8- Khaleah AbdulRahim: Candyland🍭

 

Growing up I loved being competitive when it came to games and sports. I was an active participant. Of course at the time with me being a kid I only really enjoyed the game when I was in the upper hand or winning. To be honest you could have even called me a poor sport at the time. Eventually I grew out of that phase and was able to control my emotions and be a good sport. 

One game however I am always really good at. The game Candyland made in 1948 by a retired teacher Eleanor Abbott, was inspired by the children in the San Diego hospital. In 1947 at the age of 36 Eleanor contracted polio. Polio is a life threatening disease that spreads from person to person which infects body parts causing paralysis.

While in the hospital there were numerous children with the same disease. While being in quarantine she decided to get creative and create a fun game for the other children to enjoy. 

The purpose of the game is to travel through a candy forest going through obstacles such as a gumdrop mountain, a molasses swap, and a peanut brittle house and make it to the candy kingdom. The initial intention of the game was to encourage imagination versus competition. 

Personally growing up in a competitive household, whoever made it to the end was declared the “winner.”  My family and I tend to make our own spins on well known games such as uno, monopoly, and other games we play on family game nights.

During the years after World War 2 the US economy was thriving due to the baby boom era. Left and right parents were buying toys for their children.

 With the Candyland game being so popular in the hospital Abbott made the decision to pitch her idea to a toy manufacturer by the name of Milton Bradley. 

The game was a hit and quickly became the company's highest selling board game.

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