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The Beginnings of LEGO: How It All Started 🧱📖 Documentary for Kids | LEGO Mini Movie | LEGO

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1. Choose one invention you want to learn more about.

2. Scroll under each invention to see the different resources.

3. Click the underlined title to read the book or watch the video.

4. Take notes to organize your ideas (use a tree map)

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The Story Of Play Doh - How A Wallpaper Cleaner Become The World's Most Popular Toy

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The much-loved children's toy was a desperate spinoff of a putty used to clean soot off of wallpaper

smithsonianmag.com

The handwriting was on the wallpaper for Kutol. Founded in 1912 in Cincinnati, the company's primary product-a soft, pliable compound used for wiping soot from wallpaper-was no longer in demand and the firm's future looked bleak. Fortunately, the sister-in-law of one of its principals had an idea: let kids play with it.

Kutol Products had become the largest wallpaper cleaner manufacturer in the world in the early 20th century. Fortunes began to change in the 1950s, though. With the transition from heating with dirtier coal to cleaner oil, gas and electricity, sooty buildup on wallpaper was no longer an issue in many households.

Joseph McVicker was trying to turn around the struggling company when his sister-in-law read an article about how wallpaper cleaner could be used for modeling projects. Sister-in-law Kay Zufall, a nursery school teacher, tested the nontoxic material with children, who loved molding it into all kinds of shapes. She told McVicker of her discovery and even suggested a new name: Play-Doh.

"It's a tale of technological obsolescence with a happy ending," says Christopher Bensch, vice president of collections at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. "Fortunately, the sister-in-law realized it would make a better toy than a cleaning product. That turned the company's fortunes around."

Of course, today Play-Doh Modeling Compound is a playtime phenomenon. Now owned by Hasbro, this accidental invention has grown into a worldwide franchise that is as much a rite of passage for kids as it is an opportunity to be creative and have fun. According to Fortune magazine, Play-Doh has sold more than 3 billion cans since its debut as a child's toy in 1956-eclipsing its previous existence as a wallpaper cleaner by light years. That's more than 700 million pounds of the salty stuff. "Urban legend has it that if you took all of the Play-Doh compound created since 1956 and put it through the Play-Doh Fun Factory playset, you could make a snake that would wrap around the world 300 times," writes Hasbro on the Play-Doh site. The dough was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong in 1998.

In addition to the soft, pliable compound we all know and love, the product line has grown to include Play-Doh Touch, Play-Doh Kitchen Creations, Play-Doh Shape & Learn, DohVinci, an arts-and-crafts toy system for making artistic creations, and many more. There are also co-branding extensions that feature My Little Pony, Disney Princesses, Star Wars and Disney Frozen characters and play sets. And let's not forget about the new compounds that have just hit the market-Play-Doh Putty, Foam, Slime, Cloud and Krackle!

"Looking at key consumer insights over the past couple of years, we have seen a growing desire for new ways for children to express their creativity, and cultural trends, like the viral sensation slime has become amongst today's kids and tweens, helped inspire the launch for this year," Adam Kleinman, Hasbro's vice president of global brand marketing, told the HuffPost in September.

Originally available in white only in 1956, Play-Doh soon expanded to include basic colors red, blue and yellow. It is now sold in a panoply of hues, including Rose Red, Purple Paradise, Garden Green and Blue Lagoon. The Putty line includes metallic and glittery tints. The recipe has gone through minor modifications over time. At one point, the amount of salt was reduced so the product would not dry out so quickly. But, for the most part, the mixture has remained the same.

According to Bensch, Zufall is the mother of this time-tested toy. For her students in nursery school, she was looking for a suitable alternative to modeling clay, which could be messy and difficult to work with for young hands. Zufall had read an article about using wallpaper cleaner to make holiday decorations and thought that might just do the trick. She had a hard time locating a container made by Kutol Products since manufacturing had already been scaled back.

"The wallpaper cleaner was already being phased out," Bensch says. "Kutol was headed down the drain at that point."

Zufall then took her discovery to McVicker, who formed the subsidiary Rainbow Crafts Company. He began marketing his old product by its new name, which was suggested by Zufall and her husband Robert. Woodword & Lothrop, a department store in Washington, D.C., was the first to carry Play-Doh. Macy's and Marshall Field's soon took an interest in the toy and began selling it too.

Sales soared in 1958 when Play-Doh was featured in televised ads on " Captain Kangaroo," " Ding Dong School" and " Romper Room." Bob Keeshan, who portrayed the Captain, would talk about the product twice a week on his show, earning 2 percent of sales.

"There was never a contract but the deal ran for years," Bensch says. "Captain Kangaroo was a big cheerleader for the product."

The product line branched out in 1960 with the introduction of the Play-Doh Fun Factory, a toy press that allowed the compound to be pumped out in different shapes. Other line extensions included Animal Ark, Make a Meal Sub Shop and Dr. Drill & Fill, though none had the lasting ability of the Fun Factory, which is still sold today.

McVicker applied for a patent for Play-Doh in 1956, and was granted one on January 26, 1965, the same year Rainbow Crafts was sold to General Mills. Hasbro acquired the brand in 1991.

One of Play-Doh's more endearing attributes is its distinctive smell. Anyone who has popped open a can of the molding compound easily recognizes its olfactory qualities. Children of all ages enjoy a fresh whiff of that inviting aroma emanating from a nontoxic mixture of flour, water, salt, borax and mineral oil.

To mark the products 50th anniversary as a toy in 2006, Hasbro even created a Play-Doh perfume. It worked with Demeter Fragrance to create a fresh-out-of-the-can aroma.

"It was a great gag gift, but I don't think it did anything more than that," Bensch says.

To preserve its proprietary pungency, Hasbro filed for trademark protection in 2017, claiming the product had "a unique scent formed through the combination of a sweet, slightly musky, vanilla-like fragrance, with slight overtones of cherry, and the natural smell of a salted, wheat-based dough." The company received the trademark on May 18, 2018.

That unique odor has the power to transport people back in time. Bensch recalls being in New York City in 2004 at the Toy Fair Show, the largest go-to-market event for the youth entertainment industry.

"We had cans of Play-Doh to attract people to our booth. They would open them and you could see this furtive look in their eyes as the aroma hit them," Bensch says. "It was like the clock just got turned back to when they were 7 years old."

