Classic Toys | Step Back in Time | Toys From The 1950s
The 1950s was a decade of great change, and was also known as the golden age of television, with television becoming a huge influence on what to wear and buy.
Rock and Roll led to fun times and fashion became more relaxed.
Rock ‘n’ Roll emerged in the 1950s with the arrival of Elvis Presley on the music scene in 1956. Elvis is still celebrated today as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll with an enormous amount of impersonators around the globe still paying tribute to ‘The King’.
Fun Fact: Parkes in NSW has been hosting an Elvis Festival since 1993, including a special "Elvis Express" train from Sydney to Parkes.
In 1959 a charted plane with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson went down and all of them, including the pilot perished. This tragedy was later known as ‘the day the music died’ and was forever memorialised in Don McLean’s hit ‘American Pie’ in 1972.
Fun Fact: Freddy Martin and Sammy Kayne’s hit single ‘I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts’ was number 1 on the charts in Australia for 3 weeks in April 1950.
The 1950s were also known as the golden age of television, with 4.4 million American families owning a television set in their homes. Americans spent most of their free time watching television and it became a huge influence on what to wear and buy. This American influence spread to the UK, Europe and Australia.
Fashion changed greatly during the early 1950s with young men and women being released from the disciplines of the Armed Forces. They opted for a more relaxed up-beat style with Hawaiian shirts, striped t-shirts and bright cotton frocks leading the way.
Fun Fact: In 1951 Melbourne women started to wear short dresses with full skirts over stiff petticoats and the trend took on Australia wide.
1950 was a big year for comic books when Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts crew were introduced to the world by creator Charles M Shultz in the classic comic strips. This was closely followed in 1951 by comic classic Dennis the Menace in The Beano comic.
Fun Fact: Dennis ran in more than 1000 newspapers and in nearly 50 countries around the world and still continues to this day with his trusty sidekick Gnasher.
We saw a new Queen in 1953 with the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, hundreds of millions tuned in on their TVs to watch Queen Elizabeth II taking over the throne. We also saw a new on-screen princess in Walt Disney’s movie Cinderella in 1950, which was marketed as ‘A love story with music’.
Fun Fact: TV dinners where introduced to America in 1953 and featured a Thanksgiving style dinner with Turkey and Potatoes!
Dr Seuss released his iconic book Cat in the Hat in 1957 and it quickly became a family favourite, later being made into a movie of the same name in 2003. How The Grinch Stole Christmas was released in 1957 and has now just premiered as The Grinch just in time for Christmas this year (we loved it here at The Vintage Toy Box!!).
Another book which has also been translated to the big screen is Horton Hears a Who! which was written in 1955 and released in 2008 as a movie. Dr Seuss had written 60 books in his career.
“You’re never too old, wacky or wild to pick up a book and read to a child” – Dr Seuss
In the mid 1950s Play-Doh first hit the shelves. Originally made in off-white, but later re-introduced in a three-pack of red, blue and yellow. Advertisements were regularly shown during children’s television shows which furthered product sales, leading to a high spike in children’s toy advertisements on TV.
Fun Fact: During the 1930s Play-Doh was actually used as wallpaper cleaner and it wasn’t until the 1950s that it was reworked and re-marketed as a children’s toy!
Disneyland first opened its doors in 1955 with the grand opening of the Disneyland Resort in California. It took one year to construct and since then has undergone continued construction time and time again to add and extend. New additions included New Orleans Square featuring the Pirates of the Caribbean, Bear Country (now known as Critter Country), Splash Mountain and the homes of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet and Mickey’s Toontown, a small sized recreation of the Mickey Mouse Universe where visitors can meet all the characters and visit their homes.
Fun Fact: Mickey’s Toontown was actually inspired by ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ and resembles a set from the Max Fleischer cartoon.
During 1958 the Hula Hoop twirled into the shops, invented by Arthur K ‘Spud’ Melin and Richard Kneer. The men first marketed the Hula Hoop as an exercise hoop. 20 million hoops were sold in less than 4 months and reached a whopping 100 million sales in 2 years. Due to the ever growing love for the Hula Hoop it was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1999. Hula Hooping is still extremely popular with entertainers using Hula Hoops with fire and light effects to wow the crowd.
