And finally, here's something those of us owned by cats already knew:

Lowly Cardboard Box Gets Toy Hall Of Fame Spot

POSTED: 11:46 am EST November 12, 2005
UPDATED: 11:47 am EST November 12, 2005

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Forget the fancy toy: The box it comes in can be much
more fun.

Spaceship, castle, haven to daydream in, the cardboard box was enshrined
Friday in the National Toy Hall of Fame along with Jack-in-the-Box and Candy
Land.

No kidding, grown-ups.

"I think every adult has had that disillusioning experience of picking what
they think is a wonderful toy for a child, and then finding the kid playing
with the box," said Christopher Bensch, chief curator of the Strong Museum.
"It's that empty box full of possibilities that the kids can sense and the
adults don't always see."

Low-tech and unpretentious it may be, but the cardboard box has fostered
learning and creativity for multiple generations - a key qualifier for
inclusion in the museum's seven-year-old hall of fame. And its appeal as a
plaything or recreational backdrop is universal.

All over the world, "packaging is something that's accessible to kids,
whether that's cans or tins or wooden crates," Bensch said, and the
cardboard box "makes a point that you don't have to spend a lot, have a
certain income level or charge it on your credit card to have your kids have
a great play experience."

The museum, which boasts the world's largest collection of toys and dolls,
acquired the hall in 2002 from A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village in Salem,
Ore.

So far, 34 classic toys have been enshrined, from Barbie to Mr. Potato Head,
Legos to Lincoln Logs, Slinky to Play-Doh and Crayola crayons to marbles.

Candy Land, a board game decorated with a sweet-treats trail and
destinations such as Gumdrop Mountain, was created in the 1940s by a San
Diego polio victim, Eleanor Abbott, who wanted a pastime for children
recuperating from illness.

Jack-in-the-Box, the jester who bursts open his box lid when a compressed
spring is released, appears to have originated in the 16th century. The toy
is loosely based on Punch, the dynamic puppet in the "Punch and Judy" show.

The corrugated cardboard box, which quickly came to dominate the shipping
industry in North America, was invented by a Brooklyn printer, Robert Gair,
in 1890.

Strong Museum, the second-largest children's museum in America, is aiming to
wrap up a $33 million expansion next summer that could double its attendance
to nearly 700,000 visitors a year. The 23-year-old museum contains more than
70,000 toys and dolls and features circus memorabilia, children's books,
household furniture, miniatures and various objects of American culture
dating from the 1820s.

--�
Help the animals of Monroe County
http://www.justgiving.com/pfp/nalee1964


The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy former-blonde
in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)©
email me at nalee1964 (at) insightbb (dot) com
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

I'm 54 years old and my mother still won't let me forget about the time I
was 3 years old and she and my dad saved up for 6 months to get me a toy
table and chair set for my birthday. My aunt gave me a toy set of dishes,
etc. - it was the whole theme of my party. I promptly turned the box over
and pretended that the box was a table and set all the places settings on it
while the *real* table languished in the corner! ;

Hugs,

CatNipped

"Magic Mood Jeep©" wrote in message
...
Lowly Cardboard Box Gets Toy Hall Of Fame Spot

POSTED: 11:46 am EST November 12, 2005
UPDATED: 11:47 am EST November 12, 2005

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Forget the fancy toy: The box it comes in can be much
more fun.

Spaceship, castle, haven to daydream in, the cardboard box was enshrined
Friday in the National Toy Hall of Fame along with Jack-in-the-Box and
Candy
Land.

No kidding, grown-ups.

"I think every adult has had that disillusioning experience of picking
what
they think is a wonderful toy for a child, and then finding the kid
playing
with the box," said Christopher Bensch, chief curator of the Strong
Museum.
"It's that empty box full of possibilities that the kids can sense and the
adults don't always see."

Low-tech and unpretentious it may be, but the cardboard box has fostered
learning and creativity for multiple generations - a key qualifier for
inclusion in the museum's seven-year-old hall of fame. And its appeal as a
plaything or recreational backdrop is universal.

All over the world, "packaging is something that's accessible to kids,
whether that's cans or tins or wooden crates," Bensch said, and the
cardboard box "makes a point that you don't have to spend a lot, have a
certain income level or charge it on your credit card to have your kids
have
a great play experience."

The museum, which boasts the world's largest collection of toys and dolls,
acquired the hall in 2002 from A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village in Salem,
Ore.

So far, 34 classic toys have been enshrined, from Barbie to Mr. Potato
Head,
Legos to Lincoln Logs, Slinky to Play-Doh and Crayola crayons to marbles.

Candy Land, a board game decorated with a sweet-treats trail and
destinations such as Gumdrop Mountain, was created in the 1940s by a San
Diego polio victim, Eleanor Abbott, who wanted a pastime for children
recuperating from illness.

