The iconic Etch A Sketch brand is being re-imagined, Canadian-style! Canadian toy company Spin Master acquired the brand from the Ohio Art Company in February 2016 and plans to launch the Etch A Sketch Freestyle in the Fall of 2017.
The Freestyle incorporates some of the technology being integrated into today’s smart toys. The gray drawing screen and aluminum powder have been replaced with a black LCD screen and a stylus. The screen upgrade allows budding artists to draw on the screen in rainbow colours, as opposed to the original’s monochromatic gray lines.
The white knobs on the side of the toy are no longer used for drawing. Instead, they act as removable stamps that allow kids to add various shapes (like hearts, circles, and stars) to their on-screen drawings.
The Freestyle does retain some vestiges of the original Etch A Sketch, including the red case and the iconic shake-to-erase functionality.
The Etch A Sketch Freestyle is set to hit store shelves in the Fall of 2017 for $20 USD. Spin Master will also continue to sell the classic version of the Etch A Sketch alongside its hi-tech counterpart.
