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50 Toys From The ’70s, ’80s And ’90s To Transport You Back To Your Childhood
138Kviews
Full disclosure, I’m a ‘90s kid, born and bred. The ‘90s run in my veins and I’m very much a kid of that era! You wouldn’t believe the level of nostalgia I have for the era. It’s utterly ridiculous how much I miss watching Sunday morning cartoons while eating a huge bowl of cereal and playing with my beloved toys. (All at once, of course—I’m a fantastic multitasker when it comes to doing the things that I love.)
I’ve still got a huge box of toys from my childhood that I love to go through from time to time. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t pop in some batteries to play Mario, Donkey Kong, and Pokémon on my GameBoy Color when I feel like I need a break from ‘The Real World.’ When it rains, when I get the blues—it’s nostalgia time. And a yearning for a more carefree era in my life. However, we here at Bored Panda know that there are lots of you Pandas who are nostalgic for the '70s, '80s, and ‘90s, so we’ve compiled this fun list of the toys you likely played with during that decade. Keep in mind that some of these toys are from even earlier still, but they were still very popular in the '70s, '80s, and '90s. Growing up with them was great!
Oh, and don’t forget to upvote the toys that you loved playing with the most. We’d also love to hear about what your fondest memories and favorite toys were from your childhood, so don’t be shy and drop on by the comment section. Ready to plunge straight into the Land of Nostalgia? Let’s go!
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This Is One Of My Most Detailed Renditions - St. Basil's Cathedral, Which Took ~30 Hours To Render (Etch A Sketch)
Let's Go Fishin'
These are still around, bought one for my son a couple of years ago.
This isn’t the first time that Bored Panda has tackled the topic of nostalgia (here are two great posts by yours truly if you're feeling any nostalgia for my writing). London-based child and adolescent therapist Kemi Omijeh, who is a member of the BACP, went into detail about nostalgia with me on two previous occasions. She explained that our memories of the past can contribute to our sense of self and well-being.
"The period of time we tend to be nostalgic over are significant moments that stood out. Perhaps it was a time when we felt happiest or safest, or perhaps it’s a period where things changed for us,” she told Bored Panda.
These Bouncy Balls You Got From Quarter Vending Machines And Arcades
According to therapist Omijeh, what a specific time period means to us is far more important than what age we were during the period of time. "Our memories of the past can change over time depending on how often we revisit and also depending on what is going on for us in the present,” she said.
Omijeh noted that who we were during each decade will change our impressions of the time period. So, while she jokes that “oh course, the ‘90s was better!”, she also notes that she might be biased in this particular case.
My Wife Got Me This For Christmas. She Knew That My Parents Never Got Me One When I Was A Kid. I Love Her So Much (Gameboy)
Polly Pocket. Ordered It Off Of Ebay And Cried When I Saw It Because The Nostalgia Hit So Hard
I was so jealous of one of my friends, she had like every polly pocket set. I was super excited when I got one for Chrissie one year. I remember it was a shopping centre type theme with a moving elevator.
“Generally speaking, the better decade is associated with youth and freedom. Nostalgia also often gives us rose-tinted glasses from which to reflect from. How we reflect on the past decades can play a part in how we engage with the current decade."
Earlier still, Omijeh explained to Bored Panda that we tend to feel nostalgic for those time periods where we felt loved and nurtured. Meanwhile, if we had a difficult childhood, odds are, we won’t have much nostalgia for it.
Spotted This Fisher Price Set Today
I Know No One Cares But I Got A Mimitchi On My Second Try. I Am 33 Years Old And Regret Nothing
Crayola Stamper Markers
I was so excited when I got a pack of these, trouble is that after a lil while you get bored of them so you start using them like normal textas lol.
"Nostalgia can also be a good coping strategy for times of low mood and challenges," she said, adding that nostalgia can also start to become a problem if it interferes with our everyday lives, as well as our ability to be present in the current moment.
"If we end up comparing it to our experiences today and feeling like nothing is as good as it was, then this will inevitably affect our mood and our ability to do what we need to do. We can become stuck in our nostalgia; in which case it might be best to seek help from a counseling professional to help you process your past in order to enjoy your present."
In short—nostalgia’s fine… in moderation. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Mario won’t be able to save Princess Peach without my help. Watch out, Bowser! [Beep boop.]
Anybody Remember POGS? Just Found Mine From The 90s
I remember when we used to get tazos in chip packets. My aunty had 3 albums full of them.
Slinky
I could never get them to go down stairs like they show on videos etc. The most I could do was get them tangled lol.
Stretch Armstrong With Three Of His Limbs Platted
Thrift Store Pick Up. 1978 Simon Game. Package Isn't Great But The Toy Is Like New
I Forgot I Used To Love These Until I Saw Them In The Store (Flying Gliders)
My Mom Still Has My Toys That My 10 Month Old Son Plays With When He Comes Over
Neon Klickers Clackers
There was another kind before these--two larger, very hard acrylic (?) balls on strings. You started by bouncing them against one another and worked up to having them collide at both the top and bottom of the pattern. You could knock yourself out with those, and when they broke, shards flew everywhere. These were tame by comparison!