About David Kindy

David Kindy is a journalist, freelance writer and book reviewer who lives in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He writes about history, culture and other topics for Air & Space, Military History, World War II, Vietnam, Aviation History, Providence Journal and other publications and websites.

Read more from this author | Follow @dandydave56

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smithsonianmag.com The handwriting was on the wallpaper for Kutol. Founded in 1912 in Cincinnati, the company's primary product-a soft, pliable compound used for wiping soot from wallpaper-was no longer in demand and the firm's future looked bleak. Fortunately, the sister-in-law of one of its principals had an idea: let kids play with it.

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Play-Doh is part of every child's upbringing, whether it's through molding it into shapes at kindergarten or even through our teen years to being adults, playing the well know Play-Doh game: Rapidough.

It is a creative tool loved by everyone, but have you ever wondered where it comes from?

Who invented the stretchy colorful stuff? Let's explore the history and find out more about this mysterious molding material.

Who invented Play-Doh?

To start with, the invention of Play-Doh was an accident!

Noah McVicker had a family soap shop and one day was experimenting with flour, water, salt, boric acid, and mineral oil when he came up with the substance that is now called Play-Doh.

His soap company called, Kutol Products, based in Ohio, originally marketed his creation as a wallpaper cleaner in the 1930s.

Why was it originally wallpaper cleaner?

It turned out that it made the perfect wallpaper cleaner as it didn't contain any toxic chemicals, meaning that people could clean their walls without having to worry about staining their beautiful wallpapers.

It also had a rubbery texture therefore, you didn't have to clean any of the substance off the walls after use, as it remained as one solid compound.

It wasn't until teachers realized that it could be used as an alternative modeling compound for arts and crafts projects at school that McVicker began to sell out of his product.

This became a turning point for its use.

How did Play-Doh become so popular?

In the mid-1950s, the product was reworked, rebranded, and marketed to schools as a modeling compound.

At an educational convention for school supplies in 1956, there was a demonstration using Play-Doh, and this is when it caught the attention of many teachers.

1956 was the year for Play-Doh when McVicker formed a company called Rainbow Crafts in order to produce and sell Play-Doh in the toy industry.

Department stores across the US began to stock Play-Doh, and after it had been shown on various children's television shows in 1957, it became a popular toy.

Play-Doh's packaging history.

After much experimentation by McVicker, he decided to sell his product in cardboard cans with metal bottoms, as it would keep the modeling substance from drying out.

The substance needed to be kept moist for modeling, and paper packaging often made the product dry up over time.

It was essential for McVickers to create packaging to store Play-Doh that would keep it from drying out.

The cans allowed Play-Doh to be mass produced, stored, and shipped to various stores whilst keeping its moist texture.

In the 1980s, the product was changed to be packaged in plastic tubs, as the bottoms of the previous cans had a tendency to rust.

This also meant that the product had an even longer shelf life and therefore created the opportunity to expand the business.

Play-Doh goes worldwide!

In 1964 Play-Doh is sent to Britain, France, and Italy to be marketed to Europe.

This was the first time Europe had seen and come across the compound.

By 2005 Play-Doh was being sold in over 75 countries across the world. This was a landmark time for Play-Doh as it reached a global level of distribution.

How did Play-Doh as a business grow?

After beginning as a wallpaper cleaner, it was advertised as a toy from the mid-1950s, and its journey within the toy market began to expand.

The development in the can design allowed shipping across the world, which led to a growth in popularity among children as a staple toy.

There have been various merchandise objects and accessories for the use of Play-Doh on the market.

This includes items such as The Fun Factory (a set of tools and sculpting mechanisms to use alongside Play-Doh).

Product Recognition

In 2003 The Toy Industry Association selected Play-Doh to be part of its "Century of Toys list."

This created more attention around the product and credited it as an important part of children's lives across the world.

Between 1955 and 2005, more than 2 billion cans of Play-Doh were sold worldwide.

So this childhood favorite toy was originally designed as a cleaning product and is to this day still being used in schools across the world as an arts and crafts modeling tool.

Although you can make the product at home, it's not quite the same as opening up a tub of the original squishy stuff.

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A Few Fun Facts About Play-Doh & Its History - The Fact Site

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Play-Doh is a creative tool loved by everyone, but have you ever wondered where it comes from, or who invented it? Check out the history of Play-Doh here!

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You'll probably want to grab a handful of today's Wonder of the Day and squish it between your fingers!

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The Crayon Man By Natascha Biebow and Steven Salerno I Storytime Read Aloud

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There's something exciting about opening a brand-new box of crayons. Today's Crayola crayons come in 152 colors, but the first box contained only 8 colors. A box of crayons cost a nickel back then and children were happy to have 8 colors, since previous crayons came only in black.
Fun Facts

Alice Binney, a school teacher, asked her husband to consider making a crayon to replace expensive European crayons. Edwin Binney got to work with his partner, Howard Smith, and came up with the modern crayon.

In 1903, their company, Crayola, was born.

Alice Binney chose the name for Crayola from the French word craie, which means "stick of chalk" and ola, or "oily" from the word

Today Crayola sells over billion crayons each year.

For generations, children had used chalk to write their schoolwork on small slates. Before that, children might use bits of charcoal or ashes.

In Europe, the first crayons were made from oil and charcoal. They were black and were not safe for children.

Binney and Smith's company, started by Binney's father, originally made lamp black, a pigment created from the soot of burnt oil. The company was called Peekskill Chemical Works.

When Binney and Smith took over, they started making pencils and chalk for schools.

Instead of making crayons from oil and charcoal, they made crayons from paraffin wax and nontoxic colored pigments.

Vocabulary

1. Pigment: powdered color that can be added to products

2. Soot: black powder left over after burning oil or charcoal

3. Nontoxic: safe; not poisonous

Questions and Answers
How do Crayola crayons get their funny names?

Workers at Crayola often start by looking in the dictionary for ideas. Crayons are often named after traditional artists' paints. And sometimes, Crayola asks the public for ideas.
Learn More
Visit the Crayola crayon factory.

