Although this popular toy made its infamous debut in the 1950? s it had surprisingly already been around for hundreds of years. People have been playing with different versions of the Hula-Hoop since the days of ancient Egypt, over 3,000 years ago, when children would fashion circles from dried grape vines and swing them around their waists, roll them on the ground, or toss them to each other. Ancient Greeks even used hoops as a form of exercise to lose weight. In the 1400? s, hooping became popular in England until the British began to blame the practice on heart attacks and back disorders so playing with the toy was then discouraged. Hula-Hoops have been made from every sort of material from wood to metal and they are still enjoyed by people of all ages to this day.