You know that we are fans of Fisher Price on the Lilypad and since being founded back in 1930, Fisher Price has been providing quality toys for children for nearly a century. Join us in taking a look at just part of the toy manufacturer’s rich history.
Fisher Price has always successfully combined education and enjoyment, ensuring that children have fun while they learn. In their early years, their toys were made with pine and heavy steel parts. They would resist splintering and hold up well to constant use. The first toy the company ever sold was Mr Doodle in 1931. It wasn’t long until they discovered that they could have better designs and brighter colours on toys by using plastic, with Buzzy Bee being their first toy to make full use of plastic. By the end of the 1950s, 39 Fisher Price toys were made that incorporated plastics.
One of Fisher Price’s oldest, but still much loved, products is the Rock-A-Stack. First introduced in 1960, the Rock-A-Stack is an interactive toy in which different coloured rings have to be placed onto a pole in order of size. It is ideal for helping children develop their hand eye coordination, as well as being a great way for them to learn about different colours.
Little People for little hands
Little People, Fisher Price’s most popular toy range, was brought in during the 1960s. Argos sell Fisher Price Little People, maintaining the high standards the company has always been recognised for. The Little People line includes figures of people and animals, and various play sets to interact with. The figures were originally wooden, but are now moulded from plastic, which allows for more detailed features.
By including electronics in the range, Little People toys can now talk and sing for the first time. This provides the most interactive and realistic collection Little People has ever had. You can even get poseable figures, making the Little People experience all the more fun. Since their creation over 50 years ago, Fisher Price’s Little People have entertained children all over the world. With the collection being as popular now as it ever was, you can expect Little People to stick around for a while yet.
Fun on wheels
In 1970 the Chatter Telephone was introduced, and it has been one of their best selling products. The toy is a phone with a smiley face set on four wheels. When pulled along it makes a fun chattering sound. The Chatter Telephone has always been popular amongst children, and when the company tried to replace the classic rotary dial with buttons and lights in 2000, consumers complained and the rotary device was returned the following year.
The Power Wheels range was established in the 1980s and is a set of battery powered ride-on toy cars for children aged between 1 and 7. The brand was purchased by Mattel in 1994 and immediately became a part of Fisher Price’s range.
In the late 1990s Fisher Price launched their Rescue Heroes range. The toys depict various recue personnel and the equipment they would use. The range was so popular that in 1999 an animated series was released. There have since been various Rescue Heroes cartoons on a number of channels, and in 2003 there was even a movie.
These days, consumers have access to a range of Fisher Price toys, from classic originals to new, modern creations. The Fisher Price collections available today are just as fun and educational as they have ever been. The high standards and quality that the company is recognised for are maintained in every product, and it is still a joy to watch children play with them.
