The hula hoop craze reached its peak by the end of 1958, but the simple toy still entertains kids in the early twenty-first century.

In the late 1950s, children found much delight in playing with hula hoops. The hoops—lightweight, hollow, brightly colored circular bands that were 4 feet in diameter—were a simple yet clever creation. The object was to spin one around your waist and then wiggle and reel your hips in an attempt to prevent it from falling to the ground.

The origin of the hula hoop dates to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. It also was popular with children and adults in England during the fourteenth century. Back then, the hoops were made of wood, vines, or grasses. The word "hula" became linked to the toy in the early nineteenth century, when British sailors traveled to the Hawaiian Islands and noticed the similarity between...