Tutti-Frutti starts the ball rolling!
Tutti-Frutti was the first flavor of gum to be offered to the American public via a coin operated vending machine. It made its debut on the elevated subway platforms in New York City in 1897 and has been a winner ever since!
The candy coated gumballs, which we love so much today, appeared in 1907. Early dispensers, of all shapes and sizes, are now highly desirable collectors’ items. Generations of children have gazed in awe at their mega bubble of colorful candies, eager to drop in a coin and release a handful.
A gumball dispenser must be on every child’s wish list. How wonderful to own one of your own!
Toy candy machines are so exciting.
Are they educational?
Well, toy candy machines are certainly colorful and all those little candy balls could inspire a pop art masterpiece.
Your child will definitely be practicing fine motor skills whilst inserting coins and cranking the release lever. You could even teach your little one how the mechanism works.
Or, if you really want to get down to some tough stuff, what better way to explain Sir Isaac Newton’s principles of gravity than to watch the little candy balls come racing down the chute!
But, hey let’s face it; these toys are really just for fun!
What to look for in a Toy Candy machine
- If you are considering a toy candy machine then do follow the manufacture’s age recommendations. Toy candy machines are not suitable for very young children.
Safety Warning
Good Enough to Eat!!!
Candy tastes nice. Almost all children love to eat it. A few simple guidelines will make it a fun and safe activity.
Offer candy as a treat not a reward! Young children should be rewarded with lots of praise for good behaviour. Vary the treats you offer. Try not to offer sweet food treats too often.
A treat can be a trip to the park, a friend to stay over, or even a fresh fruit salad that your child helps to prepare.
Don’t use candy as a bribe – ‘if you are good you, can have a candy bar.’
Don’t use candy to comfort your child (for example, a hurt knee, a fall out with a friend), you are giving out the wrong message. A cuddle is much better.
Set some ground rules and stick to them! Decide how much candy, and when to give it. After a meal is the best time.
Always supervise young children, hard candy can be a choking hazard to the under 4’s.
Teach your child to brush his/her teeth properly. And take him/her along to the dentist for regular check-ups. Remember, milk teeth are important and toothache hurts!
- Look for a machine in a price range that suits your pocket and dispenses a variety of different candies.
- Also, consider the amount of candy it holds and how many children will be sharing the goodies!
Sweets for my Sweet, Sugar for my Honey!
Historians tell us that out ancestors were also sweet toothed. Even cavemen made sweet treats from honey!
The Aztecs (1200B.C.) thought that eating the fruit of the cocoa tree would make them wise and powerful. They believed that their God Quetzalcoatl stole the cocoa tree from paradise. From the fruits, they made an unsweetened dark chocolate drink, which was sipped from golden goblets.
Sugar was used for sweet making as early as the middle ages. By the 17th Century sweet makers in England were using boiled sugar. They soon discovered that the temperature of the mixture affected the finished product.
New England settlers brought with them their sugar boiling skills and the American candy industry was born.
Whatever your taste in candy you are sure to have a ‘sweetie’ in your life. Our love of sugar has led us to coin words appertaining to candy as endearments. Sweetie, honey, sugar, and many more are all terms that we call our loved ones!
Here are the Toy Candy machines we have reviewed…
Classic Dubble Bubble Gumball Coin BankJumbo Sized Fun! Standing 24ins tall and holding 200 large gumballs, this one is a whopper!
The manufacturers recommend it for children 3 years and up. Perhaps a little young – kids around 4 would be better able to appreciate this toy.
It’s features include a traditional Candy Machine bubble design and a visible helter-skelter style chute sending gumballs tumbling into the delivery tray.
This toy candy machine is coin operated and acts as a money bank.
The Gumball Bank would make an excellent centrepiece on any kid’s party table.Instant party favors! But, be warned – have plenty of coins handy for your little guests!
Play Idea
Giant Cookies For A Monster Picnic!
For real quality, family fun, a home baking session with mom or dad is perfect!
Prepare a basic ‘rolled’ cookie mixture. Let your little ones join in. This is a great opportunity to practice counting. One spoon, two spoons, three spoons, four…..
Refrigerate your mix for an hour or so. Time for a little water play whilst you are waiting. Let your children help with the washing up! Everyone in the family should do the chores, and it is never too early to get this message across.
When the dough is firm, roll it out on a floured board and press out several rounds with a large cookie cutter.
Finally, decorate the cookies with sugar-coated candies such as m&m’s. Push the candies into the soft dough to make monster faces. Then bake for approximately 15 mins in a medium oven, (check your recipe).
When the cookies are cool, or perhaps the next day, take a few of your children’s friends along to the park for a monster picnic.
Encourage your children to break and share the homemade cookies. Now, organise some races to burn off all those extra calories. Let the little monsters run wild!
“I tawt I taw a puddy tat!”
This toy candy machine is bright pink in color and features loveable Tweety sitting on top.
This machine will accept all coins, which is a great feature. It is about the right size for single use and would suit a child aged between 4-10 years of age.
The attractive design of this pink toy candy machine will make it desirable to any little girl This toy candy machine’s design features make it worth the price of around $27.
This one will be a collectible!
Barbie Candy ShopA Candy Playset with a Real Dispenser!
This is a great little package for toddlers 3 years and up. It not only includes a real gumball dispenser but also a cash register and lots of other play pieces, including a Barbie doll.
It is a good toy to help encourage counting and money recognition.
Stand-alone or as a addition to other Barbie toys this toy candy machine will offer your child hours of fun.
Excellent value for money
This review of Toy Candy machines
was written by ..
Rosalind Gunwhy
– Artistic Grandmother with wonderful play ideas
An alternative to a Toy Candy machine ?
You’ll find some interesting alternatives to Toy Candy machines in our review of Indoor Child toys or you may select another toy category from the sidebar.
Or for something completely different ..
An award winning gumball toy.
Baby can start to play with this toy from as young as six months but will enjoy it right through to toddler age.
It is bright and colorful, featuring a jolly smiley face on the dispenser bubble. Balls are dropped in through the top and when released rush into action in an array of noise and lights.
It has both a press lever and turn knob for your toddler to exercise those little fingers! Lots for baby or a young toddler to learn and enjoy.
This delightful little toy is very reasonably priced at around $20.
It’s A Winner.