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Who Invented Crayons? Easy Science for Kids

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There's something exciting about opening a brand-new box of crayons. Today's Crayola crayons come in 152 colors, but the first box contained only 8 colors. A box of crayons cost a nickel back then and children were happy to have 8 colors, since previous crayons came only in black.

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The LEGO Story/Could You be a LEGO Master?

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The surprising story behind the popular building toy

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What kid in the world doesn't love Lego? It's the most basic form of toy, with truly no limitations.

You simply build things with no set objective, and that's enough to keep anybody entertained for hours, days, or even longer.

Anyway, if you loved Lego as a child, or still love it even as a responsible adult, then here's a fun video I created for a University project, which gives a brief history of Lego.

If you love Lego, check out the video and share!

1932: The business was set up in Denmark by Ole Kirk Christian and his son, wooden toys were sold.

1949: The company produces Automatic Binding Bricks, which are the basics of the Lego bricks we know today.

1951: The building base with 10 x 20 studs was created.

1954: Lego windows and doors were created.

1959: Lego started to expand all over the world.

1961: Lego wheels were invented.

1964: Lego model cars were created.

1968: LegoLand Billund opened on and attracted over 3,000 visitors on the first day!

1972: Lego vehicles expanded to boat and ship sets which actually floated.

1978: The Lego man with moving arms, legs, and a friendly smile was invented.

1979: Lego space sets were introduced.

1984: Lego castle sets were invented.

1996: LegoLand Billund has had 25 million visitors since its opening in 1968.

1997: The first Lego video game was created.

1999: Lego Star Wars was introduced.

2001: Bob the Builder and Harry Potter Lego were created.

2003: Spiderman Lego was invented.

2006: Lego introduced SpongeBob SquarePants.

2008: Indiana Jones Lego was created.

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Here is a video I created for a University project which explains a brief history of Lego. If you love Lego, check out this video and share!

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Video Game History | Mario, Minecraft & More! | Kids Wiki

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Invention Of VIDEO GAME | The Dr. Binocs Show | Best Learning Video for Kids | Preschool Learning

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A brief history of video games (Part I) - Safwat Saleem

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Video games are electronic games played on a video screen (normally a television, a built-in screen when played on a handheld machine, or a computer).

There are many types, or genres, of these games: role-playing games; shooters, first-person shooters, side-scrollers, and platformers are just a few.

Video games usually come on CDs, DVDs or digital download. Many games used to come on cartridges. A specialised device used to play a video game at home is called a console. There have been many types of consoles and home computers used to play video games. Some of the first were the Atari 2600, the Sega Master System and Nintendo Entertainment System in the 1980s. Newer video game consoles are the Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Wii U. The best selling video game console of all time is the PlayStation 2, made by Sony.

People can also use PCs to play games, which are sometimes called PC games. The older consoles do not have new games developed for them often, although console games are emulated for PCs (see emulator). This means that new computers can play many old console games along with games made just for new computers. Older games are often more popular emulated than when they were first on sale, because of the ease of download.

People can play portable video games anywhere. Mobile devices (running operating systems such as iOS or Android) also can download games, making them portable game machines. Mobile phones have many games, some of them using a mobile emulator for games from consoles.

Competitions of video game players are called electronic sports.

History of video games

The first video game ever is often said to be a computer game called . In fact, some ideas of video games can be found before people made Spacewar!.

In the 1950s, when the first computers began to be made, three people had some ideas to create the basis of actual video games. In 1951, Ralph Baer, an American engineer of Loral Electronics, tried to create "the best television", proposing to add a gaming module, but his employer did not like his idea. Even if his idea was never realized, he is the first man to have thought of the idea of video games, later creating the first video game console, the Odyssey. Later, in 1952, A.S Douglas, of the Cambridge University in the UK, made a video game on a computer in order to illustrate one of his speeches. The game, called , was a tic-tac-toe game, with two players (the person itself and the opponent, the computer) .In 1953, Willy Higinbotham made a game called Tennis For Two, similar to the later , to entertain visitors to Brookhaven National Laboratory.

One of the most famous and one of the earliest video games ever is called Space Invaders. Space Invaders was made in 1978 as a coin operated arcade game but a version has been made for almost every game console and home computer ever available.

Components of a video game

To distinguish from electronic games, a video game is generally considered to require a platform, the hardware which contains computing elements, to process player interaction from some type of input device and displays the results to a video output display.

Video games require a platform, a specific combination of electronic components or computer hardware and associated software, to operate. The term system is also commonly used. Games are typically designed to be played on one or a limited number of platforms, and exclusivity to a platform is used as a competitive edge in the video game market. However, games may be developed for alternative platforms than intended, which are described as ports; these also may be remasters - where most of the original game's source code is reused while art assets, models, and game levels are updated for modern systems - and remakes, where in addition to asset improvements, significant reworking of the original game and possibly from scratch is performed.

The list below is not exhaustive and excludes other electronic devices capable of playing video games such as PDAs and graphing calculators.

Computer game

Most computer games are PC games, referring to those that involve a player interacting with a personal computer (PC) connected to a video monitor. Personal computers are not dedicated game platforms, so there may be differences running the same game on different hardware. Also, the openness allows some features to developers like reduced software cost, increased flexibility, increased innovation, emulation, creation of modifications or mods, open hosting for online gaming (in which a person plays a video game with people who are in a different household) and others. A gaming computer is a PC or laptop intended specifically for gaming, typically using high-performance, high-cost components. In additional to personal computer gaming, there also exist games that work on mainframe computers and other similarly shared systems, with users logging in remotely to use the computer.

Home console

A console game is played on a home console, a specialized electronic device that connects to a common television set or composite video monitor. Home consoles are specifically designed to play games using a dedicated hardware environment, giving developers a concrete hardware target for development and assurances of what features will be available, simplifying development compared to PC game development. Usually consoles only run games developed for it, or games from other platform made by the same company, but never games developed by its direct competitor, even if the same game is available on different platforms. It often comes with a specific game controller. Major console platforms include Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo.

Handheld console

A handheld gaming device is a small, self-contained electronic device that is portable and can be held in a user's hands. It features the console, a small screen, speakers and buttons, joystick or other game controllers in a single unit. Like consoles, handhelds are dedicated platforms, and share almost the same characteristics. Handheld hardware usually is less powerful than PC or console hardware. Some handheld games from the late 1970s and early 1980s could only play one game. In the 1990s and 2000s, a number of handheld games used cartridges, which enabled them to be used to play many different games. The handheld console has waned in the 2010s as mobile device gaming has become a more dominant factor.

