Released in the 1960s by Hasbro, the Frosty Sno-Man Sno-Cone Machine allowed children to beat the summer heat by preparing icy treats themselves.
Standing approximately 10-inches tall, Frosty was made of sturdy, white plastic and was mounted on an all-plastic, ivory-colored base. A limited number of sets included a small plastic pipe in Frosty’s mouth, which was removed shortly after production began.
Kids aged 5-10 would load ice cubes into the top of Frosty’s head and then manually operate a circular grinder to create ice shavings. Located in Frosty’s belly, the red-handled crank mechanism was rust-proof and removable for easy cleanup. Once enough shaved ice was in the grinder, kids used a red plastic shovel to dispense it into cone-shaped cups.
The pièce de résistance of a sno-cone was the sweetener. Hasbro provided five flavor choices: orange, grape, pineapple, blueberry, and pink lemonade. Two plastic bottles and a funnel were included to easily dispense the syrups.
In the 1970s, Hasbro added additional flavor packets to the Sno-Cone Machine as well as a Tasty Treat Sweet Shop Kit. The updated kit also encouraged entrepreneurship with a paper apron, paper sign, and plastic hat to turn the toy into a full-fledged business.
Todd Coopee is Editor-in-Chief of Toy Tales, an online publication that covers toys and games past and present.
