1960s Toys: Games Of Yesteryear

No matter how sophisticated the children of today are, they all have on thing in common, each one has his or her favourite toy.

Nowadays, children have Playstations, Xboxes and Wiis. However, each generation is synonymous with different toys.

The 60s was no different and some were quite sophisticated for their day.

Robo Commando

Take a look at this Robo Commando, which boys would have loved.

Chatty Cathy

Meanwhile for the girls there were of course dolls, with Chatty Cathy one of the most popular. Although Chatty Cathy was released in 1959 it is only found its footing in the 1960s and so is considered by many to be a doll of the 60s.

Spy Attaché Case Kit

Of course with every little boy wishing he was James Bond, it was inevitable that a spy kit would provide plenty of entertainment. Here is a Spy Kit Attaché Case from 1965 complete with a gun and silencer for any young boy engaged in espionage.

Mystery Date

For teenage girls there was a game called Mystery Date. This was targeted at girls aged 6 to 14 and could be played with two or more players.  Released in 1965, the  game centred on winning a date with the man of your dreams who was hidden behind a door. Perhaps rather disturbingly, in this video we see little girls playing the game, while the dates behind the door are mature men. And they say girls today start thinking about dating early!

Dumbbell Dwayne And Push Up Preston

And while there was not as much emphasis on the body beautiful in the 60s, men admired a well-toned and strong body. Enter Dumbbell Dwayne and Push Up Preston.

Etch-A-Sketch

Etch-a-sketch was huge in the school yards during lunch breaks. Released in 1960, Etch-a-sketch was a simple screen with two knobs used for drawing. You could erase whatever you drew and everything on the screen magically disappeared.

Some were better at it than others however, as this video shows.

Ouija Board

The Ouija board became extremely popular in the 60s. Youngsters spoke in whispers about others using it and warned each other of the dangers!

A Ouija board is a flat piece of wood with letters and numbers inscribed upon it. All of the participants in the game place their fingers on another piece of wood called a planchette. And after asking the spirits a question, the planchette is supposed to move around the board spelling out the answer.

Twister

One game, perhaps the most famous game of all time, was 60s classic Twister. Such is the impact of this game that there are now hardly any houses that do not have the famous multicoloured mat.

Released in 1966, the game caused some controversy when it first came out. Twister was the first game to truly utilise the human body. As a result, some puritans and competitors maintained that it was ‘selling sex in a box’.

Crazy Clock

Rube Goldstein machines were one of the most prized possessions for any child to have. They worked on the basis of making a very simple action highly complicated. Here is the 1964 favourite, Crazy Clock.

Easy Bake Oven

For girls and boys with designs on becoming a cuisine king or queen, the Easy Bake Oven was a necessary toy. First released in 1963, the Easy Bake Oven featured a 100 watt light-bulb which made real edible food.

Spirograph

Inspired on the modernist 60s in which people and especially children were encouraged to indulge their creative sides, the Spirograph became a popular Christmas gift. The 1965 toy sought to encourage and combine mathematical prowess with art.

G.I. Joe

Girls of the 1960s may have had their Barbie Dolls but boys also had their dolls. G.I Joe the all-action figure was released in 1964.

Operation

1965 saw the release of the family favourite, Operation. Many an adult and child alike tested out their surgical skills to either cheers or derision from fellow onlookers.