Link Roundup: Mattel, Judy Garland, Lava Lamps, and more

8 things we wanted to share this week:

1. Mattel has launched a new gender-inclusive doll line inviting all kids to play.
2. Actor John Goodman is starring in the Lets Be Kids campaign for Fisher-Price.
3. When you can’t afford to pay the licensing fee, you have to get creative. Here’s a gallery of knock-off Halloween costumes.
4. A profile of two Oz-obsessed midwesterners who made Judy Garland’s birthplace a museum.
5. The enduring legacy of children’s television show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is the focal point of a new book from Penguin Random House.
6. Watch: a gorgeously illustrated history of chess.
7. Here’s a look at the groovy history of Lava lamps.
8. A global study has put the LEGO Group in first place on corporate responsibility.

Peruse a weekly summary of intriguing articles related to toys, games, and nostalgia that have hit the news this week.