All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys

Though children had blown soap bubbles over pans of soapy water for many years, it wasn't until a Chicago cleaning-supplies company named Chemtoy began bottling its own bubble solution in 1940 that a true enthusiasm for the activity erupted. Now with millions of bottles sold each year, bubble solutions, paired with wands of various sizes, have worked their way into our culture even outside their role as a children's toy. In the 1960s they became a universal symbol of peace as the hippie movement blew bubbles into the air en masse. More recently they've become a regular feature at weddings — a nice alternative to pelting the bride and groom with rice.