Inventions just for fun!
An inventor somewhere was creative enough to realize how much fun a child could have with a piece of wire or colored wax and we get to enjoy the fun. These timeless inventions have spurred our own imaginations and we continue to enjoy them today.
Slinky
Slinkys
were invented in 1945 by Richard and Betty James. Had it not been for a tension spring falling to the floor on the naval ship Richard James was working on, we quite possibly might not have Slinkys today. Richard and his wife, Betty, perfected the Slinky and it went to market in 1945 and then the American Toy Fair in 1946. It was a hit, 400 hundred were sold in the first 90 minutes.Slinkys have their own song:
"What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs, And makes a slinkity sound?
A spring, a spring, a marvelous thing, Everyone knows it's 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 and a boy"
- Advertising Jingle
The Slinky Song in a commercial
Crayola Crayons
Crayola Crayons
were invented in 1903 by Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith. After inventing crayons for commercial use with a high black carbon, these cousins saw the need for non-toxic crayons in schools for children and ended up with the Crayola Crayon. Edwin's wife, Alice, thought of the name Crayola by combining two french words craie meaning chalk and oleaginous meaning oily. Crayola Crayon Commercial
Fun Facts about Crayola Crayons:
- The first pack of eight crayons was sold for 5 cents
- The big box of 64 crayons made it's debut on The Captain Kangaroo Show
- There are over 120 Crayola Crayon colors
- The color "flesh" was changed to "peach" after the Civil Rights Movement
- The color "blue" was ranked #1 by consumers in 2000
- Crayola Crayons even have their very own stamp which was released in 1996
- Over two billion crayons are made in one year
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Crayons and Coloring Books
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I love to color! Crayons and coloring books are a fun way to pass a little time or several hours. The best thing about coloring in a coloring book is you don't have to know how to draw. You can make your own piece of art using the template provided a...
Lifesavers
Lifesavers 
were invented in 1912 by a chocolate maker named, Clarence Crane. Since chocolate melted so easily in in the summer, Clarence decided to invent a candy that could with stand the summer heat. The Life Saver was first manufactured only as a peppermint candy. Unfortunately, for Clarence, he sold the rights to his Life Saver candies to Edward Noble for $2900. Edward went on to make the 5 flavor roll in 1935. The rest is history and Life Savers are sold by the billions around the world. Life Saver Flavor Poll
Shop for Lifesavers
Lifesavers Candies, Wild Berries - 14 Pieces/Pc, 20 Pc
Amazon Price: $13.19 (as of 01/07/2010) 
Life Savers Hard Candy, Assorted Flavors, 20 11-Piece Rolls per Pack
Amazon Price: $15.27 (as of 01/07/2010)
Hula Hoop
. A form of the hula hoop dates back to ancient Europe and were used by the Greeks as an exercise tool. The name Hula Hoop was introduced by the Wham-O Company, which was founded by Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin, The Wham-O Hula Hoop was first manufactured in 1958 and sold twenty million in the first six months. Learn to Hula Hoop
Hula Hoop Basics: Vol 1 : How to Hula Hoop
Learn the mechanics and motions of hula hooping in this free hula hoop workout video. Expert: Sisters Kamala & Hannah Bio: Fire Groove placed 2nd in worldwide video competition Circles of Light 2006. They became known for hosting some of the most successful workshops in the country. Filmmaker: Nili Nathan
Runtime: 85
63265 views
44 Comments:
curated content from YouTube
Shop for Hula Hoops
Hoop-La!: The Ultimate Book of Hoop Tricks: The Ultimate Book of Hula Hoop Tricks (Trend Friends)
Amazon Price: (as of 01/07/2010)
Sports Hoop for Hula Exercise Workout - Power Hoop 5 Lb. With Case
Amazon Price: $48.00 (as of 01/07/2010)
Teddy Bear
was named for President Theodore Roosevelt. A cartoon drawn by Clifford K. Berryman of the Washington Post depicted the President holding a small cuddly bear cub and the idea was born to make the adorable stuffed toy. It is thought that Morris Michtom and his wife, Rose, made and sold the first bears and sold them in their candy store. They wrote a letter to President Roosevelt and asked his permission to call it a "Teddy bear" 
Cuddly soft...
Teddy Bear Poem
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, show your shoe.
Teddy Bear, Teddy bear, that will do.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, go upstairs.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say your prayers.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the light.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say "Good night."
~ Author Unknown ~
Bubble Gum
Chewing gum has been around for centuries but bubble gum was invented by Frank Fleer in 1906. He called his new gum Blibber-Blubber but it was never sold at market. One of Frank Fleer's employees, Walter Diemer, was the inventor of Double Bubble
the first manufactured and marketed bubble gum. 
Frisbee
The original concept and name for the frisbie is believed to have come from Frisbie Baking Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut, The company sold many pies to local college students who discovered that the pie tins made great flying discs. The Pluto Platter was the first plastic design of a fribie invented by Walter Frederick Morrison and his partner Warren. The Frisbee became wildly popular when it was patented and marketed by the Wham-O Company in 1964. Shop for a Frisbee
Freestyle Wham-O Frisbees - Set Of 3
Amazon Price: $58.50 (as of 01/07/2010)
Wham-O Frisbee Heavyweight Sport Disc - 200g
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 01/07/2010)
Dogs Like to Play Frisbee Too!
Fun Inventions on eBay
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Shajo's GuestBook
Thank you for your comments and suggestions!
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Reply
- Tiffany Tiffany Oct 28, 2009 @ 11:32 am
- Cute lens!
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Reply
- Evelyn_Saenz Evelyn_Saenz Aug 22, 2009 @ 10:26 pm
- Slinkies and lifesavers! What a fun lens!
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Reply
- Pastiche Pastiche Jun 20, 2009 @ 5:58 pm
- Fun inventions and my favorite childhood toys - great memories!
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Reply
- CreativeArtist CreativeArtist Jun 19, 2009 @ 10:51 pm
- Interesting lens. Now that is my kind of history!
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Reply
- DrRichard DrRichard Jun 18, 2009 @ 12:24 am
- I had fun reading this!
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