Arcade video game

An arcade video game generally refers to a game played on an even more specialized type of electronic device that is typically designed to play only one game and is encased in a special, large coin-operated cabinet which has one built-in console, controllers (joystick, buttons, etc.), a CRT screen, and audio amplifier and speakers. Arcade games often have brightly painted logos and images relating to the theme of the game. While most arcade games are housed in a vertical cabinet, which the user typically stands in front of to play, some arcade games use a tabletop approach, in which the display screen is housed in a table-style cabinet with a see-through table top. With table-top games, the users typically sit to play. In the 1990s and 2000s, some arcade games offered players a choice of multiple games. In the 1980s, video arcades were businesses in which game players could use a number of arcade video games. In the 2010s, there are far fewer video arcades, but some movie theaters and family entertainment centers still have them.

Browser game

A browser game takes advantages of standardizations of technologies for the functionality of web browsers across multiple devices providing a cross-platform environment. These games may be identified based on the website that they appear, such as with Miniclip games. Others are named based on the programming platform used to develop them, such as Java and Flash games.

Mobile game

With the introduction of smartphones and tablet computers standardized on the iOS and Android operating systems, mobile gaming has become a significant platform. These games may utilize unique features of mobile devices that are not necessary present on other platforms, such as accelerometers, global positing information and camera devices to support augmented reality gameplay.

Cloud gaming

Cloud gaming requires a minimal hardware device, such as a basic computer, console, laptop, mobile phone or even a dedicated hardware device connected to a display with good Internet connectivity that connects to hardware systems by the cloud gaming provider. The game is computed and rendered on the remote hardware, using a number of predictive methods to reduce the network latency between player input and output on their display device. For example, the Xbox Cloud Gaming and PlayStation Now platforms use dedicated custom server blade hardware in cloud computing centers.

Virtual reality

Virtual reality (VR) games generally require players to use a special head-mounted unit that provides stereoscopic screens and motion tracking to immerse a player within virtual environment that responds to their head movements. Some VR systems include control units for the player's hands as to provide a direct way to interact with the virtual world. VR systems generally require a separate computer, console, or other processing device that couples with the head-mounted unit.

Emulation

An emulator enables games from a console or otherwise different system to be run in a type of virtual machine on a modern system, simulating the hardware of the original and allows old games to be played. While emulators themselves have been found to be legal in United States case law, the act of obtaining the game software that one does not already own may violate copyrights. However, there are some official releases of emulated software from game manufacturers, such as Nintendo with its Virtual Console or Nintendo Switch Online offerings.

Backward compatibility

Backward compatibility is similar in nature to emulation in that older games can be played on newer platforms, but typically directly though hardware and build-in software within the platform. For example, the PlayStation 2 is capable of playing original PlayStation games simply by inserting the original game media into the newer console, while Nintendo's Wii could play Nintendo GameCube titles as well in the same manner.

Early arcade games, home consoles, and handheld games were dedicated hardware units with the game's logic built into the electronic componentry of the hardware. Since then, most video game platforms are considered programmable, having means to read and play multiple games distributed on different types of media or formats. Physical formats include ROM cartridges, magnetic storage including magnetic tape data storage and floppy discs, optical media formats including CD-ROM and DVDs, and flash memory cards. Furthermore digital distribution over the Internet or other communication methods as well as cloud gaming alleviate the need for any physical media. In some cases, the media serves as the direct read-only memory for the game, or it may be the form of installation media that is used to write the main assets to the player's platform's local storage for faster loading periods and later updates.

Games can be extended with new content and software patches through either expansion packs which are typically available as physical media, or as downloadable content nominally available via digital distribution. These can be offered freely or can be used to monetize a game following its initial release. Several games offer players the ability to create user-generated content to share with others to play. Other games, mostly those on personal computers, can be extended with user-created modifications or mods that alter or add onto the game; these often are unofficial and were developed by players from reverse engineering of the game, but other games provide official support for modding the game.

Input device

Video game can use several types of input devices to translate human actions to a game. Most common are the use of game controllers like gamepads and joysticks for most consoles, and as accessories for personal computer systems along keyboard and mouse controls. Common controls on the most recent controllers include face buttons, shoulder triggers, analog sticks, and directional pads ("d-pads"). Similar control sets are built into handheld consoles and onto arcade cabinets. Newer technology improvements have incorporated additional technology into the controller or the game platform, such as touchscreens and motion detection sensors that give more options for how the player interacts with the game. Specialized controllers may be used for certain genres of games, including racing wheels, light guns and dance pads. Digital cameras and motion detection can capture movements of the player as input into the game, which can, in some cases, effectively eliminate the control, while on other systems such as virtual reality, are used to enhance immersion into the game.

Display and output

By definition, all video games are intended to output graphics to an external video display, such as cathode-ray tube televisions, newer liquid-crystal display (LCD) televisions and built-in screens, projectors or computer monitors, depending on the type of platform the game is played on. Features such as color depth, refresh rate, frame rate, and screen resolution are a combination of the limitations of the game platform and display device and the program efficiency of the game itself. The game's output can range from fixed displays using LED or LCD elements, text-based games, two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphics, and augmented reality displays.

The game's graphics are often accompanied by sound produced by internal speakers on the game platform or external speakers attached to the platform, as directed by the game's programming. This often will include sound effects tied to the player's actions to provide audio feedback, as well as background music for the game.

Some platforms support additional feedback mechanics to the player that a game can take advantage of. This is most commonly haptic technology built into the game controller, such as causing the controller to shake in the player's hands to simulate a shaking earthquake occurring in game.

Related pages

Images for kids

After Pong, the Atari 2600 was the first game console to achieve widespread success and awareness.

A typical ESRB rating label, listing the rating and specific content descriptors for Rabbids Go Home.

Spacewar! is credited as the first widely available and influential computer game.

Pong was the first arcade game to ever receive universal acclaim.

The on-screen instructions from Will Crowther's 1976 game Colossal Cave Adventure.

