the Etch-A-Sketch Throwback Thursday

Remember this? 

Oh yeah!  Introduced in 1960 (just in time for the Christmas shopping season – some things never change), the Etch-A-Sketch was a toy that many, many young children grew up and drew with.  I remember playing with these things at home, at the doctors office to kill time and on road trips with the family.  The great thing about it is that if you messed up, you didn’t need to throw away your paper, you could just shake it and start completely over!

Does that sound familiar to anyone?  If you need a refresher on how cool this toy was, check out this video…

These days, the Etch-A-Sketch is largely a hand-me-down toy found at the bottom of toy chests or in the toddler rooms in various Churches, these red rectangle toys have been replaced by a variety of modern marvels.  Whether it was the Gameboy in the late 80s or the iPods/iPhone/iPad conglomerate today, Etch-A-Sketch toys are rarely seen these days.

My question is did teachers, educators or even ministers use Etch-A-Sketches for anything educational or as a way to teach back in the day?  Sure they were fun, but did they use them the way they use iPads today?

Regardless, Etch-A-Sketch was a great toy.  And, if you really want to see one, you can check it out at the National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, NY.

What do you think?  What are your memories of the Etch A Sketch?