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 like the Flat Screen and Travel versions while maintaining the simple, tactile joy of "painting" with light.

Source: Elephants Trunk Flea Market