Although we have been polio-free in this country for many years, it is amazing how far-reaching the arms of this disease really is. Read on to find the connection between a favorite children’s game and polio.
From the annals of CANDY LAND:
“Once upon a time……in San Diego, California, a woman named Eleanor Abbott created a game. Ms Abbott, a recovering Polio patient, decided to create an activity that would entertain children affected with the disease. So she submitted her board game to MILTON BRADLEY, who enthusiastically accepted it for production. And before she knew it, in 1949, a new game called CANDY LAND was introduced.
The first Candy Land games were sold for only a dollar. The advertisements assured parents that the game fulfilled “the sweet tooth yearning of the younger set without the tummy ache aftereffects.”
As its packaging proudly stated for 30 years, CANDY LAND is “a sweet little game….for sweet little folks.” Soon the simple activity would become an enduring part of the collective American childhood. The theme and simplicity of play made it a perfect fit for the whole family.
At the time, few could have predicted the impact of the game, both on the Massachusetts-based game manufacturer and on generations of young children. To date, its distinctive red-and-white peppermint name has been printed on over 40 million games.
In a world filled with advanced technology and fading fads, the sweet simplicity of this classic game keeps it continually popular, generation after generation.”
Thanks CANDY LAND for permission to use this story.
A Noble Purpose 