LIFESTYLE

Strong's toy exhibit is missing from your adult life

Khristopher J Brooks
@AmericanGlow

Bring on the sweet, glorious nostalgia. The Democrat and Chronicle got an exclusive sneak-peek at the new Toy Halls of Fame at Strong Museum opening to the public September 19. All I can say is this: no matter how old you are, a visit to the new permanent exhibit will instantly make you feel like a kid again.

I never knew I needed a 20-foot Mr. Potato Head in my life until I saw exactly that, complete with giant, blue plastic ears.  Come now, let us rejoice in the best toys from our childhood. Disagree with these picks? Then head to the exhibit and set us straight with your favorites.

As far as I'm concerned, these toys are everything that's missing from adulthood.

1. The Slinky

The Slinky.

Navy engineer Richard James invented the Slinky in 1943. The original design was made of steel and wiring, but the Slinky was later reimagined with plastic and funky colors. But who are we kidding? The steel ones are the champions at crawling down stairs.

2. Monopoly

The ubiquitous board game Monopoly.

Playing Monopoly is arguably a child’s first lesson in business and economics. The real estate board game launched in 1935 made us all fight over Boardwalk, Park Place and who got to be the thimble. All I cared about was owning the railroads to be honest.

3. Etch-A-Sketch

Etch-A-Sketch

We all knew the Etch-A-Sketch couldn’t make perfect circles like we wanted, but we silently played with it anyway. Red frame. Plastic white knobs. Shake the whole thing to erase. It was created in France and brought to America for sale in July 1960.

4. Play-Doh

Play-Doh

You never truly enjoyed Play-Doh unless you made a fake spaghetti dinner with the molding press that came with a jar of this compound. The toy traces its origins back to the 1930s, but since 1991 Hasbro has owned the goo made of flour, water, salt, boric acid and mineral oil.

5. Hot Wheels

Hot Wheels

Owning Mattel Hot Wheels cars was only half the adventure. Once you got a few plastic tracks to go with them, then you were really going hard. Mattel rolled out their first batch of these die-cast cars in 1968 and continue to make them today.