Space hopper

A child can sit on top, holding the two handles, and bounce up and down until the ball leaves the ground.

In practical terms, this is a very inefficient form of locomotion, but its simplicity, ease of use, low cost, and cheerful appearance appeal to children.

The space hopper was invented by Aquilino Cosani of Ledragomma, an Italian company that manufactured toy rubber balls.

The Cambridge Evening News contained an advertisement for the hopper in November of that year[1] and described it as a trend.

The earliest Hoppity Hops were made of rubber (usually red or blue) with a round ring handle on top and an automotive tire valve for inflation.

In the 1970s, Sun introduced various character versions of the Hoppity Hop, such as the Hoppity Horse or Disney's Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck (with hard plastic versions of the character's head attached to the ball).

The Hoppity Hop sold steadily for decades, but by the 1990s, sales began to slip due to increased competition from foreign hoppers.