Space Invaders was a popular game during the golden age. The game introduced many elements which would become standard in video games.

In Spanish: Videojuego para niños

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Download FREE teacher-made resources covering 'Video Games'

Video games can be used for entertainment and relaxation, but they can also be used for competitions and for computer learning. Some video games are designed to help improve fine motor skills and hand-eye co-ordination.

The first video games were prototyped in the 1950s and 1960s, by the 1970s there was a whole industry created around video games. In fact, there were so many video games being produced that in 1983, the industry was in crisis because too many low-quality games were being made.

This crisis led to video game manufacturers and publishers being very careful about what video games they produced, and during the 2000s, most video games were being made by large companies. However, the rise of the internet allowed small developers to start making their own games, which are referred to as Indie Games.

For many years video games were considered a hobby or a pastime, but in the late 2000s, electronic sports began to rise in popularity. Electronic sports, or Esports, are competitions between professional video game players.

The Origin of Video Games

The first video games were created as far back as the 1950s, as computer scientists created simple electronic games in order to see what computers could do. Very simple games such as tic-tac-toe could be programmed into early computers, and these were used as demonstrations to show how powerful the computers were. One of the lesser-known facts about video games is that many early developers did not think that they would be popular, and only used them for testing the computer's capabilities.

The first video game to be distributed was developed during 1961-62, and was called ' Spacewar!'. Using very simple graphics, two players could simulate a space battle. In the 1970s, computer programmers created programming languages, which made it easier for people to make programs, including video games. More and more computer programmers began to develop their own games, as people began to see the potential in video games.

This accelerated the speed at which video games were developing, and before long the first arcade video game and the first home video game console were created and distributed. Arcades had previously consisted of mechanical games such as claw machines, but during this decade video games began to take over.

The Rise of Video Games

The first successful arcade video game was Pong, which was released in 1972. This simple game allows two players to compete in a table tennis game, and scores are recorded at the top of the screen. Although it seems simple by today's standards, at the time this game was revolutionary.

As news and facts about video games spread, and the industry grew larger and larger, programmers in the UK, US, Russia, Japan and many other countries began to make their own video games. Some programmers took the basic ideas of one game and copied it, adding new elements. Others experimented with brand-new concepts, some of which became popular hits. The table-tennis format of Pong was replicated many times, but other types of games such as shooters and adventure games soon became even more popular.

This led to a huge boom in video game production and sales during the 1970s and early 1980s, which is referred to as the ' Golden Age' of arcade video games. Some of the most iconic and popular video games were created during this era, including Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Asteroids, Breakout, Galaga, and Donkey Kong.

The Video Game Crash

However, this all changed in 1983. The video game market experienced a crash, because there were too many video games being created that were poorly programmed. Lots of cheap copies of popular games were flooding the market, and this damaged the video game industry because there seemed to be a lack of innovation and quality control.

This led to video game creators and manufacturers to increase the standards for video games. Some video game developers created new ways to ensure quality, such as the cartridge-based video game system. This system allowed video game producers to check the quality of games being produced for their consoles, as programmers had to get approval to publish a game before it could be made.

This in turn led to the rise of third-party developers, which are companies that produce video games to be played on consoles that they did not create themselves. In modern times, the vast majority of video game production companies are third-party developers.

The Modern Video Game Market

One of the most important aspects of the video game market is innovation, as people are more likely to buy a new game if it offers them something new. This has caused video game hardware such as consoles to evolve very quickly. During the 50+ year history of video game consoles, there have been nine generations of hardware, each one improving on the last.

In the early years of gaming, the home console market was very diverse, with lots of companies competing with each other. Examples of these include Atari, Mattel, and Fairchild. During the 1980s, several new companies became prominent that are still popular today, such as Sega and Nintendo. Nintendo popularised the handheld console, a game system that was small and portable.

By the late 1990s, many of the older video game companies had gone out of business or moved on to other markets, and new companies moved in to take their place. During the 2000s, the main video game companies were Sony with the PlayStation, Microsoft with the Xbox, and Nintendo with the DS and the Wii. These three companies remain the biggest video game producers to this day.

Types of Video Games

Video games come in many different types, just like how movies and books come in different genres. Some games require players to control a single character and complete puzzles or challenges, while others require players to use strategy to direct huge armies into battle. Some games challenge players to manage a virtual environment such as a zoo or a town, while others allow players to take part in simulated sports with their friends online.

Here are some examples of types of video games:

What are Esports?

Esports are competitions that use video games. These are often organised tournaments between professional players, with large prize pools. The type of video game that is used for Esports varies, as there are Esports tournaments for first-person shooter games, fighting games, card games, real-time strategy games and multiplayer online battle arena games.

Just like real sports, Esports requires a lot of dedication and training in order to compete at a professional level. Many of the most successful Esports competitors train as a full-time job, making money through streaming and sponsorships.

How Can Video Games be used for learning?

There are lots of ways in which video games can be used to assist in learning and education. Most video games involve some form of problem-solving or strategic thinking. The use of input controls such as a controller or a keyboard can help to improve fine motor skills and hand-eye co-ordination.

Some video games are designed specifically for educational purposes, these teach players as they play the game. Topics such as history, geography, science, music, and art can be taught through interactive games in much the same way as they are taught using documentaries or informational videos.

Fun Facts About Video Games

The first console to use cartridges was the Fairchild Channel F, which was released in 1976.

Over five million different video games have been published since the 1970s.

The first educational video game was called Logo programming, and was released in 1967.

The highest prize pool for an Esports competition is $40,000,000.

The best-selling video game console of all time is the PlayStation 2.

Video Games Resources Available to Download

There are lots of other resources packed with facts about video games that are available to download, such as this Game Design Resource Pack. You can use this resource in a Computing lesson to teach students how to create their own basic video games. This lesson pack contains everything you need to plan and teach a lesson about creating simple video games.

There are also lots of resources that are available to download that cover the topic of video games, such as this Video Game Review Templates Pack, which challenges students to write a review including opinion and facts about video games. This resource is differentiated based on difficulty, so you can choose one of three versions to suit the needs of your lesson plan.

If you want to include and arts and crafts activity in your lesson plan, you can use this Create a Video Game Character Worksheet. This activity sheet allows students to design their own video game character, including what clothes they wear, what equipment they use, and what their mission is.

