What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Across a century of American childhood, toys moved from wireless signals to television games and talking electronic devices, while building, pretending, and learning through play persisted. Museum collections show how toys reflected new technologies and changing ideas about childhood; they do not establish what every child owned or a definitive ranking of each decade’s favorites.
What toys reveal about a century of American childhood
Toys are more than playthings: they can preserve evidence of what a society considered new technology, useful skills, and suitable play for children. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History traces that shift through a circa-1920 A.C. Gilbert wireless telegraph, the 1972 Magnavox Odyssey video-game system, and Texas Instruments’ 1978 Speak & Spell.
The examples also show why a century of toys is not a simple march from old to new. A device could introduce a striking technology, while a construction toy or pretend-play object carried familiar kinds of play into another generation. And an object in a museum collection is evidence that a toy existed and mattered enough to preserve—not proof that it was in every home.
Before the century: how toys became part of family life
The story begins before the 1920s. The National Museum of American History’s “Toys from the Attic” exhibit covered 1825–1939 and described changes in ideas about childhood and schooling alongside growing demand for manufactured toys. In its account of American middle-class childhood, mass production made toys more sophisticated and more affordable, while wish lists, catalogs, and department stores helped bring them into family life.
#1 Best Overall
Objects in the exhibit included an 1890s swimming doll, an early-20th-century tricycle, a 1908 children’s carpet sweeper, alphabet blocks, and children’s sewing machines. These toys suggest that play could imitate adult work, encourage movement, or support learning. They are examples from a particular historical exhibit, not a universal account of childhood or a complete list of what children played with.
How toys changed across generations
The examples below follow a consistent set of questions: what technology or material was involved, what kind of play it invited, what skills it might engage, and what the object says about production or marketing. The collection examples illustrate changes; they should not be read as proof that each toy was typical of its entire decade.
| Period and example | Technology or material | Play and skills | Production, marketing, and legacy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circa 1920: A.C. Gilbert wireless telegraph | Wireless telegraph equipment used to send Morse code. | Children could experiment with communication technology and practice signaling. | A Smithsonian collection example of a toy that brought a new technology into play; evidence does not establish how widely it was owned. |
| 1960s: Spirograph, dated around 1967 | A drawing toy using shaped components to create patterned designs. | Encouraged making and experimenting with visual patterns. | Held in Smithsonian collection material; its presence there does not establish its popularity across all households. |
| 1963: Easy-Bake Oven | A toy oven launched in 1963. | Invited pretend cooking and a child-sized version of food preparation. | Smithsonian Magazine reports that curator Debbie Schaefer-Jacobs put first-year sales at around 500,000. That is an attributed estimate, not a precise audited total. |
| Late 1960s: Fisher-Price Little People Play Family House, made around 1969 | A house playset with figures. | Supported pretend domestic and family scenarios. | A Smithsonian collection object, useful for documenting a form of play without implying that all children had one. |
| 1972: Magnavox Odyssey | A video-game system that brought games to television. | Introduced a new kind of screen-based play in the home. | The Smithsonian describes it as the first commercially released console video-game system. Its account reports 100,000 units sold in its first year and about 350,000 overall. |
| 1978: Texas Instruments Speak & Spell | Solid-state memory, an LED display, removable cartridges, and synthesized speech. | Combined electronic interaction with spoken words and learning-oriented play. | A Smithsonian example of consumer electronics entering children’s play; the cited account does not provide sales figures. |
| Later 20th century: Game Boy | A handheld video-game device. | Made electronic play portable rather than tied to a television set. | Included in Smithsonian collection material. The cited collection overview does not establish a particular household’s ownership or a sales total. |
What grandparents, parents, and children could share
Not every toy had to be replaced by the next technological novelty. The Strong National Museum of Play identifies Tinkertoys as an example of a toy enduring across generations. Its account follows the toy from its more-than-century-old beginnings and describes a gift of more than 130 examples, from the early 1920s to the present. The museum says, “The company sold nearly a million sets in its first year of national distribution.” The figure belongs to Tinkertoy and to the Strong Museum’s account; the page metadata retrieved for that account does not establish a publication year.
Construction play helps explain the appeal of a toy that can outlast a particular device: the basic activity—joining pieces to make something—can remain engaging even as materials, packaging, and versions change. The historical continuity does not mean that a current Tinkertoy construction set is identical to an early set. Smithsonian collection examples such as a house playset and drawing toys likewise show that pretend play and making remained part of the toy landscape alongside electronics.
