Toys! by Don Wulffson: Compare/Contrast Toys

In this activity students will compare and contrast three toys: playing cards, bicycles, and hot wheels. A short summary of the origin of each toy is provided for each of these toys.

• Playing cards were invented by the Chinese a thousand years ago. In 1450, a new version of playing cards were created by royalty, and the face cards were created.
• Bicycles developed from the kiddy-car; handlebars, footrests, pedals, and brakes were added one by one resulting in the modern-day bicycle for males and females.
• Hot Wheels were created by Elliot Handler, a founder of the Mattel Toy Company. A development team created exact replicas of real model cars, just one sixty-fourth of the original size.