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What are Video Games? - Fun Facts about Video Games for Students and Teachers

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Teaching a lesson about video games? Find out some fun facts about video games and learn about the history of the video game industry.

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What is Play-Doh compound? Facts and information - Twinkl

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Play-Doh compound is an amazing modelling material that children can use in both crafts and education. Play-Doh matieral comes in a variety of colours and is the perfect way to encourage learning through play. While Play-Doh is a lot of fun, it can also help to develop a range of skills in young children.

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Play-Doh (similar to " dough") is a modeling compound used by young children for arts and crafts projects at home. It is composed of flour, water, salt, borax, and mineral oil. The product was first manufactured in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, as a wallpaper cleaner in the 1930s. The product was reworked and marketed to Cincinnati schools in the mid-1950s. Play-Doh was demonstrated at an educational convention in 1956 and prominent department stores opened retail accounts. Advertisements promoting Play-Doh on influential children's television shows in 1957 furthered the product's sales. Since its launch on the toy market in the mid-1950s, Play-Doh has generated a considerable amount of ancillary merchandise such as The Fun Factory. In 2003, the Toy Industry Association named Play-Doh in its "Century of Toys List".

The non-toxic, non-staining, reusable modeling compound that came to be known as "Play-Doh" was a pliable, putty-like substance concocted by Noah McVicker of Cincinnati-based soap manufacturer Kutol Products. It was devised at the request of Kroger Grocery, which wanted a product that could clean coal residue from wallpaper. Following World War II, with the transition from coal-based home heating to natural gas and the resulting decrease in internal soot, and the introduction of washable vinyl-based wallpaper, the market for wallpaper cleaning putty decreased substantially. McVicker's nephew, Joe McVicker, joined Kutol with the remit to save the company from bankruptcy. Joe McVicker was the brother-in-law of nursery school teacher Kay Zufall, who had seen a newspaper article about making art projects with the wallpaper cleaning putty. Her students enjoyed it, and she persuaded Noah McVicker (who also sold the putty) and Joe McVicker to manufacture it as a child's toy. Zufall and her husband came up with the name Play-Doh; Joe McVicker and his uncle Noah had wanted to call it "Rainbow Modeling Compound".

Joe McVicker took Play-Doh to an educational convention for manufacturers of school supplies, and Woodward & Lothrop, a department store in Washington, DC began selling the compound. In 1956, the McVickers formed the Rainbow Crafts Company to make and sell Play-Doh. Also in 1956, a three-pack of 7-ounce cans was added to the product line, and, after in-store demonstrations, Macy's of New York and Marshall Field's of Chicago opened retail accounts. In 1957, chemist Dr. Tien Liu reduced Play-Doh's salt content (thus allowing models to dry without losing their color), and Play-Doh ads were telecast on Captain Kangaroo, Ding Dong School, and Romper Room. In 1958, Play-Doh's sales reached nearly $3 million.

Subsequent developments

In 1964, Play-Doh was exported to Britain, France, and Italy. In the 1980s, its cardboard can (with a rust-prone metal bottom) was replaced with a more cost effective plastic container. By 1965, Rainbow Crafts was issued a patent for Play-Doh. Also in 1965, General Mills purchased Rainbow Crafts and all rights to Play-Doh for $3 million, placing the compound with its Kenner Products subsidiary. In 1971, Rainbow Crafts and Kenner Products merged, and, in 1987, the Tonka Corporation bought the two. In 1991, Hasbro became Play-Doh's owner, and continues to manufacture the product today through its preschool division. In 1996, gold and silver were added to Play-Doh's palette to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

Play-Doh packaging was briefly illustrated with children in the mid-1950s, but replaced by the Play-Doh pixie, an elf mascot which, in 1960, was superseded by Play-Doh Pete, a smock and beret-wearing cartoonish boy. By 2002, Play-Doh Pete's beret had been replaced with a baseball cap. Since 2011, living Play-Doh cans named the Doh-Dohs have been seen in advertisements.

Ingredients

Play-Doh's current manufacturer, Hasbro, reveals the compound is primarily a mixture of water, salt, and flour, while its 2004 United States patent indicates it is composed of water, a starch-based binder, a retrogradation inhibitor, salt, lubricant, surfactant, preservative, hardener, humectant, fragrance, and color. A petroleum additive gives the compound a smooth feel, and borax prevents mold from developing. Play-Doh contains some wheat and may cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic to wheat gluten. It is not intended to be eaten.

Related merchandise

In 1960, the Play-Doh Fun Factory (a toy press that extrudes the compound in various shapes) was invented by Bob Boggild and Bill Dale. The Play-Doh Fuzzy Pumper Barber & Beauty Shop of 1977 and Mop Top Hair Shop of 1986 featured a figurine whose extruded "hair" could be styled. In 1995 an educational software CD-ROM game, Play-Doh Creations was released. In 2003, the Play-Doh Creativity Table was sold. Play-Doh related merchandise introduced during the 2007 anniversary year included the Play-Doh Birthday Bucket, the Play-Doh Fifty Colors Pack, the Fuzzy Pumper Crazy Cuts (a reworking of the 1977 Fuzzy Pumper Barber & Beauty Shop), and the Play-Doh Creativity Center. In 2012, "Play-Doh Plus" was introduced. It is lighter, more pliable, and softer than regular Play-Doh.

Cultural impact

More than two billion cans of Play-Doh were sold between 1955 and 2005, and, in 2005, Play-Doh was being sold in 75 countries at 95 million cans a year. In the United States, more than 6,000 stores carry Play-Doh.

To mark Play-Doh's fiftieth anniversary, Demeter Fragrance Library created a limited-edition fragrance inspired by Play-Doh's distinctive odor for "highly-creative people, who seek a whimsical scent reminiscent of their childhood."

Play-Doh was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong in Rochester, New York, in 1998.

In 2003, the Toy Industry Association placed Play-Doh into its "Century of Toys List", a roll call of the 100 most memorable and most creative toys of the twentieth century.

In April 2, 2015, 20th Century Fox announced to work on a movie with Hasbro Studio along with the subsidiary company Allspark Pictures and Chernin Entertainment producing, Jason Micallef writing, and Paul Feig directing from his production company Feigco.