Jack-in-the-Box, the jester who bursts open his box lid when a compressed
spring is released, appears to have originated in the 16th century. The
toy
is loosely based on Punch, the dynamic puppet in the "Punch and Judy"
show.

The corrugated cardboard box, which quickly came to dominate the shipping
industry in North America, was invented by a Brooklyn printer, Robert
Gair,
in 1890.

Strong Museum, the second-largest children's museum in America, is aiming
to
wrap up a $33 million expansion next summer that could double its
attendance
to nearly 700,000 visitors a year. The 23-year-old museum contains more
than
70,000 toys and dolls and features circus memorabilia, children's books,
household furniture, miniatures and various objects of American culture
dating from the 1820s.

--�
Help the animals of Monroe County
http://www.justgiving.com/pfp/nalee1964


The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy
former-blonde
in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)©
email me at nalee1964 (at) insightbb (dot) com
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

Magic Mood Jeep© wrote:
Lowly Cardboard Box Gets Toy Hall Of Fame Spot

Oh, yeah, I can believe that. Don't you remember how cool it was when
your parents got a new refrigerator or washer, and you got that neat
huge box to play with, until it got rained on, or your dad got sick of
it blowing around in the yard?

Sherry

I will say that I got one of those remote control mice at Target this
weekend. I wish it held a charge longer. Even Pearl is intrigued by it.
Sugar got REALLY playful. Do those remote control cars last longer?


wrote in message
oups.com...

Magic Mood Jeep© wrote:
Lowly Cardboard Box Gets Toy Hall Of Fame Spot

Oh, yeah, I can believe that. Don't you remember how cool it was when
your parents got a new refrigerator or washer, and you got that neat
huge box to play with, until it got rained on, or your dad got sick of
it blowing around in the yard?

Sherry

Karen wrote:
I will say that I got one of those remote control mice at Target this
weekend. I wish it held a charge longer. Even Pearl is intrigued by it.
Sugar got REALLY playful. Do those remote control cars last longer?


How long does the charge last? IIRC remote control cars last quite a
while. Maybe something's wrong with it.
Speaking of commercial cat toys, I bought Dexter the grandcat a
Garfield turbo mouse, found it on sale for $10. Gave it a trial run,
and Biskit is the only one who likes it. That surprised me.

Sherry

wrote in message
oups.com...

Karen wrote:
I will say that I got one of those remote control mice at Target this
weekend. I wish it held a charge longer. Even Pearl is intrigued by it.
Sugar got REALLY playful. Do those remote control cars last longer?


How long does the charge last? IIRC remote control cars last quite a
while. Maybe something's wrong with it.
Speaking of commercial cat toys, I bought Dexter the grandcat a
Garfield turbo mouse, found it on sale for $10. Gave it a trial run,
and Biskit is the only one who likes it. That surprised me.

Sherry


well, I"m also running it on the oriental rug. It would last longer on
linoleum. It charges in 45 seconds and lasts several minutes. It
Reeeeeeaally got Sugar when I would run it under the foot stool and make it
"hide". Even Pearl was perkiy eared, although, she mostly wanted to chase
SUgar when Sugar started chasing the mouse. Apparently Pearl is mostly into
live prey. Heh.

Karen wrote:



well, I"m also running it on the oriental rug. It would last longer on
linoleum. It charges in 45 seconds and lasts several minutes. It
Reeeeeeaally got Sugar when I would run it under the foot stool and make it
"hide". Even Pearl was perkiy eared, although, she mostly wanted to chase
SUgar when Sugar started chasing the mouse. Apparently Pearl is mostly into
live prey. Heh.

Ooo! Ooo! I know what she would like.
Get a single sheet of newspaper, and stand it up like a "tent". Then
run the mouse under it. Heh.

Sherry

wrote in message
oups.com...

Karen wrote:



well, I"m also running it on the oriental rug. It would last longer on
linoleum. It charges in 45 seconds and lasts several minutes. It
Reeeeeeaally got Sugar when I would run it under the foot stool and
make it
"hide". Even Pearl was perkiy eared, although, she mostly wanted to
chase
SUgar when Sugar started chasing the mouse. Apparently Pearl is mostly
into
live prey. Heh.

Ooo! Ooo! I know what she would like.
Get a single sheet of newspaper, and stand it up like a "tent". Then
run the mouse under it. Heh.

Sherry

Oh that's a good idea!

"Magic Mood Jeep" wrote:

Lowly Cardboard Box Gets Toy Hall Of Fame Spot

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Forget the fancy toy: The box it comes in can be much
more fun.

Cats have always known this!

Joyce

Karen wrote:
I will say that I got one of those remote control mice at Target this
weekend. I wish it held a charge longer. Even Pearl is intrigued by it.
Sugar got REALLY playful. Do those remote control cars last longer?


My buddy "Phalanx" got a remote control tank and his cats absolutely
LOVE playing "chase the panzer"

--Fil