The Buzzy Bee is a popular toy

Toy

A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...

 in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. It resembles a bee

Bee

Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...

 with rotating wing

Wing

A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...

s that move and make a clicking noise while the toy is pulled along the ground. Possibly based on an earlier American concept, it was designed and first produced in New Zealand in 1948, by Maurice Scheslinger . it became popular during the post-war baby boom. Its bright colours and clicking sound call are familiar to many New Zealanders, making it one of the most well-recognised items of Kiwiana

Kiwiana

Kiwiana are certain items and icons from New Zealand's heritage, especially from around the middle of the 20th century that are seen as representing iconic Kiwi elements...

. Since this time however, the Buzzy Bee has branched out into various merchandise including books, jigsaws and clothing.

It received a good deal of free promotion with the visit of The Prince

Charles, Prince of Wales

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...

 and Princess of Wales

Diana, Princess of Wales

Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...

 in 1983 with their infant son, Prince William of Wales, who played with a Buzzy Bee.

As an iconic New Zealand symbol, the Buzzy Bee caricature was used on the keel of NZL84, one of Emirates

Emirates Airline

Emirates is the airline based in the Emirate of Dubai part of the United Arab Emirates . Based at Dubai International Airport it is the largest airline in the Middle East, operating over 2,400 flights per week, from its hub at Terminal 3, to 111 cities in 62 countries across six continents...

 Team New Zealand

Team New Zealand

Team New Zealand is a sailing team based in Auckland, New Zealand representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.Team New Zealand has become a household name in their home country following their consecutive wins in the America's Cup in 1995 and 2000...

's entrant yachts for the America's Cup

America's Cup

The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...

 held in Valencia, Spain, in 2007.

In June 2007, plans were unveiled for a Buzzy Bee stage show "Buzzy Bee's Big Day Out". The company behind the show also revealed that they'd made an animated show reel and were finalising details of a distribution deal, and that they hoped to begin work on an animated series for television http://www.nzherald.co.nz/author/story.cfm?a_id=328&objectid=10441111.

Fisher-Price

Fisher-Price

Fisher-Price is a company that produces toys for infants and children, headquartered in East Aurora, New York. Fisher-Price has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel since 1993.-History:...

manufactured Buzzy Bees from 1950-1956. Buzzy Bee was originally covered with paper lithographs depicting a yellow bee with pink cheeks, blue eyes, and striped tail. The bee had two spring antennae topped with red beads. Yellow acetate wings rotated and the toy made a "buzz-buzz" sound as it was pulled along on two wooden wheels. Buzzy Bee cost $.59 and was Fisher-Price's first toy to feature plastic. The toy was retired for a few years but returned in 1956 as Queen Buzzy Bee wearing a polyetheline crown. Queen Buzzy was manufactured through the mid-1980s.