Fun Fact: The most Hula Hoops twirled at once was an impressive 160 which was set by Marawa the Amazing!
In 1957 the modern day Frisbee flew onto the scene, being the first registered trademark of the Wham-O Toy Company. By 1994 one hundred million Frisbees had been sold, and there is now even an association dedicated to Frisbee enthusiasts called the International Frisbee Association founded in 1967. Here at The Vintage Toy Box we stock an awesome Frisbee with a vintage style seaside design. Perfect for family picnics over the summer months.
Christmas Shopping | Festive Fun | Moss Vale Festive Foraging Event
Late night Christmas shopping is coming to Argyle Street, Moss Vale - the hottest, hippest place in the Southern Highlands for food, shopping and overall fabulousness!
On Thursday 13 December between 6 and 9pm, Argyle Street is going to stay up late as part of Moss Vale Festive Foraging.
#festiveforagingmossvale
Late night Christmas shopping is coming to Argyle Street, Moss Vale - the hottest, hippest place in the Southern Highlands for food, shopping and overall fabulousness!
On Thursday 13 December between 6 and 9pm, Argyle Street is going to stay up late as part of Moss Vale Festive Foraging.
Not only will this be a chance to meet Santa and sing along with our local carolers, but it will be a fantastic opportunity to pick up some exclusive offers from participating outlets.
Best of all, one lucky ‘forager’ who follows the Christmas map and explores each of the participating Argyle Street outlets between Tuesday 11th December and 9 pm on Thursday 13th December will win a special Festive Forager prize pack valued at over $3000. The prize will be drawn at the Taphouse at 9:30pm on Thursday 13th December where you can rest your weary shopper’s feet and relax with a well-earned drink.
Argyle Street is home to a diverse range of distinctive and unique service, retail and food outlets, radiating north and south of the famous Moss Vale railway bridge.
For more details about Moss Vale Festive Foraging, download the map and raffle entry and check out outlets featuring the Festive Foraging poster or #festiveforagingmossvale on Instagram.
For a full list of participating businesses check out The Fold Southern Highlands Event Page.
Happy foraging!
Classic Toys | Step Back in Time | Toys From The 1940s
The Forties was a decade dominated by the Second World War, which had a profound and everlasting effect on the whole world.
Life still continued however, but everyone had to become more inventive and use their imagination more.
The Forties was a decade dominated by the Second World War, which had a profound and everlasting effect on the whole world.
Childhoods were changed and family lives vastly altered as thousands of children were evacuated from the cities during The Blitz, separated from their families, and sent to live in the safety of the countryside, often with no more than a few clothes, and their one favourite toy.
Life still continued however, but everyone had to become more inventive and use their imagination more.
The biggest and most notable household invention of the 1940s was the microwave oven, which was patented in 1945 by a man named Percy Spence.
Fun Fact: The very first commercial use microwave was sold in 1947. It was about 6 feet tall and weighed around 340 kg!
The Hills Hoist rotary clothes line, (that we still all use today), was also developed in 1945 by a man named Lance Hill. The Hills Hoist was not only used to hang out wet washing but was also used as a swing for little children – great fun! Velcro and Tupperware were also important inventions of the 1940’s that are still in everyday use today.
The 1940s was a huge decade for film; Walt Disney released the animated feature films Pinocchio in 1940, Fantasia in 1940, Dumbo in 1941 and Bambi in 1942. All of these classic children’s movies still make most kid’s favourite film list at one point in their young lives.
Fun Fact: Pinocchio and Dumbo had themed tin toys made after them. Pinocchio was a wind up tin toy and Dumbo was a simple tin figurine; both of which were very popular.
Another classic movie was released in 1943 - Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, and has continued to remain a classic ever since.
One of the greatest films ever made, It’s a Wonderful Life (a Christmas classic movie and all time festive favourite) was released in 1946 and is now a staple of Christmas television around the world.
Great Expectations was released in 1946, and in 1948 the Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist was translated to the big screen., becoming an instant hit.
In 1940 Bugs Bunny first appeared in the Oscar nominated movie A Wild Hare. His outrageous and funny characteristics and his classic slogan, ‘Eh...What’s up Doc?’ meant that he was instantly loved by many during the Golden Age of Animation. His fame led him to be the official mascot for Warner Bros Entertainment and he also became a very popular cult icon.
