This year Hasbro Inc. celebrates 50 years of classic kitchen play with the Easy-Bake brand, stirring up culinary inspiration for generations of young chefs everywhere. To commemorate this milestone anniversary, the Easy-Bake brand will mix things up and unveil a new color scheme for its Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven: a silver, blue, and black model. [Read more...]
Milestone Anniversary for the Classic Cooking Toy Commemorated with a Fresh Take
February 6, 2013 By
GUEST BLOG: Top 10 Steel Toys of All Time by Becky Cunningham
July 13, 2011 By
The following is a guest blog written by Becky Cunningham, a contributor for Capital Steel & Wire, Inc. and a writer with expertise in communication and public relations. Capital Steel & Wire, Inc. is a supplier of domestic and international steel bar and wire products.
Throughout history, millions of dolls, trucks, board games, balls, stuffed animals, crafts, and other toys have been introduced for children of all ages and generations. The best toys of all time are debatable, but there are those few standard toys that have made an important mark in the life of the American child. What’s more significant is that these toys have one fundamental feature in common—they are all made of steel. Check out our list of the top 10 steel toys of all time.
1. Slinky
“It’s Slinky! It’s Slinky! For fun it’s a wonderful toy. It’s Slinky! It’s Slinky! It’s fun for a girl or a boy.” Slinky—and its famous jingle—is certainly a childhood classic; the slogan speaks for itself. But what the slogan doesn’t say is “It’s steel! It’s steel!” The ever-popular Slinky, developed in 1943 by mechanical engineer Richard James, was a hit the moment it was available in stores. In November 1945, Gimbels Department Store sold its entire inventory of Slinkys in just 90 minutes.
This “walking” toy was actually an accidental creation. In an attempt to develop springs to support sensitive instruments aboard ships in war time, James inadvertently created a spring that bounced around different levels of his workshop and recoiled into an upright position. Fascinated by this discovery, he experimented with different types of steel and tensions, and, a year later, made a spring that would walk—the Slinky.
Inventor of the Easy-Bake Oven Dies
February 22, 2010 By
Ronald Howes, the inventor of the Easy-Bake Oven, has died at the age of 83. Howes created his famous invention in the early 1960s, as director of research and new product development for Kenner Products.
After returning from a trip from New York City, Howes wondered if Kenner could develop a toy version of the chestnut roasters that were popular on many New York City corners. After collaborating with Kenner engineers, they decided that a light bulb to heat the oven was both safe and practical. Later, the light bulb would be replaced by a heating element.
Howes is also credited for contributing to what would later become a modern version of the Spirograph. Howes is survived by his wife, Nancy, six children, 14 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
COMMENTARY: Manufacturers Are Shifting Gender Roles in the Toy Space
The blurring of gender roles is a trend that I’ve been noticing more and more, and I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I think it’s silly to try and reinvent the wheel—let’s be honest, toys that are pink, sparkly, or doll-related attract girls, while Super Heroes, cars, and trucks attract boys (this is, of course, generally speaking)—and what’s wrong with that? On the other hand, there are some toys that are shifting to neutral territory that I think are not only appropriate, but smart on the part of the manufacturers.