COOTIES : Hasbro Has ‘Em

Don’t spill the beans, but Hasbro Inc.--the largest toy company in the country--has Cooties.

Hasbro said Wednesday that it has acquired from Tyco Toys the game Cootie and three other classic games that have been a staple of children’s play for more than a generation.

Through its Milton Bradley Co. subsidiary, Hasbro has arranged with Tyco to purchase the games Cootie, Don’t Break the Ice, Don’t Spill the Beans and Ants in the Pants. from manufacturer Schaper Toy Division of Kusan Inc. of Minneapolis.

Tyco is in the process of acquiring Schaper but is selling off the four games to Hasbro. Terms weren’t disclosed.

John Campbell, a toy analyst for Pemberton Houston Willoughby Inc. in Vancouver, Canada, said Hasbro’s acquisition was not financially significant in light of the company’s $1.2 billion in annual revenue. But he said the purchase highlights a nostalgic trend in the toy industry that has embraced toys and games that remain a rite of childhood.

“Cootie,” for example, has been used in playground vernacular for years by children trying to tease a schoolmate.

Toy company officials involved in the deal could not be reached for comment.