“Fun in water. Fun on land.”
Released in 1977 from Playskool, the Gilligan’s Floating Island playset inspired children to recreate scenes from the Gilligan’s Island television series and use their imaginations to create their own desert island scenarios.
Gilligan’s Island was a television sitcom about seven castaways who get shipwrecked on a mysterious, uncharted island during what was supposed to be a three-hour boat tour aboard the SS Minnow. The lighthearted series followed the group’s lives as they sought rescue while making the best of their circumstances on the island. The series originally ran from 1964 to 1967, with three television film sequels following the show’s cancellation. Gilligan’s Island lives on in syndication and on various streaming platforms.
The Gilligan’s Floating Island toy was designed to appeal to the youngest fans of the sitcom. The toy included three of the seven regular cast of characters: Gilligan, the Captain, and Mary Ann. The plastic playset also had accessories such as an island base, palm tree, SS Minnow, raft, anchor, hut, and treasure chest.
The playset could be used on a typical playing surface, like a floor or table. Floating the toy in a tub or pool took advantage of the toy’s water-focused features and extended its play pattern: the island floated, as did some of the accessories; the hut could be used to pour water atop the toy to make a waterfall and pond; the raft and boat could be sailed underneath the toy into a cave; and the anchor could be deployed to hook the treasure chest.
COLLECTOR CONSIDERATIONS
A relatively modest number of Gilligan’s Island toys and games were released specifically for children. The show aired in evening time slots during its original three-season run, which meant young viewers with early bedtimes often missed out. For that reason, the Playskool set is a worthy acquisition for fans of the show who might want to add another toy to their collection of Gilligan’s Island memorabilia.
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