Anything that combines retro-toys with tech gets my stamp of approval. And – especially because the Etch-A-Sketch hasn’t change the main font of their name since forever ago – I have a soft spot for that analog wonder. Arduino + Etch-A-Sketch makes me wish that I completed more than three of the 160-in-1 electrontic projects in that kit my parents gave me in the 80’s with the hopes that I’d understand all this “computer stuff” and take care of them in their old age. But I digress. Techno-mashups like this are simply inspiring.
Edward Firnhaber of Worms, Nebraska dreamed up this baby walker on a track back in 1900 when railroads were all the rage. The purpose of his “simple and efficient device” was to teach a baby to walk and move in a “predetermined confinement without annoyance or irritation.” Seems like a great way to learn how to walk – IN CIRCLES.
Leon Bernadzikiewicz must have had an energetic kid back in 1913. His patented “run around the table until you pass out contraption”, also known as an “Exercising Device”, was either the work of parenting genius or an example of “outdated” cruelty to kids. As a plus, it doubled as a dining table. I wonder if it came with a matching Lazy Susan.
This is a great list of many of the things that our kids will never know about. We can find a few gaps, like the “auto-reverse” function of a Walkman. But that’s really more of a subcategory to number 3, “Playing music on an audio tape using a personal stereo.” But let’s take a moment to honor auto-reverse as a huge advance in personal stereo technology. It meant that you didn’t have to bother actually turning a tape over to hear the other side. Genius. At the time. Thanks GeekDad.
