Abstract: A wire retaining apparatus is disclosed. In the preferred embodiment this wire retaining apparatus is used in the construction of a child's activity toy generically referred to as a bead maze. The wire retaining apparatus includes a plug and a receptacle. The apparatus is designed to secure an elongate rigid wire having an L-shaped terminus. The L-shaped terminus of the wire engages an L-shaped channel in the plug. The plug has one or more prongs extending from the side thereof. The plug and the wire engage a receptacle formed in a base or other suitable support structure. The receptacle includes one or more slots to receive the prongs. A shoulder on each prong engages a shoulder formed in each slot of the plug in the receptacle. A foot extends from the plug and engages a step in the bottom of the receptacle. The foot is formed from resilient material and tends to urge the plug upward into locking engagement and into a generally coplanar relationship with the support structure.

Abstract: A toy telephone having a telephone base, a telephone handset, and a cord extending between the base and the handset, the cord having first and second cord segments of preselected lengths, the first cord segment connected at one end to the base and the second cord segment connected at one end to the handset. Mating connectors at the free ends of the first and second cord segments releasably connect the cord segments to form a single continuous cord between the base and the handset that has an apparent length that is longer than the length of either cord segment and sufficiently long for play use. Upon application of a force in excess of that normally encountered in play use, the connectors allow the cord to separate into its component segments.