The beautiful, warm summer months are in full swing. Swimming, popsicles, camping, and more marks a great summer. This year, we also want to make learning a staple of the summer! In June, we started our Summer Learning series on the Imagine Institute’s blog. This month, we’re continuing our series of fun topics you can incorporate into your child care in an educational capacity.
For July, we’re covering the history and invention of favorite summer snacks. Take a look!
The Popsicle
WHO INVENTED IT?
Believe it or not, the popsicle has been around since 1905. Kids will love learning about Frank Epperson who invented the first popsicle “ice pop” in the San Francisco Bay area at the age of just eleven years old. It was an accident turned great invention when one day, heading back in from playing outside, Frank left his soda out on the porch of his home. Overnight, with the stirring stick still in the cup, the soda froze. It turned out that the frozen soda was pretty tasty and Frank’s invention named the “Epsicle” was born, quickly becoming a hit with friends around the neighborhood.
Source: npr.org via The National Archives
How did it become popular?
Frank would continue making “Epsicles” for his friends throughout his childhood and even served them to his children when he became a father. But it wasn’t until 1923 that Frank Epperson filed a patent for the treat we know today as popsicles. When the treats were distributed, they were a favorite from the get-go. The original popsicles cost five cents and came in seven different flavors. The popsicle would develop new flavors and iterations, and go from a childhood invention to a national favorite summer snack for over 100 years.
Sources: popsicle.com, history.com
Fun Facts to Share
- The Popsicle brand of popsicles sells over 2 billion popsicles every year.
- The two-stick Popsicle was invented to make it easier for two kids to share a single Popsicle.
- To this day, cherry is the most popular flavor of Popsicle brand popsicles.
- Ancient Romans actually went up into the mountains to retrieve blocks of ice to crush and enjoy with fruit and syrups long before the invention of popsicles.
- Similar to Dippin’ Dots, popsicles were originally widely distributed at entertainment parks like Coney Island.
S’mores
Who invented it?
All of the elements of a s’more have existed for quite a while. Marshmallows, beaten with eggs and sugar, were first used by the French as a sort of lozenge and roasting marshmallows came into fashion in the 1890s. Chocolate has been around for centuries, and graham crackers became commonplace in the early 19th century. While desserts like mallomars and moonpies, both similar to s’mores, were around in the early 1900s, the official s’more as we know it today wouldn’t surface until 1927 when The Girl Scouts published the 1927 guidebook, Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts. Originally called the “Some More,” the treat describes toasting marshmallows and creating a sandwich between graham crackers with the marshmallow and chocolate inside.
Source: foodandwine.com
How did it become popular?
The Girl Scouts would refer to the “Some More” treat by that name all the way up until the 70s. Nowadays, of course, we know the treat as a s’more, and it’s come a long way since then. The first iteration of the word “s’more” came from William Henry Gibson in his 1928 guide, Recreational Programs for Summer Camps. The combination of Gibson’s publication and The Girl Scouts’ guide is likely the reason we associate the treat with camping. Today, you can find s’more-flavored treats all over including Pop Tarts, candy bars, ice cream, and more.
Source: bigthink.com
Fun Facts to Share
- Marshmallows used to come from a plant called Althaea officinalis that was originally used by the Ancient Greeks and Romans for medicinal purposes.
- The largest s’more ever made weighed in at over 200 pounds.
- It’s estimated that, during the summer, half of marshmallows sold will be used for s’mores.
- Almost 90% of Americans have had at least one s’more in their lifetime.
- National S’mores Day is on August 10th every year!
Ice Cream
Who invented it?
Cold beverages and snacks have been around since the year 4000 B.C. In ancient times, people would use snow and ice found in nature to cool drinks or combine with other ingredients to make delicious desserts. Because of this, the invention of ice cream can be hard to find as things like Turkish Sherbert and Italian Ice have been around for ages. Versions of ice cream date back to the Tang period in China when milk from animals like buffalo, cows, and goats were combined with flour and camphor before being served. The beginnings of ice cream as we know it today began in the 19th century when an ice cream machine was invented in 1843. The ice cream machine had a wooden bucket filled with ice and salt in which a metal container sat. The cream filled a metal container within the ice and salt and was churned until it produced a creamy texture.
Sources: ice-cream.org, history.com
Source: albertcountymuseum.com
How did it become popular?
Based on what we know about the history of ice cream, it seems as though it has always been popular in its various forms. In fact, early colonists even brought ice cream recipes like iced cream with strawberries and milk, along with them from Europe. The invention of the ice cream machine known as the “ice cream freezer” certainly helped the treat’s popularity. In the 1880s, ice cream sundaes started popping up in soda fountains across the country. Ultimately, though, it is likely that ice cream truly became popular in the 1930s when grocery stores finally began selling ice cream and people could enjoy the treat easily at home. By World War II, ice cream was popular enough that the United States Army was the world’s largest ice cream manufacturer, using the treat as a morale booster.
Source: almanac.com
Fun Facts to Share
- The ice cream cone was an accidental invention created when an ice cream vendor ran out of bowls and enlisted the help of a waffle maker.
- John Harrison has the coolest job ever: tasting ice cream for Dreyer’s. His tongue is even insured by the company!
- The tasty drink Hawaiian Punch began as an ice cream topping.
- Ben & Jerry’s employees are allowed to take up to three pints of ice cream home with them each and every day.
- New Zealand consumed the most ice cream per capita in the world.