Before I venture into the murky waters of the news today, let’s look back on something a bit more pleasant.
Colorforms got started in 1951 and has sold over a billion sets since then.
Do you remember the original Colorforms from the 1950s? I woke in the middle of the night last night, from a dream of falling down the stairs, and for some reason “Colorforms” popped into my head.
What you got was a lot of pieces of thin, soft plastic in assorted shapes, sizes, and bright colors, and a black background that they’d stick to: and you’d arrange them to create pictures. I don’t know if you can still get this old basic Colorforms set, that relies so much on the user’s imagination. Colorforms stays in business by dint of tie-ins with hit TV shows, movies, and other aspects of the wider culture: so you can buy vintage Colorforms sets tied in with old TV shows like Welcome Back, Kotter or The Dukes of Hazzard. I think I prefer the little squares and circles.
Colorforms also tried to get into the paper dolls business, but the problem there was you had to take the designs they gave you. It seems there’s a good reason for paper dolls to be made of paper.
As I rode my bike today, I passed two people, standing five feet apart, texting each other.
Yeah, it’s little squares and circles for me.
I’ve never seen these before, but I think it’s a great idea.
Wow, Lee! I just got some colorforms for my granddaughter last year. She loves them! They also have another type using magnetic pieces but with the same concept of making scenes, etc. which, of course, I also got for her.
And here’s a little chuckle to start off the day:
https://fellowshipoftheminds.com/2018/05/21/animal-funny-im-too-pooped-to-care/
My dog Rags used to pretend to be asleep so he could catch and eat the birds who came down to drink from his water dish. He would not have qualified to be in this video.
Do they still have the basic Colorforms, with no TV or movie tie-in?
They do – I got them on Amazon. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they’re still being produced. They’re typical scenes of, for example, families visiting the zoo and the child places the family members and animals where they like. There’s also a farm scene, complete with farmer, tractor, animals, fences – my granddaughter really has fun arranging her scenes 🙂 In fact, the magnetic ones also have a blackboard on the reverse side.
It’s nice to know that some old classic toys are still available. I just wonder what made me think of Colorforms in the middle of the night.
That’s a mystery to me, but you may discover a reason as you write. You might also be interested to know there are still wind-up toys available. I was able to get a whole box of about 25 of them – all different animals and characters. Some do somersaults, some run in circles, some even go in the bathtub. She loves them! And the kaleidoscope we got for her too. Children today have their faces in too many computer and phone screens, which is why I really like these interactive toys. She’s getting such a kick out of them! 🙂
And she loves being outside!
I remember felt boards being used in Sunday School to tell Bible stories but no recollection for Colorforms. My wife had them as a child and loved them.
We had those in Sunday school, too.