17 Nostalgic '90s Toys That Made Our Childhoods
Chloe Williams serves as B+C’s Entertainment Editor and resident Taylor Swift expert. Whether she’s writing a movie review or interviewing the stars of the latest hit show, Chloe loves exploring why stories inspire us. You can see her work published in BuzzFeed, Coastal Review, and North Beach Sun. When she’s not writing, Chloe’s probably watching a Marvel movie with a cherry coke or texting her sister about the latest celebrity news. Say hi at @thechloewilliams on Insta and @popculturechlo on Twitter!
Was there anything better than opening presents on Christmas morning as a kid? Nostalgic toys are a great way to remember the simpler days of our childhoods, and how easy it was for the tiniest thing to fill us with hope, wonder, and excitement. Flipping through a catalogue with a Sharpie in hand, standing in the middle of Toys "R" Us with wide eyes, looking in a storefront window during the holidays... If you're looking for a bit of nostalgia this season, keep reading for 17 of our favorite toys from the '90s!
Girl Talk
This truth or dare game was a surefire way to kick off any sleepover. And with Girl Talk: Date Line, we also got the opportunity to match fictional gals with dates before finding one for ourselves! No wonder we're excellent wing women today.
Polly Pocket
We were *big* dollhouse fans as kids, and the tiny nature of Polly Pockets just meant that we could take a dollhouse with us wherever we went! There was a house for every kind of kid, from the Ice Kingdom to the Jeweled Forest.
Easy Bake Oven
If you love to cook, there's a good chance you had one of these babies. There was nothing like mixing the batter, watching the cake rise, and then being able to show off your creation to your parents. The snacks weren't bad either.
Furby
These owllike creatures definitely became our best friends. They were cute, soft, and the fact that they spoke their own language was basically the coolest thing ever.
Tamagotchi
This digital pet was the perfect gift if your parents said you couldn't get a dog, especially since it could fit in your pocket and go with you everywhere. And since it was digital, you didn't have to deal with any real mess.
Socker Boppers
This toy was the perfect way to get your energy out without doing any real damage. Just slip them on your hands and voilà! Although if you remember them having a different name, you're not wrong: In 2002, Mattel sued Big Time Toys over their "Sock'em Boppers," which they said infringed on their "Rock'em Sock'em Robots" toys. Thus, "Socker Boppers" were born.
Bop It
We're pretty sure that our Bop Its played a role in forming our reflexes and our hand-eye coordination, and we're not mad about it. It was just too fun to not play all. the. time. And playing with your BFFs took team competition to a whole new level.
View Master
Before Netflix, before Disney+, or even before we were able to drive ourselves to the movie theater, we had View Masters. We loved taking a peek at the 3D images, from lions in the African Sahara to scenes from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
Hit Clips
There was something so amazing about being able to carry our favorite songs (well, 30 seconds of them) with us wherever we went. We know remembering how much we loved Hit Clips feels silly when we have millions of songs on Spotify, but we can't help it!
Littlest Pet Shop
LPS made great pets for your dolls, or served as a great alternative if you were allergic to real pets. These little guys were just too cute to not fall in love with as soon as you opened them.
Skip It
This was basically our childhood introduction to cardio, and it proved to be a great way to break a sweat. Although as much as we loved our Skip Its, accidentally hitting your ankle was a different level of pain.
Beanie Babies
It didn't take long for these cuties to become a sensation all over the country. There were so many different kinds that collecting them was like its own game!
Sky Dancers
Just pull the string and watch these fairies fly! Not only were these magical toys some of our favorite to play with, but they also inspired a spin-off television show (get it?) that was just as magical.
Gameboy
The screen might be small, but boy did we get lost in Tetris, Super Mario Land, and The Legend of Zelda. So many worlds, so little time!
Talkgirl
The original version of this cassette player and recorder toy was made as a prop for Home Alone 2, and when the movie became a success, they decided to release it as a real toy. We definitely felt like spies using 'em.
My Twinn Doll
You cannot deny that if you loved dolls, there was nothing like opening a My Twinn doll that looked just like you, freckles and all. And the matching outfits were the cherry on top!
Gigapet
All we wanted for our Gigapets was to keep them happy and healthy. Plus, having to feed them did teach us a bit of responsibility, even if it was on a small scale.
What was your favorite '90s toy when you were growing up? Let us know on Twitter!
Featured image via The Creative Exchange/Unsplash
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Chloe Williams serves as B+C’s Entertainment Editor and resident Taylor Swift expert. Whether she’s writing a movie review or interviewing the stars of the latest hit show, Chloe loves exploring why stories inspire us. You can see her work published in BuzzFeed, Coastal Review, and North Beach Sun. When she’s not writing, Chloe’s probably watching a Marvel movie with a cherry coke or texting her sister about the latest celebrity news. Say hi at @thechloewilliams on Insta and @popculturechlo on Twitter!
