The Perfect Toy for a STEMGirl or Boy
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| Hubley Tic-Toy Clock |
When I was around 9, I got a Hubley Tic-Toy clock for Christmas. It was the best toy I ever had, and when my first grandchild was born, I started searching the Internet to see if I could find one. They are rare.
Every once in a while, the thought would strike like a bell tolling, and I'd look around once more. There were no Tic-Toy Clocks to be had. But I did find this:
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| My First Clock |
It's made in China, and has 33 parts. The Tic-Toy was made in Lancaster, PA and had 25 parts. The Tick-Toy was sturdier and more substantial, but this one will do. The extra pieces of the newer clock constitute a chime that rings every 15 minutes, and a fairly convoluted pendulum assembly.
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| You get a few pictorial hints, no step by step written instruction like the Hubley had. |
I laid out the stuff, and felt like I was nine again. They really should give this clock a different name. It's not my first clock, and when I told my 4-year old granddaughter about it she said she'd move her other clock somewhere else to make room for this clock. So it's not her first clock either. How about Do-It-Yourself ClockWorks, or Not-so-Toy Clock.
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| I laid out all of the pieces and got down to it. |
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| See that black gear on the left? That's the quarter-hour bell thing; a bitch to get right, but it works. |
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And then there was the convoluted pendulum system that had no discernible pictorial or verbal instructions for assembly. |
Having written my fair share of software docs and training, I know the value of the written word when it comes to directions. But, I guess in this world of Chinese produced, multi-national targeted imports, pictures must suffice.
What my pictures here don't show are the trial and error aspects of getting the chime right and figuring out the pendulum assembly. I ended up taking the face off a few times to try and wrangle the quarter hour chime to perfection, but to paraphrase Voltaire:
Perfection is the enemy of good.
And it's good enough.
A discussion of colorful, see-through, gear-driven goodness such as the Tic-Toy and My First would not be complete without a shout out to good old Mr. Machine.
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| Mr. Machine - you can take it apart but it won't go back together |
Mr. Machine was an excellent toy that should have had screws and bolts rather than rivets. When my son was small I was able to find a used one at a thrift shop.
Being a conscientious parent, I took it upon myself to trim his eye-piercing top hat down to a bowler. He worked pretty well but his rear wheel broke, and I replaced it with a stainless steel and plastic line block. Now in his 50s, his bellows still make him whistle
This Old Man as he chugs helplessly, dragging his leg as if he'd had a stroke. Unlike the Tic-Toy, you can still find Mr. Machine on eBay.
What's your favorite toy?
Do you remember the commercial? "This is The Tick Toy Clock with the bright colored see through take apart heart and the best thing is you can take it apart" (the clock on the screen would disassemble at this point) "Now, then, let's build it up again. Red gear on red post, orange gear too, green gear on green post, dark blue on blue. On goes the cloverleaf. Wind it up and then tick tock tick tock the clock starts again. At you favorite store get the Tick Toy Clock then take apart and build again your own tick tock. Another great tot from Hubley" The soundtrack had a ticking clock background. It was a mans voice doing the talking. The whole thing couldn't have lasted more than 45 seconds if my memory is correct. I'd love to see that commercial again. The fact that I could retain that in my head for all these years says something about the power of advertising. Funny thing is I never got my hands on the clock.
ReplyDeleteWell, you can always get a My First. :-)
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