The Etch-A-Sketch, invented by André Granjean, was first publicly sold fifty years ago today for $2.99:

The Etch A Sketch, now sold in the UK by Mattel at £14.99, fast became one of the world’s most popular toys, earning it a place in the exclusive US Toy Hall of Fame, along with only 43 other classic toys.

In an increasingly technological toy market, the original Etch A Sketch, with its iconic red frame, continues to hold its own amongst the likes of the Nintendo DS.

In fact, the timeless toy – which was named one of the century’s top toys in 2008 – has seen a 20 per cent rise in worldwide sales this year.

Link | Photo by Flickr user star5112 used under Creative Commons license

Previously on Neatorama:
The Master of Etch-A-Sketch
Etch-A-Sketch President

James R. Rummel is a self-defense and home security blogger. His current project is to create a thorough first aid kit for a family of four which includes two children. He's never raised children, so he asks readers what they would put in such a first aid kit.

In addition to what he's thought of already, I suggest age-appropriate ibuprofen, acetaminophen, Benadryl, antibiotic ointment, hand wipes, and a nasal aspirator.

What do you consider to be the first aid essentials for children?

http://hellinahandbasket.net/?p=4213 | Photo: OSHA

Treat your kids with dignity and respect. Remember: someday, they'll change your diapers and dress you.

I'm not certain, but I think that this cartoon is by Jim Benton. The signature is hard to read.

via reddit

(YouTube Link)

The four-year old daughter of YouTube user PattyAnnAmy had a tantrum while in the shoe department of a store. The mother holding the camera knows how to make social networking technology work to her benefit. She says, "Stop crying, or I'm going to put this on YouTube."

via Urlesque

My wife and I just got a Moby Wrap. It's a long strip of stretchy fabric that you can wrap around yourself in order to carry your baby. There are all sorts of different positions -- even for twins or while nursing.

Anyway, the instruction manual showed one man with a camo pattern wrap. That's really clever, because when you're hunting, you need both hands free, if for no other reason than to handle a bow or long gun properly. Not to mention the messy work of field dressing a deer. Good thinking, Moby Wraps!

Link

A British woman was shocked to find a picture of her naked three year-old son on Google Street View. The boy was playing in his grandmother's yard when a Google Street View car drove by and snapped his picture:

Shocked Claire, who lives on the same road as her mother, said she had no idea the pictures had been taken and accused Google of invading her son's privacy.

She said: 'I just felt sick to my stomach when I saw the naked picture of Louis on the internet. I'm angry, disgusted and upset about it - they should be checking every image before it goes up.

Link via Geekologie | Photo: Google

A year ago, we posted a video of a man who was able to use the suction of a vacuum cleaner to climb the side of a building. More recently, British schoolboy Hibiki Kono decided to build one for himself:

The lad, who is a big fan of the superhero, spent five months designing and making the gadget. He attached two giant suckerpads to the 1,400-watt cleaners - and uses the vacuum suction to grip the wall and support his weight.

The lad, who attends King's College School in Cambridge, said: "I used to dress up as Spiderman when I was younger and I love all the films.

Link via DVICE | Photo: Geoff Robinson Photography/News International/ZUMA Press

5-year-old Christian Bentley, who has leukemia, loves Star Wars. So the Make-A-Wish Foundation decided to build him a huge playhouse designed to look like the Millennium Falcon from that franchise. The Foundation contracted Little Mountain Productions, a custom builder of church facilities, to do the job.

Battling an ear infection, Christian appeared overwhelmed by the whole ordeal, at times rubbing his eyes and shaking his head in front of a crowd that included Star Wars characters including Storm Troopers and an Imperial Guard.

Union Public Schools' Moore Elementary School raised the roughly $5,100 it took to grant Christian's wish.

Little Mountain Productions of Tulsa, which designs and creates sets, stages, special effects and props, built the playset, a replica of the Millennium Falcon spaceship featured in the "Star Wars" movies.

The base of the clubhouse was erected by volunteers from Simmons Homes.

"This is definitely one of the most creative wishes we've ever done," said Jane Rohweder, director of development for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma. "The wish he had took so many people, so many volunteers to make it happen. It's really been a community effort."

Below, the first gallery link shows photos of how the playhouse was built. The second gallery link and the story link provide information about the installation of the project.

Gallery and Gallery and Story Link | Photo: Little Mountain Productions

Etsy seller GeekUnique sells crib-sized quilts designed to resemble classic 8-bit video game characters. Her options include Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Ms. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Link, and Q-Bert (above).

Link via technabob | Photo: GeekUnique

(YouTube Link)

The Mr. T Mobile (get it?) plays the theme music to The A-Team while five B.A. Baracus heads rotate for your baby's amusement. Sadly, this appears to be a custom job, and not mass-produced. It was made by author and comedian Shed Simove.

Nota bene: the link at the end of the video is NSFW.

via Great White Snark | Previously: Bioshock Mobile

(YouTube Link)

The young son of YouTube user Bradleycharris had a loose tooth. He proposed to remove it by tying a string to model rocket and launching it into the sky. Of course, the idle wish of any child should be indulged at any time.

via reddit

Craftster user NameThatCandy crocheted a diaper cover that looks like a uniform from the original Star Trek. Nice handiwork, but putting your child in a red shirt seems like asking for trouble.

http://geekcrafts.com/star-trek-diaper-cover/ via Geek Crafts

(cross-posted at NeatoGeek)

When I was eleven years old, my family went to Europe for a month. It was a very fast-paced trip. We went to Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. We once got lost and ended up in far western Austria.

Years later, my parents explained to me why they had gone to the great expense of the trip: they wanted me to have the mind-broadening experience of traveling in a foreign country. They themselves had lived in South America for two years before I was born, and my father had worked for months at a time in western Europe. These were experiences that expanded Mom and Dad's cultural awareness, and they felt that it was important for me to acquire them as well. I'm glad that they did.

Except for excursions to northern Mexico, it is financially unlikely that I shall ever again travel abroad. So I'm glad that I was able to encounter other cultures in their native environments. I want my children to have this, too.

Does international travel play a role in the education of your children?

If you could take your children anywhere in the world for a week, all expenses paid, where would you go?

Photo: NASA

Helen Bannerman (1862–1946) wrote children's books, some of them now quite controversial. Among them was the 1904 work The Story of Little Kettle-Head. It's about a young pyromaniac who sets herself on fire and underwent a crude cybernetic conversion to replace her destroyed head. So it's sort of like The Six Million Dollar Man, except that it probably didn't cost more than five dollars. Also, there's misogynistic mutilation by boys, aided by a father figure. All in all, a freaky work of children's literature. Enjoy.

Link via The Presurfer

Cartoonist Natalie Dee examined the socioeconomic commentary expressed in the lyrics of the children's song "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." Two more images at the link.

Link via reddit

Previously:
The Periodic Table of Smellements
They Set Our Castle on Fire!