For many, some of the fondest memories of childhood involve their very own Barbie doll. Ken and Barbie and all their friends have helped generations of children fill hours of creative play. Barbie Day celebrates all the strides this doll has made in the over sixty years of bringing joy to the world. Did you have a Barbie doll growing up?
History of Barbie Day
The history of Barbie Day is the history of Barbie herself as the day marks her official birthday. Barbie debuted on March 9, 1959 at the American International Toy Fair in New York. She was a labor of love from Ruth Handler who was the wife of the co-founder of the toy giant Mattel, Inc. After watching children playing with baby dolls and paper dolls, she thought that the toy market needed something more.
After a trip to Germany where she saw a doll that was in line with what she wanted, she convinced her husband and the company to make the first ever mass produced doll with adult features. While there have been small changes through the years, Barbie came off the production line much like we know her today. There were some who objected to her figure, but as you can see with her success, those thoughts were in the minority.
Do you know the background story for Barbie? Her parents, George and Margaret Roberts, named her Barbara Millicent Roberts. Her nickname is the famous Barbie. What about Ken you ask? His mother, Edna Carson, named him after her father, Kenneth. After a time, Barbie gets a host of siblings, cousins and friends! To learn more, you can head over to your handy search engine and find all the details. It is very interesting to see which dolls are no longer produced and who is newest to the group!
How to Celebrate Barbie Day
To celebrate Barbie day, let your inner child run free! Do you have a collection of dolls gathering dust in your attic? Head on up there and bring them into the light of day. You may find that more than just memories, your collection may be worth preserving or handing down to your own children. You can show them all the joys of paying dress up with all the designer fashions that have been offered through the last sixty plus years.
Some people like to take their celebrations into the culinary arena. A quick search on the internet will reward you with ideas for Barbie cakes, cupcakes, cookies and more! Are you skilled in the kitchen? Why not make the day one spent making something sweet and playing with your Barbie collection? It can be a wonderfully bonding time with your children!
Another way to celebrate is to make the day extra special by heading to the Barbie aisle with your favorite collection and add friends and fashion to the family! You can never have too many fashion options or friends, right? Most important on Barbie Day is to remind young and old alike that there should always be a little time to play and enjoy the company of friends. `
