Popular Toys of the '80's

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The 1980’s were a decade full of spiked hair, hot pink leg warmers, and toys like Lincoln logs and the rubric cube. Many new and exciting toys were on store shelves. From pets that were merely rocks, to boards that could connect you to the spirit world, the 80’s toy trends were totally unique. The children of this decade defiantly had a wide selection of toys to choose from. Some of the most memorable toys came in the form of board games, dolls, and videogames.

Many board games came to be in the 80’s including Candyland, Twister, and the Ouija board. Candyland was invented in 1949 by Eleanor Abbot in San Diego, California. She got this idea when she was on the road to recovery from polio. She saw all of the ill children around her and decided to create a game that would amuse them. She then presented Candyland to the Milton Bradley toy company, and they immediately loved the idea. The game became an instant success (1). Twister is a game where you need no pieces except yourself and a few friends. Twister was invented by Charles Foley and Neil Rabens, though they are not the ones credited with it. Reyn Guyer is the one who received the fame for inventing Twister. Guyer received credit because after Foley and Rabens invented Twister, Guyer fired them from his father’s company. Guyer then gave this game to Milton Bradley who knew they had yet another hit on their hands. Twister was a game that anyone could play and it was cheap to make, considering the only parts were the mat and spinner (2). Another board game is the Ouija board. This toy was not really invented, but refined. The Parker Brothers sold this board. People believed that the Ouija board had spirits that answer questions as well as spell out

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