Fun Fact: Bugs has appeared in more films than any other cartoon character and he even has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The most listened to music during the 1940’s was swing music, but as the decade moved forward Crooners such as Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and the timeless Ella Fitzgerald became extremely popular and together they all helped define the Swing Era.
As the world plunged into World War II, toy production became scarce as almost every man of age was absent from home, fighting over in Europe or Japan. Anything that could be used to make toys, such as steel and rubber was needed to build equipment, such as tanks, ships, planes, weapons and ammunition for the war.
In 1942 on the home front, three mini Japanese subs made their way into Sydney Harbour, sending fear through Australia. Some families even sold up their acreage and water views along the Harbour to start over further inland.
Families boarded up their windows, limited the use of electricity at night (so they wouldn’t be seen or heard) and never went outside after dark. During this time money was tight and most families couldn’t afford to splurge on toys for their children, (but that doesn’t mean the children had any less fun!).
Hopscotch became increasingly popular. The game, which originated in Ancient Rome, used to have courts that were over 30 metres long; massive compared to the courts children play on today! Jump rope, marbles and Jacks were often played too.
Fun Fact: Jacks were also known as knuckles and were actually played with bones that came from a hock or ankle of a sheep!
Reading became more of a focus in many homes with The Little Golden Books publishing its first 12 books including The Porky Little Puppy, Baby’s Book of Objects, The Little Red Hen and Nursery Songs, just to name a few. These books took only five months to completely sell out and sold a massive 1.5 million copies during that period. The Little Golden Book Series has grown tremendously over the years, with a total of 573 titles now in the collection. Some of the best sellers in the series are the special Christmas editions including Animals Christmas Eve, Cat That Climbed the Christmas Tree, Frosty the Snowman and many more.
Lionel Paper Trains (also known as the Lionel Wartime Freight Train) was also popular during the war. Lionel was looking for an alternative product to keep the brand name alive and recognised, as the Government restrictions on the use of various metals had halted their usual train set production. They produced an all paper train in March 1943 which was put on sale for $1 during the 1943 Christmas season. Lionel began manufacturing the original train again in 1945 when the Government lifted the restrictions.
Lionel wasn’t the only toy company that was forced to cease due to the Government restrictions. The manufacture of the Steel Radio Flyer Wagon, popular in the late 1930s was also forced to a halt. Thankfully it became just as popular when manufacturing started up again after the war.
After WWII ended model plane kits became very popular with children, featuring five models to cut out and put together including the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang, The Bell P-39 Airacobra and the Hawker Typhoon.
Another great toy that started production after the war was the classic Slinky spring toy. “Slinky... Slinky... everyone loves a Slinky”... this fun little toy was released just in time for Christmas in 1945, and the first 400 Slinkies made sold out in minutes.
The story behind the Slinky is that it was actually invented completely by accident when a mechanical engineer accidentally knocked some ship springs off a shelf as he was working. Instead of falling straight down, it was said that they “walked” down. The Slinky has been a sought after stocking filler ever since! The Slinky became evermore popular in recent years by the release of the Toy Story movies with the character Slinky Dog or ‘Slink’, (a toy dachshund with a slinky for his middle). He is Woody’s loyal sidekick.
Fun Fact: The Slinky got inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2000.
All of these years after the World War came to an end people are still fascinated with all things related to the war, indicating what a profound effect this period of time had on the development of the world.
There are a huge number of movies that have been made over the years dedicated to the war including Black Hawk Down starring Ewan McGregor and Eric Bana (who later starred as The Hulk), the 1998 block buster hit Saving Private Ryan, directed by Stephen Spielberg and another block buster hit, Pearl Harbour starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. These are just a few of the 100’s of war inspired movies that have been made over the years.
Many video games have also been made to represent war time including the ‘Call of Duty’ series with an epic 15 war inspired games in the series, the latest one being ‘Call of Duty Black Ops 4’ that was released in Oct 2018. The other major video game franchise is ‘Battlefield’ where the maps in the game are based on real battles that took place.
