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
12 Toys of Christmas: 12 Weebles Wobbling
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We all know the phrase, and admit it, you’ve said it more than once: “Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.“
Originally introduced in the late 1960’s by Romper Room, Weebles were miniature versions of the familiar clown punching bags. The earliest Weebles were shorter and fatter (and a little scary looking) with peelable stickers that were easily scratched and ripped. When Hasbro acquired Romper Room in 1969, the new line was improved with non-peelable stickers and friendlier character faces and competed head to head with Fisher Price’s Little People. Since its introduction, the simple Weebles toy has expanded to include circus sets, treasure island themes, and even licensing agreements by Disney.
Popular Weeble toys have recently included:
History doesn’t show the origin of the name Weebles, but I can only assume it’s a fusion of “wee” connoting “little” and “wobble,” suggesting the rocking or side-to-side movement of the toys.
