Mattel's ThingMaker brings 3D printing to iconic '60s toy

NEW YORK — Mattel's ThingMaker was the original at-home maker device of the 1960s, but now the company is giving it a modern reboot, allowing kids to design their own toys within an app and then print them at home.

Mattel is showing off the rebooted ThingMaker at the 2016 Toy Fair in New York City this week. The device, which will be available starting in the fall for $299, lets users print anything from action figures to jewelry, dinosaurs and robots with the press of a button.

While 3D printers for kids are nothing new, ThingMaker is a play off of the original toy, launched in 1964. The device was best known for creating "Creepy Crawlers," small bug-like creatures made from a chemical substance after it was cooked in the electric hot plate oven. The company later expanded the line to a whole collection of molds, from Hot Wheels toys to Incredible Edibles. Thing Maker was the Easy-Bake Oven for stuff. Read more...