Hasbro Lite-Brite (1981)

Lite-Brite 

First introduced by Hasbro in 1967, the Lite-Brite was a brilliant fusion of art and electricity that allowed children to create glowing masterpieces by punching translucent colored plastic pegs through black paper templates. The original console was a bulky, white plastic lightbox housing a standard 25-watt incandescent bulb, which illuminated the small "jewel" pegs from behind to create a vibrant, stained-glass effect. Each set came with several pre-printed patterns—ranging from simple sailboats to licensed characters like Mickey Mouse or Scooby-Doo—though many young artists preferred the "Free Form" black paper to invent their own neon-style signs. Despite the inevitable frustration of losing the tiny, multicolored pegs in deep-pile carpets or the smell of the paper slightly singeing against the hot internal bulb, the Lite-Brite remained a mainstay of American toy chests for decades. Its iconic television jingle, featuring the catchy "Lite-Brite, Lite-Brite, turn on the magic of colored light," cemented its place in pop culture, evolving through various iterations while maintaining the simple, tactile joy of "painting" with light.

Source: Elephants Trunk Flea Market