“Thrills with Beaver on a race to the moon.”
Published by Hasbro in 1959, the Leave It to Beaver: Rocket to the Moon Space Game capitalized on the success of the television sitcom and the growing fascination with space exploration to extend the program’s presence beyond the television screen.
Leave It to Beaver followed the lives of the titular character and his family and friends. The series starred Jerry Mathers, Hugh Beaumont, Barbara Billingsley, and Tony Dow. It aired on CBS from 1957 to 1958, before moving to ABC from 1958 to 1963.
GAMEPLAY
The board game was a race to the finish, with participants advancing from Earth along a track toward the moon. Movement throughout the game was determined by a rocket, launcher, and numbered grid. Players placed the rocket on a press-and-release launcher, jettisoning it toward the grid to determine the number of spaces advanced.
Designated spaces introduced instructions that advanced or impeded players’ progress along the board, including a return to Earth as the ultimate penalty.
The first player to reach the moon won the game.
IN THE BOX
A complete game included the game board, rocket launcher, flight card, launching pad, and four pawns in blue, green, orange, and red. Instructions were printed on the inside of the box top.
COLLECTOR CONSIDERATIONS
The Leave It to Beaver: Rocket to the Moon Space Game reflected growing interest in Cold War-era technology and the Space Race. Toy and game companies incorporated these themes into objects of play, including the ICBM Missile Launching Station from Kohner, Men into Space from Milton Bradley, and Star Bird Command Base from Milton Bradley. These games and toys demonstrate how contemporary interest in space exploration was translated into forms of play aimed at children.
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