Over here at The Vintage Toy Box, we recognise and appreciate the smaller things in life, and look back at the decade of sacrifice with appreciation for what we now have, thanks to the selfless acts of the many. Lest we forget.
Classic Toys | Step Back in Time | Toys From The 1930s
The 1930’s in Australia were very tough, much like most of the industrialised world, with years of high unemployment, poverty and low profits. It wasn’t all doom and gloom though …
The 1930’s in Australia were very tough, much like in most of the industrialised world; with years of high unemployment, poverty and low income. Unemployment in Australia reached an all-time high of around 30% in 1932. This period of time was called The Great Depression and it all began with the Wall Street Crash of 1929 – also known as Black Tuesday which affected the entire global economy. It wasn’t all doom and gloom though …
Australia had two great sporting heroes during the Great Depression; Phar Lap and Don Bradman.
Phar Lap, a thoroughbred champion horse dominated the racing scene in Australia during this time, winning the Melbourne Cup in 1930, the Craven Plate in 1929, 1930 and 1931, the Underwood Stakes in 1931, the Hill Stakes in 1930 and 1931, and many more. At the time of his death, Phar Lap was the third highest stakes-winner in the world.
Fun Fact: Phar Lap’s heart is actually on display at the national Museum of Australia. YUCK!
The other sporting great is non-other than the famous cricketer Sir Donald Bradman, or ‘The Don’ as he was affectionately known. ‘The Don’ rose to fame during the Great Depression and was soon dubbed the ‘greatest batsman who ever lived’ and the greatest cricketer of the 20th century, with a test batting average of 99.94; the greatest achievement by any sportsman in any major sport.
‘The Don’ moved with his parents when he was two and a half years old to Bowral, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, (just down the road from us!). There is now a Museum at the cricket oval in Bowral dedicated to Sir Donald Bradman, and very aptly named Bradman Oval.
Fun Fact: ‘The Don’ used to practice his cricket skills against a water tank with a golf ball and cricket stump as times were tough.
Sporting greats kept spirits up, whilst Australia and the rest of the world were greatly affected by the Great Depression. Toys were not readily available, as many families simply could not afford them. Most toys in the era of the Great Depression were handmade out of scrap wood, such as alphabet blocks, cars, animals, dolls and farm houses.
Fun Fact: Flour mills started using pretty fabric for their flour sacks when they realised that many families were clothing their children in them, as well as making dolls from the fabric.
Children mostly played with anything that they could find and used their imagination, (not like today where children just download video games like Minecraft or Fortnite onto their Xbox or PlayStation!).
Another feat of the imagination, the Harbour Bridge awed the world, when it opened in Sydney in 1932. Designed and built by British firm Dorman Long and Co., the Harbour Bridge, now heritage-listed, is the sixth longest spanning arch bridge in the world. It is the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring a whopping 134 m from the top down to the water level. The bridge took six years to complete after the first concrete piers were put in their place in 1926, and has become one of Australia’s biggest icons, recognisable by almost everyone around the world, and dubbed ‘The Coathanger’.
Another world first was when FM broadcasting radio was invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong in 1933, becoming an instant success with music like Jazz and Blues leading the way for the majority of the decade. Towards the end of the decade Swing Jazz took over and paved the way into the 1940’s. Jazz and Blues performers like Fred Astaire, Count Basie, Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington all owned the thirties music scene.
Radio and film were greatly loved during the 1930’s with a huge amount of (now classic) movies being released. Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was brought to the big screen on December 21st 1937, just in time for Christmas. This led to children playing with Snow White themed toys like jigsaw puzzles, 7 Dwarf figurines and Snow White dolls.
Fun Fact – Walt Disney was afraid of mice!
In 1939 The Wizard of Oz was released, starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale. The fantasy adventure film was nominated six times for an Academy Award, but lost out to Gone with the Wind which took out ten awards. Even though The Wizard of Oz didn’t receive any Academy Awards, it did get awarded for best original song for ‘Over the Rainbow’, which still sends hearts soaring today, way up high!
