The shopping experience at Playmore is guaranteed to fill you with nostalgia. Looking around our shelves will have you reminiscing as you see your favourite childhood toys. These toys are timeless, and I believe that they will stay an important part of the development of many children  for years to come.

 

Spirograph

In 1881, the Spirograph was created by a Polish mathematician named Bruno Abakanowicz. However, the Spirograph did not gain its fame until the late 1960s, when Fisher Price displayed the toy at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair. In 1966, the company Kenner Products Co. obtained distribution rights. The Spirograph traveled to the United States and gained popularity rapidly. In 2013, the Spirograph brand relaunched. There are now all sorts of Spirograph products available, including the Spirograph Animator Set, Spirograph Jr., and the Spirograph Fun Shapes Set.

In our arts and crafts section here at Playmore we have several Spirograph kits available for you, including a retro kit that was made to model the first Spirograph kit from the 60s.

 

Etch A Sketch

It was July 12, 1960, when this classic drawing toy hit the shelves. It was created by Andre Cassagnes, a French electrician. In 1998, it was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame which sits in Rochester, New York. It is safe to say that when you think of a childhood toy, you think of the Etch A Sketch.

Why has this toy remained so prominent for children everywhere? I believe it is because of how simple the Etch A Sketch is to use. It does not require batteries, which means you can continue using it without fail. You can take it anywhere, as it is easily portable. As well, children have no limits to their creativity when using the Etch A Sketch.

 

Lite-Brite

I have had so many customers come up to me and express how much they enjoyed playing with the Lite-Brite as a child. I have my own memories of this toy, so seeing it on our shelves is extremely nostalgic.

For anyone who isn’t familiar with the Lite-Brite, it is a grid of holes that lights up. You play by placing eight different coloured pegs on the board, creating an image. That image lights up, creating a beautiful art design.

This toy was created by Joseph M. Burck. Hasbro released the product in 1967. Included in their release, they supplied Lite-Brite buyers with image templates and an extra packages of pegs.

 

Yo-Yo

Everyone knows and loves the yo-yo, no matter your age.

Historians have stated that the yo-yo has been around since over two thousand years ago. Featured on Greek vases, there have been art designs of Greek children playing with this toy. However, the yo-yo wasn’t actually named until the nineteenth century. It comes from the Philippines. In the language of Tagalog, the word yo-yo means come and go.

1866 was when Americans wanted to patent the yo-yo, but it wasn’t until 1928 when the toy became popular because of Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant. He made the toy famous by doing tricks with it in a hotel in Santa Monica, where he worked. His yo-yo had a loop on the axel, instead of a knot. This made the yo-yo more functional and enjoyable because you could do more tricks with it. Pedro Flores opened a manufacturing company in Santa Barbara later because of how successful he was with selling yo-yos.

 

Fisher-Price’s Music Box Record Player

This toy record player was first introduced in 1971. It is exactly what it sounds like, a record player for children! It is recommended that children eighteen months and up use this toy.

The record player has full functions. You simply place one of the five double sided records on the turntable, wind it up, and place the needle on the record to hear the sound of classic children’s songs such as “Itsy Bitsy Spider”, “Row Row Row Your Boat”, “Old MacDonald Had A Farm”, “Wheels on the Bus”, “Mary Had A Little Lamb”, and more! There are ten songs total.

 

If you are interested in any of these toys you can find them here at Playmore!

Let’s PLAYMORE together!