The Retro Toy’s Tale And Nostalgia.
Today’s kids have access to technology and the internet very easily, but there were days in the late 19th century when the world wasn’t as close as it is today. Hence kids at that time relied heavily on toys for play and fun.
Kids in those times, as we know had a whole different world around them. The Discussion, the play, and the enjoyment were based upon various kind of toy and these toys today is what we know today as Retro toys.
In other words, retro toys are those popular toys in the past which are not commonly produced today. There isn’t exactly a time that is considered ‘Retro’, but this term generally refers to toys from the 1960s, the 70s, and the 80s. Retro toys today, give a sense of nostalgia to those who had them around in their childhood, and it also grabs the young eyes of those who might like these toys and want to know the history and culture of the past.
A pinch of history.
To tell more about retro toys, they often are simple and durable
as they were designed to be played with for hours and take up rough play. There
were also retro toys, which were made with aim of teaching skills like problem-solving,
hand-eye coordination, and creativity.
There are even many famed retro toys today, let’s have a look at a few:
One is the Etch-a-sketch. Introduced first in the 60s, made by the inventor, Andre Cassagnes, a French electrician who was working on the electric drawing machine realized the same principles can be applied to a small handheld device and we got the toy had two knobs and a small plastic screen that allows the child to draw lines and shapes with the pen.
Another one is the very well-known Rubik’s cube. Invented by the Hungarian sculptor and architecture professor Erno Rubik. But Tibor Laczi, a Hungarian entrepreneur was the person behind helping it reach the kids. This puzzle game was so intriguing that it was very popular and it has stood against time, that too in an amazing way. Today, we see variations of the cube, that are creative and interesting and are more challenging than the initial Rubik’s cube.
One is View-master, which was a plastic-made device that was made for one to view 3D images on a rotating reel for educational purposes. But things changed as it became a toy, children all around started collecting reels that had their favorite movies, characters, and TV shows.
Another one was Slinky, the classic spring toy that could ‘walk’ downstairs due to its structure. Richard James was looking for a way to stabilize some equipment on the vessels during rough hours of the sea, and that’s when he encountered a spring that fascinated him by the way she ‘walked’ down the books. After deciding to market the toy as a novelty item, the Slinky turned out to be an instant sensation.
Al-Quibla was a game played with marbles that is popular in many Arab countries. The aim is to knock your opponent's marbles out of a marked circle using your own marbles.
Al-Saqqaq is a wooden spinning top that is played with by children in many Arab countries. The aim is to keep the top spinning for as long as possible.
Retro toys have many stories and tales around them as they were had taken over people’s childhood from various generations. These stories tell the never-ending appeal of retro toys, which continue to grab the interest of children and adults with their own designs and charm.
But even today, Retro toys have been popular among various people who are collectors and nostalgia-seekers. Also, many adults still play with retro toys to revive their childhood memories and connect to their lovely simple times.
Retro toys also offered various benefits as well which also made them more wanting, the benefits were like:
Development in creativity: Retro toys would require children to have their imagination and creativity to use to play with them, through which kids created their own scenarios, which enhanced their creativity.
Increase Physical Activity: Today there is a concept called screen time which has made the lifestyle of many people and kids more of inactive in physical activity. Toys like Slinky and Frisbee made children run, walk and play around to have fun, encouraging physical play.
Development in Problem-solving Skills: Rubik’s cube would make children think hard to find out how they can bring the solid colors on top and this would make the problem-solving and patience qualities in them prosper which would help them in school and later life as well.
Strengthen Socialization- Retro toys were more fun with friends and other peers around, and this naturally made children talk and socialize with others around. This helped to develop the qualities of teamwork during play and also social skills in younger children.
With all this said, Retro toys even today are an appealing option for parents even today if you wish to buy them for your young human at home. These toys advance critical skills for a child’s development, make the child move and be active, provide a lot of fun, and help them learn to learn.
So, Why not explore and check out the best retro toys around today?
Here are some links to the toys check them out and start with nostalgia.
BARBIE TOYS -
https://www.playanddream.ae/products/products-listing?query=barbie
DOODLE BOARD (Type etch-a-sketch) -
https://www.playanddream.ae/products/product-detail/double-doodle-board/CY81-1399
RUBIK’s CUBE -
https://www.playanddream.ae/products/product-detail/rubik-s-cube-3x3-cdu/6063970
Wooden spin top -
https://www.playanddream.ae/products/product-detail/mideer-wooden-spinning-top-kiwi/MD2026