Toy inventor Burt Meyer, who dreamed up Lite-Brite and Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots, dies age 99

Burt Meyer, who invented toys like Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots , Lite-Brite and MouseTrap in the 1960s that delighted generations of children, has died. He was 99.

Meyer’s creations arrived in the postwar boom, when plastic molding and mass production transformed how American kids played. That shift opened the door for more dynamic toys, and Meyer seized the moment with designs that would stay on shelves for decades.