Rank #3
- OFFICIAL CLASSIC CHARACTER TOY – Bring home the beloved Saturday Night Live favorite Mr. Bill from NJ Croce, inspired by the original clay animation shorts that made him a pop culture icon.
- BENDABLE & POSABLE FUN – Features an internal wire structure that lets you bend, pose, and display Mr. Bill in countless hilarious positions and classic accident-prone scenes.
- RETRO COLLECTIBLE APPEAL – A must-have for fans of vintage television, nostalgic comedy memorabilia, retro toys, and collectors of classic characters from the golden era of sketch comedy.
- AUTHENTIC CHARACTER DESIGN – Crafted with recognizable details that capture the timeless charm and lovable look of the original Mr. Bill character fans know and remember.
- GREAT GIFT FOR FANS – Perfect for birthdays, holidays, office desks, display shelves, or anyone who loves nostalgic pop culture collectibles and classic comedy favorites.
In the Smithsonian feature on toys and technological change, National Museum of American History associate curator Hal Wallace puts generational shifts in perspective: “Toys help demonstrate the real phenomenon of technological change within living memory—a process that continues today at breakneck speed.” Wallace also recalls: “Growing up in the 1960s, we had TV, but my grandparents grew up with radio. My niece and nephew grew up with the Internet.” The contrast is about the technologies surrounding successive generations, not a claim that every child experienced them in the same way.
Why the history is not a list of universal favorites
The Smithsonian’s material is especially useful for connecting toys to American technology, manufacturing, retail, and ideas about childhood. Its overview of cast-iron and tinplate toys, for example, spans the 1870s to the 1950s and uses vehicles and other playthings to illuminate changing American childhood and home life. Collection histories offer concrete objects and contexts, but they are not a representative survey of all children, families, regions, or communities.
Rank #4
- BOBA FETT (TATOOINE): Once regarded as one of the most fearsome bounty hunters in the galaxy, Boba Fett seemingly met his demise in the Sarlacc pit. A survivor to his core, Fett lived to fight another day
- SPECIAL PACKAGING, DELUXE FIGURE: This Star Wars The Vintage Collection 3.75-inch scale classic Star Wars Boba Fett (Tatooine) deluxe action figure features special package artwork, as well as original Kenner branding
- CLASSIC STAR WARS FIGURE: This Boba Fett (Tatooine) action figure is inspired by the character in Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett, and makes a great gift for Star Wars collectors and fans ages 4 and up
- SERIES-BASED CHARACTER-INSPIRED ACCESSORIES: This Star Wars The Vintage Collection action figure comes with 9 entertainment-inspired accessories, including removeable jetpack and blast effects pieces; a great addition to any Star Wars collection
- DELUXE DESIGN AND PREMIUM ARTICULATION: Highly articulated with fully poseable limbs. Deluxe deco and design with more detail than the standard The Vintage Collection figure. Great to display in any Star Wars collection
- A documented object shows that a toy existed; it does not by itself establish how common it was.
- A sales figure for one product cannot stand in for sales across the toy industry.
- A U.S.-centered museum record cannot serve as a complete history of toys around the world.
- Technological change did not erase older forms of play: building, drawing, role-play, and learning-oriented activities continued alongside electronic toys.
Choosing a toy today: U.S. safety guidance
For a present-day purchase in the United States, historical interest should be separate from safety checks. The Consumer Product Safety Commission advises caregivers to follow age guidance and safety information on packaging, remove packaging after opening, keep small parts and small balls away from children younger than three, and use appropriate safety gear with riding toys.
The CPSC says toys intended for children 12 and under must be third-party tested and certified to applicable children’s product safety rules. Its FAQ identifies ASTM F963-23 as the toy-safety standard incorporated by 16 C.F.R. part 1250 and gives April 20, 2024, as that version’s effective date. Requirements and standards can change, so check current CPSC guidance when making a purchase.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Best Value
- Includes: 3.75 inch scaled action figure, blue lightsaber, cloak, and CommTech chip
- CommTech chip requires a CommTech Reader (Sold Separately).
- From the movie Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace.
- Ages 4 and up
- Originally released in 1999 - Retired / Out of production
The CPSC’s 2024 holiday release summarized its report on toy-related deaths and injuries in 2022: 11 deaths and an estimated 145,500 emergency-department-treated injuries associated with toys for children 12 years and younger. These are reported counts for that year and age group, not a measure of use or risk per toy.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