The biggest movie star of the 1930s was child star Shirley Temple. At just six years old, Shirley Temple was the first ever celebrity to have a doll named and styled after her. Shirley Temple made over 30 movies in her acting career, with the movie Heidi being a strong family favourite. On December 28, 1934 the movie Bright Eyes was released, featuring Shirley’s signature song ‘On the Good Ship Lollipop’, which led to 500,000 sheet-music copies being sold! In February 1935 Shirley Temple was the first child star to be honoured with a miniature juvenile Oscar for her accomplishments within the film industry.
Fun Fact: In 1933, a man by the name of Richard M Hollingswood built a prototype drive-in movie theater in his own driveway, attracting a lot of attention!
In 1935, when the world was just starting to rebuild after the Great Depression, the original board game version of Monopoly was published by Parker Brothers. Over the years the rules and board have changed considerably, with the copyright of the game also changing hands a few times. Parker Brothers and its parent company Hasbro continue to hold valid trademarks, along with Waddingtons in the UK. Sales have continued to soar through the decades and Monopoly has since gone on to be licensed in over 103 countries and released in over thirty-seven languages. There are now a wide range of different versions available, such as an Australian version (featuring a classic meat pie and BBQ), The Simpsons, Pokémon, Stranger Things, Star wars, Star Trek, The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones. Channel 9’s hit TV show The Block has also jumped on the Monopoly bandwagon, releasing The Block Special Edition just in time for Christmas.
It seems that anything that makes it big on the TV screen now has a Monopoly game themed after it. 2018’s hottest video game Fortnite, (which has taken the world by storm with its online platform) even has a Monopoly board themed after it. You can battle opponents, claim locations and avoid ‘The Storm’ to survive. Monopoly has certainly come a long way since its release in the 1930s!
The 1930s was certainly a decade of great ups and downs, and one that certainly shaped history and what came after it.
Classic Toys | Kaleidoscope
Amaze the eyes with brilliant colours and patterns with the classic Schylling design. These beautifully illustrated tin kaleidoscopes continue to dazzle all who lay their eyes on them, and little hands always make a beeline for them in store.
Amaze the eyes with brilliant colours and patterns with the classic Schylling design. These beautifully illustrated tin kaleidoscopes continue to dazzle all who lay their eyes on them, and little hands always make a beeline for them in store.
The kaleidoscope is thought to have been invented in 1816 by Scottish inventor Sir David Brewster, with its name originating from the Greek words meaning ‘beautiful form watcher’.
Did you know that Sir David Brewster went on to advance lighthouse lens and stereoscope designs.
The visual stimulus provided by the kaleidoscope therapeutically promotes positive joyful emotions and promotes good mental health through colour therapy. We always new that traditional toys were good for you!
Classic Toys | Jacob's Ladder
Our Jacob’s Ladder is a traditional wood and lace click-clack toy and is a timeless classic, and a perfect edition to any toy collection. The Jacob’s Ladder is the original fidget spinner, perfect for busy hands.
Our Jacob’s Ladder is a traditional wood and lace click-clack toy and is a timeless classic, and a perfect edition to any toy collection. The Jacob’s Ladder is the original fidget spinner, perfect for busy hands.
The true origin of this classic toy, which produces visual and kinetic illusion is a mystery, however many believe that the toy finds its origins in China. We do know however that it received its earliest toy review in a 1889 American scientific article, describing the magic behind the mechanics.
In the 1700’s a Japanese polymath constructed one which was called Gennai’s Wondrous Click-clack; a name that is still around today. Another popular variation of this classic toy was an American 1940’s version, which had an indentation for a penny to disappear & re-appear.
Wherever it came from, the Jacob’s ladder is here to stay!
Classic Toys | Spinning Top
The simplest toys are always the best! We can’t help but love our traditional tin spinning tops from Schylling. These wonderful humming tin spinning tops are the perfect size for little hands. Each one features beautifully illustrated carousel graphics and entrances on each spin.
The simplest toys are always the best! We can’t help but love our traditional tin spinning tops from Schylling, and we’re not the only ones!
These wonderful humming tin spinning tops are the perfect size for little hands. Each one features beautifully illustrated carousel graphics and entrances on each spin.
Did you know that the earliest clay spinning top was discovered in 3500 BC - that’s almost six thousand years ago!
A wooden spinning top which was carved circa 1300 BC and was later discovered in King Tut’s tomb was another early example of this simple toy, although Indigenous peoples from around the world have been making spinning tops from fruits, nuts and seeds for thousands of years before this one was created.
