12 Toys of Christmas: 6 Silly Putties
What is Silly Putty? It squishes, stretches, bounces- you can even use it to lift images from the newspaper. This toy has been amusing kids and adults alike for the past 50 years. It seems like every time you pick it up, you can find something new to do with it. But did you ever wonder how it came to be? As it turns out, Silly Putty is an accidental creation from World War II. Silly Putty has its own website with all the Silly Putty information you could ever want to know, including the following history:
During World War II, the Japanese invaded rubber producing countries in the Far East which cut off supply to the United States. This restricted war production efforts- especially for tires and boots. As a result, the War Production Board asked American industry to create a synthetic rubber compound.
James Wright, an engineer with General Electric mixed boric acid and silicone oil in a test tube which resulted in a polymerized substance- that wasn’t exactly what he was hoping for. He removed the gooey putty from the test tube and threw it on the floor… and it bounced! General Electric sent the gooey putty to several engineers, hoping to find a use for it, but no practical uses were discovered.
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12 Toys of Christmas: 7 LEGOs Locking
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Growing up, we all probably built giant towers, trucks, buildings and castles out of LEGOs. It seems that everyone knows the LEGO brand, but maybe not the story behind the name.
Coined in 1934, the name was created by its founder by truncating the Danish phrase “leg godt,” meaning “play well.” In addition, the word “lego” in Latin translates to “to gather or put together.” The idea of playing and building is exactly what creators intended the LEGO brand encapsulate. LEGOs enable children to individually and collectivity express creativity and imagination, while also enhancing development skills. According to the company website, the overall LEGO philosophy is that “good play” enriches a child’s life even into adulthood. The founders definitely knew what they were doing 75 years ago because today, LEGO is the sixth largest global toy manufacturer.
By: Kelly Wilson
12 toys of Christmas: 8 Etches Sketching
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If you are like most people, the best thing you can draw on an Etch A Sketch is a staircase- not a personal portrait or a rendition of a popular painting. The popular Etch A Sketch is a beloved toy that both intrigues and frustrates its users. The challenge to create a picture by turning two knobs can keep you busy for hours. If you really mess up your design, you’ll have to shake it clean so you can start all over again. What exactly gets shaken up, you ask?
Inside each Etch A Sketch is a bunch of aluminum powder which sticks to the screen. The knobs move a little stylus which displaces the aluminum powder on the screen to reveal dark lines. When the Etch A Sketch is shaken, the beads of aluminum powder redistribute themselves evenly over the screen leaving a clean drawing board.
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12 Toys of Christmas: 9 Nerfs Launching
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Every Christmas, my nicely wrapped gifts were filled with the latest and greatest Nerf guns; after all their slogan was “It’s NERF or nothing!” My childhood was filled with NERF balls zooming by my head as I rolled behind an object avoiding my archenemy’s (usually my best friend) vicious strike from his blaster. Okay so it was only a spongy ball that couldn’t hurt a fly, but still you get six of those things flying your direction, tell me you wouldn’t jump for your life. I digress.
Something that never crossed my mind as I was jolting to the ground while launching my NERF reactor gun into space was where did the name “NERF” come from? It turns out the solid, spongy cellular material (produced by the chemical reaction of polyester resin reacting with a compound while CO2 is simultaneously released by another reaction creating gas in open pockets) doesn’t have a clear meaning. Some say it’s an acronym for “non=expanding recreational foam” but nothing has been confirmed.
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12 Toys of Christmas: 10 Pogos Pouncing
Want to know how to entertain a kid for hours? Welcome to the world of the Pogo Stick!!! This amazing contraption as been incredibly popular since its introduction in the 1920’s, and it has quite the history, or should I say fairytale?
Here’s a short version of the “history”:
Legend has it that an American traveler named George Hansburg was traveling through Burma when he met a poor farmer with a daughter named Pogo. Pogo wanted to go to the temple every day to pray, but couldn’t because she had no shoes to wear for the long walk through mud and rocks. As a solution, the poor farmer built a jumping stick for her. George Hansburg loved this invention and when he returned home, he made and sold a similar jumping contraption of his own that is now….the Pogo Stick.
So, I have one question for this nice farmer/ genius inventor. If you had the capabilities to make a jumping stick for your daughter to hop through mud and rocks, wouldn’t you have been able to easily make her a pair of shoes? It just seems more logical to walk from point A to point B rather than balance on a jumping stick. Just a thought.
Although, I must say that I sure am glad he decided hopping was better means of transportation, and I’m confident that a lot of happy hoppers would agree! Not sure what to get a kid (or myself) for Christmas this year? Go ahead and add this to the list of gifts that keeps on giving! Learn more here.
Contributed by: Ashley Hollingsworth
12 Toys of Christmas: 11 Logs of Lincoln
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“All Wood Pieces Just Like You Remember!”
According to the Lincoln Logs website, the product was created in 1916 by Mr. John Lloyd Wright, the son of Frank Lloyd Wright. The cylindrical wooden building toys were marketed by the Red Square Toy Company originally, though the products are now owned by K’Nex industries.
So why Lincoln Logs? Besides the obvious fun of saying it, the name Lincoln is clearly associated with the American president, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was famously born in a one-room log cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky. There is also a Thomas Lincoln Log Cabin historic site in Illinois dedicated to a log cabin built by the president’s father. Ironically, the only residence Lincoln himself ever owned was in Springfield, Illinois, and it was not a log cabin.
Still, the name Lincoln seems inextricably linked to the imagery and folklore of American log cabins. Thus, the name Lincoln Logs effectively relays that workmanship and nostalgia for fans of all ages.
And as if that wasn’t reason enough to use the name Lincoln for the product, there is more: Mr. Wright’s father was originally named Frank Lincoln Wright. He changed it to Lloyd after his parents’ divorce.
Contributed by: Maghan Cook
The Design Intern’s Holiday Tradition: 2008
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Nathan Lewis, Design Intern - Fall 2008, Art Institute of Charlotte
This year’s intern, Nathan Lewis from the Art Institute of Charlotte, created a Las Vegas inspired invite to convey this year’s “Casino Night” theme. The invite tells the story of how Santa loses everything “including his sleigh” by going all in at the holiday party.
The Casino Night Party takes place tonight at Village Tavern in South Park. Get ready for a little healthy competition and a night that is sure to be memorable.
The Design Intern’s Holiday Tradition: 2007
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Laura Stokes, Design Intern - Fall 2007, UNC-Charlotte
To switch things up a little for 2007, the planning committee decided to treat the Addison Whitney team to a night of sailing on Lake Norman. To capture the essence of the party, Laura illustrated a detailed holiday invite which featured a partridge sailing away on a moonlit cruise.
The Design Intern's Holiday Tradition: 2006
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Sandy Pawlowski, Design Intern - Fall 2006, UNC-Charlotte
Capitalizing on her origami folding experience, Sandy created a beautiful invite to resemble a gift box. Each invite contained a piece of chocolate as well as a separate card, which included directions to the party.
The Design Intern's Holiday Tradition: 2005
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Nick Irwin, Design Intern - Fall 2005, UNC-Charlotte
In 2005, the Addison Whitney gang enjoyed a relaxing evening by a crackling fire at “The Cabin.” The invite this year highlighted the log cabin theme with an illustration of Rudolph landing on the roof of the cabin with the AW crew inside.