The National Toy Hall of Fame. I had about half of these at one time or another, so I guess my childhood wasn't as deprived as I might have thought. If you'll notice, not a single one of them requires electricity, let alone microchips. This one is probably my favorite, because it cost nothing and was able to become almost anything:
Over the years, children sensed the possibilities inherent in cardboard boxes, recycling them into innumerable playthings. The strength, light weight, and easy availability that make cardboard boxes successful with industry have made them endlessly adaptable by children for creative play.
One summer, some friends and I put together an elaborate network of cardboard boxes in the back yard, creating a castle with ramparts and a moat. Watch very young kids this Christmas -- they can still have as much fun with the box as with anything that comes in it.
