Remember the Lite Brite?
By worldwise1
@worldwise1 (14885)
United States
March 19, 2008 4:51pm CST
I was thinking of my mom yesterday and recalling some of the things she used to enjoy so much. One of those things just happened to be the Lite Brite.
It was during the early 80s that she first gave me one because she knew that I liked to do creative things. I quickly became just as fascinated with the Lite Brite as she was.
For those of you who may not be familiar with the toy, it consisted of a backlighted sort of platform to which you secured black background paper. It came with lots of multi-colored little plastic pegs that you would insert into the background to create different pictures. My mother and I would spend hours working with our Lite Brite sets and having the time of our lives.
It was during the early 80s that she first gave me one because she knew that I liked to do creative things. I quickly became just as fascinated with the Lite Brite as she was. For those of you who may not be familiar with the toy, it consisted of a backlighted sort of platform to which you secured black background paper. It came with lots of multi-colored little plastic pegs that you would insert into the background to create different pictures. My mother and I would spend hours working with our Lite Brite sets and having the time of our lives.5 people like this
15 responses
@nicholejade (2430)
• Canada
19 Mar 08
This was one toy that I loved so much that my parents bought me as a child. I used to have that thing on all the time and eventually burned it out. They did have to replace it a few times. I still have one that works and everything. I think I wanna pull it out and have some fun with. I wonder if it will be just like when I was a kid. Wow do I ever feel like a big kid again.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
19 Mar 08
I was well past childhood when my mother gave me my first one, nicolejade. I don't believe you have to be a kid to enjoy some things. In fact, I shared many of the things I enjoyed as a child with my grandchildren when they came along.
I don't believe you have to be a kid to enjoy some things. In fact, I shared many of the things I enjoyed as a child with my grandchildren when they came along.@nicholejade (2430)
• Canada
20 Mar 08
Hehe I brought it out tonight and to my surpise it still works. I sat here for about 3 hours and played with it till I ran out of pegs. :( I need more. :(
@carolscash (9492)
• United States
20 Mar 08
I remember the Lite Brite but I never had one. I am not sure why I never got one but I had a friend who had one and we would use it all the time. I wish kids these days had toys that they had to use some imagination with instead of all of the computerized things that they have.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
20 Mar 08
I always tried to make sure that my children had a supply of games and toys that allowed them to show their creativity, carolscash, but with all the new technology it might have been much harder had they been available then.
@NeoComp (1316)
• United States
20 Mar 08
I do remember this commercial for this lite bright thing. I never saw one in real life though.
LOL remember this old game called cross fire.. that was another old troy they used to put on the commercials during the cartoons.. in the old days.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
20 Mar 08
As you can see from the responses, NeoComp, the Lite Brite was a very popular item, and I remember Cross Fire too.
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
20 Mar 08
Oh do I remember the Lite Brite! My first two sons received a Lite Brite in the mid 80's. We spent HOURS enjoying that thing. When the pages were used to the point of shreds, we bought black construction paper and designed our own pages! What a wonderful toy the Lite Brite was. It stimulated an interest in art and many other things. When my second 'set' of children came along in the early 90's...they too got a Lite Brite! They enjoyed their Lite Brite as much as the first two children had enjoyed their's. As with the first two children, when the pages were used, we made our own!
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
20 Mar 08
I did the same thing, crazynurse! Yes, the Lite Brite was very stimulating for art projects.
@ctrymuziklvr (11057)
• United States
20 Mar 08
My granddaughter has a Lite Brite that I gave her years ago. I think I use it more than she does and I love it!
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
20 Mar 08
It's a great toy, ctry, and it allows the child(or adult) to freely make use of their imaginations.
@desertdarlene (8910)
• United States
20 Mar 08
Oh, yes, I definitely remember that back in the '70s. We used to get a whole bunch of patterns as well as some blanks to play with. It was such a simple toy that was pretty fun. Eventually, though, I would lose too many of a certain color to do all the patterns.
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
20 Mar 08
Sometimes it was more fun to just create your own patterns, desertdarlene.
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
20 Mar 08
oh yes I do remember the light bright - that is one classic that is still going strong exciting children today... I got my first one from a thrift shop for .75 cents back in the mid 70s, I loved that thing and kept it many years. My daughter received one when she was 8 and played with it till she was 10 I am sure her little sister will inherit it soon enough.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
20 Mar 08
It's amazing, Modestah, how some things can retain their popularity throughout the generations.
@asuniqueasyou (354)
• United States
20 Mar 08
oh I loved the original lite brite. today's version is so different. Remember the paper was pretty much one time use. now that is not an issue. they have made so many upgrades to it, but I love it the way it was. There were some really great games in the 80s
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
20 Mar 08
Yeah, asuniqueasyou, I don't know why they persist in improving on things that are already perfect, but they'll do it every time!
@lightningMD (5931)
• United States
20 Mar 08
I had a lite bright when I was kid. I also bought one for my older kids. We all loved it. The only draw back was stepping on those darn pegs when barefoot.
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
20 Mar 08
Well, lightningMD, as you probably know, for every pleasure we have to have a bit of pain.
@Loen210 (1540)
• United States
22 Mar 08
Hiya there,
Yes, Lite Brite was one of my childhood favorite toys/art events. So much fun, and such a magical feeling when you turn your lights off, Lite Brite on. I was just thinking of it, because I know now they only have similar things, but (I just saw one that takes batteries, and it is for bedtime, so it stays on for 15 minutes). But Lite Brite was teh best. I would have loved to pass it on. I even still remember the little plastic container my sister and I used to keep the plastic colored lights in. :o)
@CheshireKat (564)
• United States
20 Mar 08
I loved the Lite Brite. I think the one I had by the time I got it didn't have any more of the papers/designs to put in, but I still loved writing things on it/with it, drawing random things or nothing at all. One of my favorite things to do was just fill it with colors in different patterns, so there weren't any holes left. :D
I found a bag of the pegs a while back in storage, and it took me a minute to remember what they were. haha.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
20 Mar 08
I think only those of us who truly love beautiful colors can appreciate something like the Lite Brite, CheshireKat.
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
19 Mar 08
They are still around, Deea, and I think I will buy myself one as soon as I am able.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
21 Mar 08
Thanks for bringing up the good memories of that great toy! I remember getting it for my daughter and I think I played with it as much as she did. My grandkids had them too, when they were younger. I'll have to see if they still have them. The bad thing these days is kids get so many useless toys they sometimes don't take the time on the ones that are really fun and educational.
Annie