In Spanish: Play-Doh para niños

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Electronic games are games run by computer technology. They are also called video games. People play electronic games on personal computers, in video arcades, on home...

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The Amazing World of Video Game Development

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How Crayola Makes Their Signature Crayons

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How Crayola Makes Their Signature Crayons! | Home Factory | House to Home

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The History of Video Game Consoles | TIME

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This Man Invented the World's First Video Game Console

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This Man Invented the World's First Video Game Console

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How the inventor of Mario designs a game

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Lego Manufacturers: The Kristiansen Family

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Who Invented Computers? Colossal Questions

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Who Invented Computers? Colossal Questions

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Who Invented Computers? | COLOSSAL QUESTIONS

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(1791–1871). English mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage is credited with having conceived the first automatic digital computer. He also designed a type of speedometer…

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Imagine if your laptop weighed 24 pounds but only had a 5 inch screen. Back in 1981, this "laptop" was considered high tech! Today, such a laptop would be a joke.

The history of computers is weird and interesting. Even though most of the technology we will discuss is super old and not used anymore, the concepts used back then are still used today. To be clear, this article is mainly concerned with the history of computer hardware (no software, internet, mobile devices, video games, or robotics). Why are code mistakes called bugs? How powerful was the computer that landed man on the moon? Continue reading to find out!

Discover the History of Computer Hardware for Kids

Early computers (pre 1900s)

1. The abacus was the very first device used to help compute numbers, so it's technically a computer! An abacus is a device with multiple parallel strings with each string having several beads. Archaeologists have found abaci (plural for abacus) everywhere from Egypt, the Middle East, India, and China. The earliest date back to 1100 BCE according to Encyclopedia Britanica.

2. Between 1820-1833, British mathematician Charles Babbage spent time designing proposals for a mechanical computer to be used to help the British government with navigation calculations. Babbage came up with a machine called the Analytical Engine. The Analytical Engine could store one thousand 50 digit numbers, can evaluate conditional statements, and take in custom inputs that affected the output. Although it never got built during his time, the ideas behind Babbage's Analytical Engine can still be seen in today's computers.

3. While the Analytical Engine was simply an idea, in 1843 French mathematician Ada Lovelace published some algorithms the Analytical Engine could use to compute the Bernoulli numbers, a number sequence that appears often in calculus. She is often considered history's first computer programmer!

The first supercomputers

1. Due to World War II, the US government funded many initiatives to develop electronic computers to perform military related calculations. Completed in 1946, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania built the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), considered the first supercomputer. It used punch cards as input and output.

2. At the time the ENIAC was revolutionary - calculations that took 12 hours by hand took 30 seconds on ENIAC. The ENIAC can perform 5,000 calculations per second but took up 1500 square feet of space and weighed 30 tons. To put that in perspective the iPhone 6 from 2014 can perform 25 billion calculations per second but weighs 4.55 ounces. The computer was so large and inefficient because the ENIAC used large and unreliable vacuum tubes to control circuit flow.

3. In 1947, a different supercomputer at Harvard University called Mark II all of a sudden delivered incorrect calculations. It turns out that the reason for the wrong results was due to a bug, a real moth stuck in a circuit! Grace Hopper, a mathematician and technician for the computer, taped the moth into a notebook and thus the world's first computer bug was born. Grace Hopper is also well known for developing the first English text based programming language, COBOL.

The first computer chips

1. In 1958 Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce invented the integrated circuit. What used to take a room of vacuum tubes can now be downsized into a small piece of silicon containing thousands of microscopic switches. The silicon contains microscopic layers of different metals, these layers would form paths around the silicon similar to wires in larger computers. With the silicon chip, computers became a lot faster and cheaper.

2. In 1969 NASA sent astronauts to the moon on Apollo 11. The computer on the command module used silicon computer chips. While the Apollo 11 computer brought man on the moon the computer is weak compared to today's devices. For example, a handheld TI-84 graphing calculator is 350 times faster and has 32 times more RAM memory than the Apollo 11 computer. A 2014 iPhone 6 is 32,600 times faster than the Apollo 11 computer and could perform 120 million times more calculations per second!

The rise of personal computers - rapid fire facts

Now we are getting to some technology and names that will be more familiar. Most of this information was sourced from here.

The first computer mouse was invented in 1968. It consisted of a wood block with two buttons and a wheel underneath, even though point and click computers with graphical user interfaces (GUIs) did not exist yet. The box with the wire behind it reminded people of mice.

In 1971, IBM developed the floppy disk (the save icon image). Floppy disks made it easy to transfer data between computers.

1. In 1973, Xerox introduced ethernet (wired internet). Ethernet enabled computers to connect to each other.

2. In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen started Microsoft. They wrote code for the Altair 8080, a popular home kit built computer.

3. In 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple and produce the Apple I. The Apple I is considered the first computer with a single circuit board.In 1981, the first laptop was invented, the Osborne 1. It weighed 24 pounds but only had a 5 inch screen!

4. In 1983, Apple's Lisa computer became the first computer to have a GUI, dropdown menus, and icons for programs. Before Apple's Lisa, using a computer required knowing how to type commands.

5. In 1997, IBM's Deep Blue supercomputer defeated the world's top ranked chess player. Deep Blue could calculate 200 million potential chess moves per second.

6. In 1999, Wi-Fi was invented. Before this all computers connected to the internet had to use a wired Ethernet connection.

7. In 2000, USB and USB flash drives were introduced. USB drives were smaller and can hold more data than floppy disks.In 2005, the first Arduino kits were introduced. People can build simple programmable devices using Arduino kits. (Learn more about Arduinos with Create & Learn's class!)

Written by Brandon Lim, a Create & Learn instructor and curriculum developer. Brandon also works full-time as a software engineer and holds a BS in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University. Brandon has experience teaching coding to students of all ages from elementary school to college and is excited to share his deep knowledge and relentless passion for coding with the next generation of technology leaders.
Learn the History of Computers for Kids

If computers have improved so much these past few decades, imagine what the future holds! After learning about the history of computers, it's now time for you to make your mark You can become the next Ada Lovelace or Steve Jobs! You can invent the next great revolution in computers. Register for kid-friendly computer programming courses on Create & Learn today!