Plastic Tube With Water And Plastic Fish Inside It, If You Try To Squeeze It It Just Rolls Itself
Silly Putty
The Game Of Perfection
Ahh...this game stressed me OUT. Didn't stop me from obsessively playing with it though.
LEGO Ghost From The 90s. Glows In The Dark
1981 Garfield Phone I Have Wanted Since I Was A Kid!! Guess I’m Getting A Landline
Sesame Street And Disney Poppin' Pals (Playskool)
Old School Kinder Surprise Toys
These little collectible figurines were awesome! I had so many. Even on this picture I remember the ones I had.
Play-Doh Fuzzy Pumper Barber And Beauty Shop
$1 Garage Sale Score: Original Super Soaker 50
And when the super soakers that could hold more water and be worn as a backpack came out it was ON in my neighborhood during water fights
View-Master Mickey Look Gift Set
Our very own slide show. These were great, especially when you could buy different viewer discs.
Easy Bake Oven
Micro Machines
Glitter Magic Wands
We’re mesmerized over these new glitter wands! from kiddos to adults, these are the hot new fidget toy! head over to our Instagram story for a video demo, each wand handmade in the USA.
Sky Dancers
there's a hilarious flick on youtube i guess of a super-excited girl trying her sky dancer for the first time and the thing flies right into the burning fireplace lol
Blow Pens
Note: this post originally had 114 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
Very nostalgic, remember most of these.
I clicked expecting to see mostly american toys I know nothing about but was pleasantly surprised to see a fair share of toys I had in my childhood in Europe !
I'm Gen Z and I played with at least 50% of these toys
I'm gen x and most of these were around when I was a kid.
I guess toys companies aren't as creative as they used to be.
True but also if something sells well, they are going to keep selling it.
For multiple generations
lol i c u commenting EVERYWHERE haha
Same
Quite a few of these were around in the 1960s, or even earlier. I've had this little guy for 54 years. troll2-611...588888.jpg
Did you give him a haircut? :)
Yeah, I gave him the haircut, and my Grandmother knitted the Superman outfit for him. The hair was black originally, but it was bleached by sunlight.
And a hand knitted outfit? :) 👍👍
Troll dolls first came out in1959. I have a Mrs. Santa that was actually my mother's, & a couple of mini trolls - she loved them! BTW, I was born in 1951 & I clearly remember everyone going nuts over them, lol
Sylvanian Families, I had so many! I kept them for my girls to play with too.
And Forest Friends.
There were no colorforms on here. I loved them as much as I loved paper dolls
OMG, YESSSS!
Forgot my little pony, he man and she ra
What about the Spirograph? I loved that thing! Especially because I could barely draw a stick person lol!
Oh yeah! Great toy!
Michaels has it.
Cool thx!
I'm almost 70 years old & I remember us getting one of these as a family 'toy' to share - they first came out in 1965.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane
Aww the nostalgia! I recognised almost everything!! Does anyone else remember also that toy that was for making jewelry? Didn't see it on the list! It was so great!!!
How about Hot wheels crack ups. Go bots those sticky octopus thing you threw at the wall to watch it "crawl" down and worked until it picked lint and hairs from the floor.
hahaha YES!
What? No lawn darts? *ducks*
I'm in my happy place, here in the 90s :D
What, no lawn darts? ha!
Totally takes me back to my childhood. Loved this stuff! Recognise almost all of them.
Yes, good times!
I still have some Barbie dolls,......but I got afraid of them since I read way too many horror story.
Anyone remember "LEGO Scala"? The girly version of LEGO with dolls, bigger pieces to snap together, and the big house?
So many of these are from before the 90s
Very true, but a lot of them were still played with by 90s kids too cause it got passed down by older relatives. My gen Z siblings played with a ton of these since my grandma saved my old toys.
Yes, there are several I remember from my childhood in the 50's/60's - you know a toy is great when it gets reincarnated every 20 years or so, lol
This whole post I kept saying "I REMEMBER" in increasingly shocked tones. We had so many toys.
I was hoping to see Snoopy's slushy maker?
Okay, who managed to steal all these images straight out of my childhood?
They forgot popples and slap bracelets.
Where is Operator??? One of the best!
Any of you other old heads remember this awesome toy? wham-o-611...481f57.jpg
Im gen z and ive played with 75 percent of these
This made me so sad. My parents didn't earn a lot of money, so I had like 3 of these but wanted most of them or other kids had them. :(
A lot are from 70’s and 80’s
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Remember Pogo balls. That one scared me.
First ten and I played with at least 5.I was born in. 2098
2008
I wish I could add the Nickelodeon alarm clock.
Oh man these all hit hard! The nostalgia!
Did anybody have the 1996 Burger King Pokemon toys? Just me?
Aww I used to have most these as a child in the eighties ❤️ this was a really great thread!
Surprised no one posted Lawn Darts!
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘥
Where are the Little Kiddles?