Etch A Sketch®
Originally called "Magic Screen" by the man who sold the idea to Ohio Art, the Etch A Sketch® hasn't changed much since it was first sold in 1960. This Etch A Sketch® was made in the early 1960s.
©2012 The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Inc.Photo by Black Market
When I was little I loved playing with the Etch A Sketch® - trying to make the lines look fluid and continuous rather than the random, crazy ones I was so good at creating. As an adult I was excited to give my daughter an Etch a Sketch® to play with and see how she might enjoy something that I had once loved. My heart sank as she took the toy in her little hands and tried to touch the screen to make the lines, unhappy with her results. In her little voice she asked, “How this work Mommy?” and the awareness that I was dealing with a new generation set in as I realized that she thought it worked like an iPad. While she may not yet be ready to embrace the love of an Etch A Sketch®, I’m not yet ready to give up my hope for her embracing the simple joys of the toys of my own childhood. - Jaclyn, Carmel