Most of us played with toys when we were kids. Do you remember these?

The plastic version of the Hula Hoop was made by the Wham-O company but the idea had been around since ancient times. The Native American Hoop Dance is a form of storytelling that uses hoops. In 14^th-century England hoops were used for recreation and treating dislocated backs. Hamley’s, the world’s oldest toy store sold them in London when it opened in 1760. When did Wham-O introduce them?

Yes, you can predict the future! This spherical, fun item with clairvoyant abilities was developed in the 1940s by Albert Carter and Abe Bookman. You can ask it a question and it will provide the answer that is read through a little window at the bottom of the ball. It will answer your yes/no question with one of 20 possible responses – 10 in the affirmative, 5 in the negative and 5 neutral. What is it?

American naval engineer Richard T. James, after observing a spring get knocked off a shelf, had an idea. He believed if a spring were given the right property of steel and the right tension, he could make it walk . So he invented a toy based on these principles. In 1945, in the toy section of Gimbel’s Department Store in Philadelphia, a demonstration of his invention was given and was an instant hit – 400 units were sold in 90 minutes! What are we talking about?

This toy was named after our 16^th president and invented by John Lloyd Wright, son of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. With this toy kids can build all kinds of fun stuff out of wood with interlocking pieces. What is the name of this toy?

Troll Dolls were created by Danish baker and woodcutter Thomas Dam. The inspiration came from trolls in Scandinavian folklore. By the early 1960s, they were a sensation. What is another name for this popular doll?

Bonus Question

The Easy Bake Oven actually has its own day – November 4, commemorating the day the toy was released in 1963. It originally came with incandescent light bulbs as the heat source but developed more reliable heating elements. What was the first company to market it?