collection (see Is It Iconic?). A great idea can strike toymakers at any time. “Playing around with concepts and devices creates the potential to come up with something entirely new and fun,” says Bensch. Read on to learn how four popular toys came to be. 

SUPER SOAKER

Inventor: Lonnie Johnson 
Year Invented: 1982

In 1982, a NASA engineer named Lonnie Johnson was trying to create a new type of heat pump—a device that uses water to transfer heat. Suddenly, his creation sprang a leak. A burst of water shot out of a nozzle. Johnson thought: This would make a great toy! He built a prototype, or model, of a high-powered water gun using Plexiglas, plastic PVC piping, and a two-liter soda bottle. The Super Soaker was born!

Before the invention of the Super Soaker, squirt guns were fairly underwhelming, says Bensch. “When I was growing up in the 1960s, squirt guns were more likely to dribble water down to your elbow than to actually douse the friend you were aiming at,” he adds. But Johnson’s version created a powerful spray. It worked by building pressure, or force exerted on an object, inside the gun.

Water sits in the top chamber of the Super Soaker. Pumping the handle on the front of the water gun pushes air into the chamber, increasing the pressure on the liquid. When a person pulls the trigger, water blasts out at up to 15 meters (50 feet) per second. Today, water squirters come in all shapes and sizes— but the Super Soaker still reigns supreme.

SUPER SOAKER

Inventor: Lonnie Johnson 
Year Invented: 1982

In 1982, NASA engineer Lonnie Johnson was trying to create a new type of heat pump. This device uses water to transfer heat. Suddenly, his creation started to leak. Water shot out of a nozzle. Johnson thought: This would make a great toy! He got some Plexiglas, plastic PVC piping, and a two-liter soda bottle. He used them to build a prototype, or model, of a high-powered water gun. The Super Soaker was born! 

Squirt guns existed before the Super Soaker. But they weren’t very impressive, says Bensch. “When I was growing up in the 1960s, squirt guns were more likely to dribble water down to your elbow than to actually douse the friend you were aiming at,” he adds. Johnson’s model increased pressure, or force exerted on an object, inside the gun. The result was a powerful spray.

Water sits in the top chamber of the Super Soaker. A person pumps the handle on the front of the water gun. That pushes air into the chamber, and it increases the pressure on the liquid. When the person pulls the trigger, water blasts out. It shoots at up to 15 meters (50 feet) per second. Today, water squirters come in all shapes and sizes. But the Super Soaker still tops them all.

ETCH A SKETCH

Inventor: André Cassagnes
Year Invented: 1950s

Inspiration struck French electrician André Cassagnes (kah-sahn-YEH) one day as he was replacing a light switch in a factory that made wall coverings and metal picture frames. He noticed everything around him was covered in a dusting of fine metal powder. As he marked up a piece of transparent plastic, Cassagnes saw how his pencil displaced the metallic dust, creating lines that could be viewed from the other side.

“This is a great example of an aha moment,” says Bensch. Cassagnes went home to his garage and began working on a prototype for a new toy. The experimental model was simple: a small wooden box with a dark interior, a joystick, and a glass screen. The box contained aluminum powder that clung to the back of the glass because of static electricity. This phenomenon occurs when two objects have opposite electric charges on their surfaces, causing them to attract one another. The joystick moved a stylus inside the box. This pointed implement scraped off the light gray aluminum powder, leaving an empty line on the clear screen. That revealed the dark interior of the box.

Cassagnes called his invention the Magic Screen. He started promoting it at toy shows around Europe. Soon, the design caught the attention of an American company called Ohio Art. The company decided to invest a massive amount of money into improving the toy ($25,000, equivalent to more than $200,000 today). It replaced the wood case with a plastic one and the joystick with knobs. In 1960, Ohio Art released the version of the Etch A Sketch people know and love today.

ETCH A SKETCH

Inventor: André Cassagnes
Year Invented: 1950s

French electrician André Cassagnes (kah-sahn-YEH) worked in a factory that made wall coverings and metal picture frames. One day, he was replacing a light switch. That’s when an idea struck. He noticed that a dusting of fine metal powder covered everything around him. As Cassagnes marked up a piece of clear plastic, his pencil moved the metallic dust. It created lines that he could see from the other side.

“This is a great example of an aha moment,” says Bensch. Cassagnes went home to his garage and worked on a prototype for a new toy. The model was simple. It was a small wooden box with a dark interior, a joystick, and a glass screen. The box contained aluminum powder. The powder stuck to the back of the glass because of static electricity. This happens when two objects have opposite electric charges on their surfaces. As a result, they attract one another. The joystick moved a stylus inside the box. This pointed instrument scraped off the light-gray aluminum powder. It left an empty line on the clear screen. That revealed the dark interior of the box.

Cassagnes called his invention the Magic Screen. He brought it to toy shows around Europe. Soon, an American company called Ohio Art took notice. The company put a of money into improving the toy. (They spent $25,000. That’s equal to more than $200,000 today). The company replaced the wood case with a plastic one. They also traded the joystick for knobs. In 1960, Ohio Art released the Etch A Sketch. It’s the model that people know and love today.

TRAMPOLINE

Inventor: George Nissen
Year Invented: 1934

TRAMPOLINE

Inventor: George Nissen
Year Invented: 1934

PLAY-DOH

Inventors: Joe McVicker and Kay Zufall
Year Invented: 1950s

PLAY-DOH

Inventors: Joe McVicker and Kay Zufall
Year Invented: 1950s