Did you know that spinning tops stay upright from an angular momentum; a law that Newton expressed as ‘objects in motion, stay in motion’.
Classic Toys | Yo-Yo
In 1928 Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant opened the first ever yo-yo (also known as yoyo) manufacturing company in Santa Barbara, USA. By the end of the following year an additional two factories had been built to maintain the popularity of this toy, turning out 300,000 yo-yos daily!
In 1928 Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant opened the first ever yo-yo (also known as yoyo) manufacturing company in Santa Barbara, USA. By the end of the following year an additional two factories had been built to maintain the popularity of this toy, turning out 300,000 yo-yos daily!
Although Flores was the first man in history to build a yo-yo factory, popularise and distribute Yo-yos across the globe he was not however the first man to design the yo-yo.
The first mention of the yo-yo goes way back to ancient Greece in the year 500 BC; these ancient toys were made out of various different materials such as terracotta clay, metal or wooden discs and were simply just called ‘a disc’. There was an ancient Greek custom that when a child turned a certain age they would offer toys of their youth to the Gods as a gift. Discs made from terracotta where often used as gifts for the Gods rather than play, due to the fragile nature of terracotta.
There have been many historical artworks found depicting people of all ages playing with Yo-yos, from Australia, Egypt and India, travelling through the ages to the upper classes of France and Scotland, before making its way to England.
In 1815 Napoleon and his army are known to have been seen playing and relaxing with yo-yos before the famous battle of Waterloo.
Here at The Vintage Toy Box we stock several different traditional styles of yo-yos, all made from solid wood and beautifully painted. There are so many tricks you can learn and master with yo-yos including walk the dog, around the world, the sleeper and many more. This simple toy, inspired by ancient civilisation will keep the young and old entertained for hours.
Circus Toys - Roll Up, Roll Up
Roll up, Roll up one and all! Under the Big Top at the Vintage Toy Box we’re celebrating the spectacular long lived tradition of the circus and all things inspired by the circus.
Before we dive into all the fun toys to do with the circus, let’s start off by going back to where it all began…
Roll up, roll up, one and all! Under the Big Top at the Vintage Toy Box we’re celebrating the spectacular long lived tradition of the circus and all things inspired by it.
Before we dive into all our fun circus themed toys and all the fun of the fair, let’s start off by going back to where it all began …
The circus began in ancient Roman times, and was very different to the circus we know today. In ancient Rome the term ‘circus’ simply meant:
a rounded or oval arena lined with tiers of seats, used for equestrian and other sports and games, including staged battles and gladiatorial combat
In more modern times the circus is now defined as:
a travelling company of acrobats, clowns, and other entertainers who give performances, typically in a large tent, in a series of different places.
The first modern circus had its big debut in England in 1770 and featured timeless classics such as horse tricks, acrobats, tightrope walkers, jugglers and clowns, (which were only introduced to fill in the time between animal acts). A marvelous adaptation of this traditional ‘modern’ circus was The Greatest Showman movie starring Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, which was set in the 1850s and 1860s, and inspired by the story of P.T. Barnum’s creation of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. This movie is a magical illustration of all things we love about travelling shows.
Now, after centuries the circus has grown and transformed into the amazing spectacular that we now know and love, with amazing acts such as Cirque du Soleil now taking centre stage worldwide and amazing huge audiences across the globe.
At The Vintage Toy Box we just love the spectacular show of the circus and have sourced so many fabulous circus themed toys to help you all take to the stage too.
The most common act in the circus is the juggling act, traditionally undertaken by either a clown or a trapeze artist. The art of juggling has been preserved for the past 4000 years, and can be traced back to the ancient Egyptian civilization where paintings of women jugglers were found on the walls inside a crypt.
Juggling however was not always found to be such a creative art. After the fall of the Roman Empire and the arrival of the middle ages, jugglers were often persecuted and seen as dirty scoundrels or even thought to be witches.
Despite that, juggling is, and will remain a firm family favourite. Learn to juggle with our brightly coloured juggling balls and then one day maybe you will be juggling clubs – like the clowns in the circus!
