5 Classic Games And Toys: Just How Old Are They And Why Were They Created?

When we were kids, there were a lot of toys that we played with that many kids would wink at today. But just how old are those wonderful toys of yesteryear anyway? Just because a toy was popular when we were kids, doesn't mean they were new at the time we played with them. Here are 5 toys or games that we played when we were youngsters that are actually older then we thought.

1. Roller Skates - We remember this being a big hit in the 70's and especially the 80's. Actually, a Belgian man by the name of John Joseph Merlin invented the skates back in 1770. He introduced his invention at a high-society ball, while skating around the room and playing his violin. He ended up stopping himself by skating right into a mirror.
2. Snakes And Ladders - We are aware of Snakes and Ladders because we have probably played Chutes and Ladders. In one form or another, the popular game has been in existence since the 16th century. The game originated in India and had a moral connotation to it. The ladders symbolized virtues such as: knowledge, asceticism, faith and reliability. The snakes, on the other hand, symbolized vanity, rage, greed, pride, murder and lust. The game was designed to look at ones self and to realize that living a virtuous life was not all that easy to attain.
3. Cap Guns - This was a boys favorite toy back in the day. Cowboys and Indians, along with the outfits was a popular attire years ago. Many kids in the 40's and 50's had one as inspired by Hop-Along Cassidy, Roy Rogers and others. But cap guns were actually around since before the Civil War. J & E Stevens Company, who were toy manufacturers, invented the cap gun around 1859. This pistol, known as a "fire-cracker pistol" ,was made of cast iron and was in full production by the 1890's.
4. Yo-yo's - If you've ever had a yo-yo, you can thank a Filipino man by the name of Pedro Flores. He was working as a bell hop in a hotel in Santa Barbara, when he decided to produce the toy that came from his native land of the Philippines. In 1928 his company, Yo-Yo Manufacturing Company, sold the toy to Donald Duncan Yo-Yo Company after producing over 100,000 of them. Duncan marketed the toy well and launched the toy into huge popularity. Archaeologist, while digging in the Mediterranean, found examples of Greek yo-yo's found toys made of terracotta and bronze. Some date back to 460 - 450 B.C. and housed in a museum in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
5. Monopoly -  Originally inspired by a board game called "The Landlord's Game, in 1904, the game was created to teach people how landlord's made big money on the back's of tenants. The game was created by a woman named Elizabeth Magie, who wanted children to be aware of the "unfairness" of the then-known system in hopes that they would protect themselves later in their life. In 1934, Magie sold the game to Parker Brothers who renamed it "Monopoly" and ditched the initial goals of the creator.