How did you spend the summer after your high school graduation? Though that was a few more years ago than I care to enumerate, some memories spring to the forefront of my mind:
Finding Video Game History in the Archives
Traditional library and archival materials help flesh out the history of video games. In addition to the personal papers of famous game designers like Ralph Baer, Ken and Roberta
Continue Reading about Finding Video Game History in the Archives
Properly Packing Puzzles
I’ve always enjoyed working on jigsaw puzzles. I find the challenge of assembling a picture from the mass of jumbled pieces satisfying. Maybe it’s my bent for organization that
Which Came First—The Comic or the Toy?
Since their inception in the early 20th century, comic books have been synonymous with American youth and playfulness. The colorful, action-packed stories in the pages of comics
Continue Reading about Which Came First—The Comic or the Toy?
Cataloging ICHEG’s Collections
Museum guests and donors often inquire about what exactly happens to materials that ICHEG acquires for its collections. As ICHEG’s Acquisitions Cataloger, I handle and research
It’s a Hit! Battleship Cruises into the National Toy Hall of Fame
We used to play a lot of Battleship when I’d babysit my little cousin after school. In the game, two players hide ships of various sizes on a grid then take turns announcing
Continue Reading about It’s a Hit! Battleship Cruises into the National Toy Hall of Fame
“Down at Fraggle Rock!”
While pursuing my undergraduate degree, I worked as a DJ for the college radio station. One spring semester, I had a timeslot of 2 to 4 p.m. on Friday afternoons. I remember the
Building an Empire
Donald Trump never knew how close he came to competing with me-and not because I wanted to play a boss on reality TV. No, the truth is that, as a kid, I dreamed of making it big in
Softball Summers and Left Field Lessons
I spent a large portion of my youth playing outside. Whether it was hide-and-seek in the neighborhood, running through the sprinkler in the backyard, or riding my bicycle around
Continue Reading about Softball Summers and Left Field Lessons
Young and Green: My Early Environmental Education
Every day should be Earth Day, of course, but once upon a time, a group of concerned citizens coordinated its very first occasion. Earth Day began on April 22, 1970, with schools
Continue Reading about Young and Green: My Early Environmental Education
Bingo!
Some of my fondest childhood memories date back to the 1970s and 80s when my grandparents would take my sister and me to Friday night bingo at the local fire hall. The moment we
Driven by Play: A Reflection on Carmen Sandiego, Freedom!, and Games between 1980 and 2000
I came to The Strong Museum to study Carmen Sandiego, the shadowy villain who stars in one of the most successful educational game series in video game history, but I left knowing