One of the acts in the circus that will leave you breathless is the diving event, which has been a key part of the circus for decades. In 1948 a record was set that stood for almost half a century by Roy Fransen – the first truly famous shallow diver. He jumped from 34 metres and landed into water that was only 2.4 metres deep! After four decades of leaving people breathless while watching him perform his acts his good fortune came to an end when he died during a performance in 1985.
You can have your very own fearless wooden diver and you can help him practice and re-enact the famous circus act.
You cannot have a circus without a clown, and clowns who make balloon animals have been a favourite among children at the circus for many years.
In the 1930s a famous clown by the name of Maar had all of his props stolen during one of his acts. He was then forced to solely rely on balloons to entertain his crowd. The story goes that he invented balloon modelling right there on the spot, amazing his audience of young and old. It has since turned into one of the favourite acts to be performed by clowns and child entertainers alike.
With our retro Balloon Modelling Kit you can make multiple different animals, with 40 balloons and a pump you will be able to perfect the art of balloon modelling in no time!
Circus musical Jack-in-the-box
The Jack-in-the-box is centuries old. Most of the brightly coloured boxes feature either a clown or a joker that pops out when the handle on the outside of the box is turned to a certain position, as the music plays. The most popular tune to be played is ‘pop goes the weasel’.
In 2005 the Jack-in-the-box was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame due to its timeless charm that has captivated the interest of children for decades.
Our Circus musical Jack-in-the-box features a clown and has bright playful pictures on all sides. Build the suspense as you wind the crank, not knowing when Jack will pop out!
Fun fact: In France a Jack-in-the-box is called Diable En Boite which means Devil in a box!
Spinning tops are among the oldest toys to ever be unearthed. A clay top was discovered in Iraq and was dated 35th century – that’s almost 6000 years ago! Another notable find is a wooden top that was found in the tomb of King Tut in Egypt and Roman tops that were made out of bone. Spinning tops made of fruits, nuts and shells have been discovered on every continent around the world – except for Antarctica.
Spinning tops come in all different shapes, sizes and colours and are made from various types of material.
Our spinning tops are made from tin and are brightly coloured just like the colours of the circus. Grab one today and see how long you can make it spin for, or even have a spin-off with some buddies. The world record for a spinning top continuously spinning is 50 minutes - can you beat it?
Take a bit of the circus home with you with some of our other fabulous circus inspired toys including:
Create a circus kit - Perfect for little ones to explore their imagination as they built and perform classic circus tricks with this beautiful circus craft kit.
Circus Tattoos - Cover yourself with these awesome temporary tattoos which includes ten different designs, featuring the strong man and ferris wheel among other cool circus designs.
Monkey Trapeze - Help these cute little monkeys practice their trapeze skills. Just squeeze the poles at the bottom and watch them flip – around and around they go!
Circus Jigsaw Puzzles - These jigsaw puzzles are as great and entertaining as the circus, so lets combine the two! We’ve got four beautifully designed circus inspired puzzles by French designer Londji:
The incredible muscle man
The trapeze artist
The funny clown
Circus Puzzle - A 38cm round puzzle which includes the ring master, elephants, clowns and more!
We can even help you re-create the whole circus show with our beautiful wooden circus sets:
Circus Safari Jeep - A beautifully vibrant wooden circus play set with a fun collection of colourful characters.
Circus Play Set - Kids are guaranteed to use their imagination and creativity to put on a top notch performance with this wonderfully unusual wooden play set from Artiwood.
Collect all of our fabulous circus toys and more in store and online!
Magic Toys - Trick or Treat?
Halloween, one of the biggest nights of the year is near upon us, and we’ve already started to think what the family theme for this year will be with our scary costumes.
We love trick or treating, as we love to dress up, but more importantly we love taking part in the biggest dress up day on the planet, and seeing all of the effort everyone else has gone to, to go all out spooky!
On All Hallows’ Eve there will only be one question on everyone’s lips ...
Halloween, one of the biggest nights of the year is near upon us, and we’ve already started to think what the family theme for this year will be with our scary costumes.
We love trick or treating, as we love to dress up, but more importantly we love taking part in the biggest dress up day on the planet, and seeing all of the effort everyone else has gone to, to go all out spooky!
On All Hallows’ Eve there will only be one question on everyone’s lips ...
