Ball | play set:Nerf Blast-a-Ball Game

Reyn Guyer, developer of Milton-Bradley's popular Twister floor game, sought to create a similar game involving a Stone-Age theme, stepping stones, play money, and soft, light "rocks" made of foam and used to ward off one's opponents. The game was never developed, but Guyer discovered that the "rock" he fashioned from mattress foam worked great as an indoor, too-light-to-harm-anything game ball. Guyer developed several game sets including the Nerf Ball for indoor football, baseball, soccer, and others. The designer pitched the sets to Parker Brothers after Milton-Bradley rejected the toy. Parker Brothers liked the ball but decided the game sets were overkill. The game company introduced the Nerf Ball in 1969; in the first year, more than 4.5 million balls were sold. Nerf went on to be more than a ball; it became a brand with its own ancillary products and goods. The ball has remained popular ever since it first sailed harmlessly through the living rooms of America.