Whatever Happened to Just Playing in the Dirt?

I saw a commercial last night for the "new" Etch-a-Sketch. Seriously, they took one the world's most beloved toys and turned it into a video game. Seriously.

Families were gathered round the 60 inch plasma screen TV as they anxiously watched a little girl "trace" a castle with a hand held device that looked like a Playstation controller.

Yes, she was tracing. With an Etch-a-Sketch. How droll. But the family seemed to having such fun watching her do this.

You can actually take the controller, shake it, and the image will disappear from your television screen. "Just like the original!" Um, hardly.


Remember those Wooly Wally things? We used to get them at the store for like 50 cents. It's a piece of card board with a bald man's face printed on it. On top of that is a clear peice of plastic that contains tiny particles of magnents. You use the special "pen" to move the magnents around to draw a bread and hair on the bald man's face.

hours of fun for the whole family, right? I'm just waiting for that be hooked up to the TV. Oh, give it time. And don't forget your phone line for downloading ideas and images.