Trick or Treat?
With the war on sugar and preservatives gathering momentum, we take a look at some of our other great alternatives to the traditional trick, (and if you like a bit of magic just like us ... you’re also in for a treat!).
For the biggest trickster in the room there’s our awesome 125 trick magic box, with everything you need for the next Houdini or re-enactment of the epic Now You See Me movie.
The variety of magic tricks set has a whopping 125 incredible magic tricks to practice, and it also includes a DVD with step by step instructions to watch while you practice.
Tricks include: Magic Hat, cups and balls, the paddle tricks, coin magic, thimble tricks, rings and rope tricks, to name but a few!
So get your magic on this Halloween and remember never reveal your secrets!
Be the original prankster this Halloween with our Jokes In a Box set. Five awesome pranks that make it so very easy to catch out your friends and make them jump in surprise!
Includes the classic tricks of Fly & Spider, Goofy Teeth, Snake Eggs, Nail Through Finger and the timeless, Snappy Chewing Gum!
This Mind Reading Magic Tricks set from Robert Frederick is great way to entertain everyone and leave them spooked at how you can read their minds!
This box contains 20 different tricks that you can perfect, including the Mind Reading Blackboard, The Haunted Choice, ESP Card Tricks and the Wizards Deck.
Instant Illusions by Ridley’s Magic is a great collection of tricks to perform for your friends and family, leave them amazed by tricks like the Magic Guillotine, X-ray Vision, Magic Rings and more!
Start your collection and master these tricks in time for Halloween and you will be able to treat your friends to some magical tricks!
The Magic Guillotine will have hearts racing as you perform this trick for your friends.
Simply get a brave friend to put their finger in the hole, then secretly put a pretzel stick (or similar) and into the whole in the bottom.
Push down on the top swiftly and watch as the guillotine magically misses their finger, but cuts thru the pretzel stick at the bottom!
Argh!
Your friend will be reeling from the bloody escape that they’ve just narrowly missed (and you both get to enjoy half a pretzel each!).
The Ridley’s Floating Match trick will mystify your mates.
This simple magic trick has only 2 steps to completion but will have everyone asking “how” forevermore.
Your friends and family will be baffled by this simple yet effective classic trick.
The Rope Cutter trick is an all time classic crowd pleaser that can be mastered easily by children (and adults!) of all ages.
Show people how you magically cut a rope in half and put it back together again, just follow the step by step instructions - easy and fun!
There are many variations of the classic cut and restore rope trick, but this one is one of our favourites. Never fails to amaze!
The Ridley’s Magic Handkerchief is a simple trick that can be performed by anyone with some practice.
In this little trick the handkerchief that is to disappear is seen up to the last moment. The requisites for the trick are very simple, yet trickily effective.
This is a very pretty and deceptive trick. Simply follow the instructions inside the box to perfect the tricks.
Have you ever wanted to have x-ray vision? Well now you can, With this little trick from the “Instant Illusions” collection.
Firstly, fold up the cardboard with the magic symbols into a cube, then place it into the clear plastic cube. Now place the clear cube inside the bigger black cube (which also needs to be assembled), and put the lid on.
Now hand over the black box to the person you’re performing for and ask them to chose a picture.
If you follow the simple step by step instructions included in the box, you will never fail to always know which picture someone has picked! And they will never know how to perform this great trick.
Master the magic in minutes!
Our Magic Linking Rings from Ridleys is a traditional Chinese Magic Ring trick that has been performed by magicians for hundreds of years.
There has been many variations made to this ring trick, which is thought o be a classic of illusion magic.
In the traditional effect, solid metal rings appear to link and unlink, pass through each other, and form chains and other complex patterns and configurations.
This trick needs a lot of practice to perfect but once you do, you’ll be able to trick anyone!
For something completely different, why not try our fantastic Scary Hands temporary tattoos from NPW. Transform your hands into scary hands and scare everyone in sight!
The tattoos are easy to put on with water, and fantastic for encouraging creative play. Create a horror scene, a Halloween scene, or even a monster party. There's no limit to the imagination, and they’ll be guaranteed to scare!
Whatever you choose … trick or treat … we hope you have a spooky spectacular Halloween!
