Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s SILLY PUTTY’s turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon)… WHAT is Silly Putty:  Silly Putty is a goo-type substance that can be molded, bounced, stretched, snapped and once could even copy newspaper print.  (Printing inks and processes are different today than they [...]

Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s MR. POTATO HEAD’s turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon)… WHAT is Mr. Potato Head:  Mr. Potato Head is a potato-shaped toy with spaces and places to put all of his parts, mixed-up or not. WHO invented Mr. Potato Head:  George Lerner, [...]

Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s BEACH PADDLE BALL’S turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon)… WHAT is Beach Paddle Ball: Beach Paddle Ball is a game played with 2 – 4 players, using 16-inch wooden paddles with short handles and a small, hollow rubber ball. HOW is [...]

Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s SIDEWALK CHALK’s turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon)… WHAT is SIDEWALK CHALK:  Sidewalk Chalk sticks are larger sticks than blackboard chalk, made of colored calcium sulfate or gypsum. WHO invented SIDEWALK CHALK:  Many people believe that Sidewalk Chalk was “invented” by [...]

Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s the SLINKY’s turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon)… WHAT is the Slinky:  The Slinky is a toy consisting of a flexible helical spring (coil spring)… that stretches to re-form itself.  With the aid of gravity and momentum, the Slinky’s most famous [...]

Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s the FRISBEE’s turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon)… WHAT is the FRISBEE:  The Frisbee is concave plastic disk designed for gripping in one hand and sending it soaring through the air. WHO invented the Frisbee:  The “model” for the Frisbee concept [...]

Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s the Game of MARBLES’ turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon)… WHAT is the Game of Marbles:  There are many variations of the Game of Marbles… but each game is a game of skill, concentration, coordination, competition and fun using small, colored [...]

Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s the BOOGIE BOARD’S turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon and her grandchildren Jake and Maddie)… WHAT is the Boogie Board: The Boogie Board, sometimes called a body board or belly board, is a very short, foam surfboard-type structure with one straight [...]

Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s the Game of Jacks’ turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon)… WHAT is the Game of Jacks:  Jacks (also known as Knucklebones, Jackstones and Fivestones) is an ancient childhood game of fun and skill that is still played today.  The Game of [...]

Every TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s the STRONGMAN STRIKER’S turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon)… WHAT is the Strongman Striker:  The Strongman Striker is often called the High Striker… and it’s a game of strength involving a contestant, muscles, a mallet and a bell. WHO plays Strongman [...]