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History of Computers for Kids: The Ultimate GUide

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Imagine if your laptop weighed 24 pounds but only had a 5 inch screen. Back in 1981, this "laptop" was considered high tech! Today, such a laptop would be a joke. The history of computers is weird and interesting.

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Crayons's Creative Journey | History of Crayons | Color the World | Crayola | Bright and Beautiful

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Top 10 LEGO Facts! National Geographic Kids

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Top 10 LEGO Facts! National Geographic Kids

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Love playing with LEGO? Check out top 10 LEGO facts below. Plus, find out who won our LEGO City Space competition...
LEGO City Space competition update!

We're thrilled to announce that the winner of our LEGO City Space competition is eight-year-old Dylan! Dylan's space craft, 'Space Spinner', includes a rotating bunk bed, space rock laboratory, a forested green space for growing food, and a climbing wall and karaoke machine to keep the astronauts entertained! There's even a human hamster wheel that allows the astronauts to generate their own power.

20 runners-up also also scooped LEGO City Space sets and a subscription to Nat Geo Kids magazine - cool!

LEGO-lovers! Check out these fascinating LEGO facts, below...

1. LEGO's founder, Ole Kirk Christiansen, created the name "LEGO" from taking the first two letters of the Danish words LEG GODT, meaning " play well ".

2. If you put the 340 million Minifigures produced last year next to each other in a line, it would stretch a whopping 7,900 km - that's almost the distance from London, UK to Beijing, China!

3. The famous LEGO brick that we play with today is more than 50 years old. The bricks made way back in 1958 will still fit perfectly with those you play with today!

4. The moulds used to produce LEGO bricks are accurate to within two-thousandth of a millimetre ( 0.002 mm!). Because of this high degree of accuracy, there are only around 18 bricks in every million produced that fail to meet the company's high quality standard.

5. The world's tallest LEGO tower is 28.7m high, made from with 465,000 bricks!

6. LEGO Minifigures are the world's largest population, with over 4 billion of them around the world!

7. During the Christmas season almost 28 LEGO sets are sold each second. Yikes!

8. At LEGO attractions, such as LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester, people are hired as " Master Model Builders ". Cool job!

9. Laid end to end, the number of LEGO bricks sold in a year would reach more than five times round the world.

10. On average there are 80 LEGO bricks for every person on earth.

Wow! Pretty amazing, huh?

If you fancy diving into a whole load of LEGO fun, be sure to check out LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester, where there are over 3 million LEGO bricks all under one roof!

You'll be able to see the famous buildings of Manchester built entirely out of LEGO, reach out and touch the stars in the 4D cinema and learn LEGO building secrets from a special Master Model Builder. Yay!

Plus, you can set out on your own LEGO adventure in an awesome off-road LEGO vehicle!...

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10 top LEGO facts! - National Geographic Kids

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Love playing with LEGO? Check out top 10 LEGO facts below. Plus, find out who won our LEGO City Space competition... We're thrilled to announce that the winner of our LEGO City Space competition is eight-year-old Dylan!

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It has come a long way over the past 90 years - from a small carpenter's workshop to a modern, global enterprise that is now one of the world's largest manufacturers of toys.

The LEGO brick is our most important product. We are proud to have been named "Toy of the Century" twice. Our products have undergone extensive development over the years - but the foundation remains the traditional LEGO brick.

The brick in its present form was launched in 1958. The interlocking principle with its tubes makes it unique and offers unlimited building possibilities. It's just a matter of getting the imagination going - and letting a wealth of creative ideas emerge through play.

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The LEGO Group history - About Us - LEGO.com

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The name ‘LEGO’ is an abbreviation of the two Danish words “leg godt”, meaning “play well”. It’s our name and it’s our ideal.

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© Ekaterina_Minaeva/Shutterstock.com

LEGO plastic building blocks are toys that gained great popularity in the mid-20th century. The simple, child-friendly design of interlocking bricks has entertained children and adults for years. Consumers can build their own creations with the blocks or can buy kits that include instructions and blocks to build a specific project. Various kits exist, including Star Wars vehicles, police and fire stations, Minecraft arenas, and race cars.

LEGO blocks originated in the Billund, Denmark, workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen. He began making wooden toys in 1932. Two years later he named his company LEGO after the Danish phrase leg godt ("play well"). In 1949 LEGO produced its first plastic brick, which was similar to the now well-known brick with interlocking studs on the top and tubes on the bottom. Christiansen's son Godtfred Kirk, who replaced his father as the head of the company, patented the brick in 1958. The basic LEGO brick has remained the same since it was patented.

LEGO bricks quickly became a hit throughout Europe. In 1968 the first LEGOLAND theme park opened in Billund. It offered rides and attractions and featured large LEGO models. Additional parks were later established in other locations around the world. In 1969 the company started selling the DUPLO line of larger bricks for young children. In 1978 LEGO introduced Minifigures, the humanlike figures that were often included in the company's themed play sets. The company launched MINDSTORMS products in 1998. MINDSTORMS are packs of customized bricks to make programmable robots.

The popularity of LEGO blocks remained strong throughout the end of the 20th and into the 21st century. LEGO was among the first inductees to the U.S. National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2000 multiple authorities named LEGO "Toy of the Century." People have used LEGO blocks to create everything from massive replicas of famous monuments (such as the Eiffel Tower and Mount Rushmore) to modern art.

LEGO began to expand its offerings in the 21st century with electronic games. These included a series of popular Minifigure action-adventure games centered on the Star Wars films, Batman, Marvel Comics superheroes, and the Harry Potter books. The LEGO Movie (2014) and The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (2019) were computer-animated feature films based on the Minifigures. One of the characters, Batman, was the subject of a stand-alone film, The LEGO Batman Movie (2017). The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017) was a computer-animated martial arts comedy.

The company continued to add innovative products. In 2020 LEGO introduced DOTS, a series of flat tiles that snap on a base. Children can use DOTS to make customizable accessories, such as bracelets, and home décor items, such as picture frames and pencil holders.

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LEGO plastic building blocks are toys that gained great popularity in the mid-20th century. The simple, child-friendly design of interlocking bricks has entertained children...