Do you know what era your kid’s toys come from? It might surprise you that some of the most common toys have been around for years and have been enjoyed by multiple generations of children. Here are some of the best toys from the 70s, 80s and 90s:
1970s
The 70s were a time of freedom for both children and adults, when kids were allowed to play in the street unsupervised. Outdoor toys like the bouncy Space Hopper and Raleigh chopper bike were favourites, while indoor kids embraced artistic pursuits with the help of an Etch a Sketch. While the Etch a Sketch was first manufactured in the 1950s it wasn’t until the 1970s that they lay under nearly every tree at Christmas time. Meanwhile, musical kids were sure to have a Stylophone, a sort of keyboard that made noises with the aid of a stylus. And one of the most enduring 70s toys has got to be the slinky.
1980s
The 80s saw the rise of battery-powered toys and computer games like Space Invaders and Pac Man but one of the most iconic 80s toys has got to be the Rubik’s Cube. Although invented in 1974, the Rubik’s Cube was hitting stores everywhere in the 80s and is still frustrating children and adults today. 80s girls were falling in love with Cabbage Patch Kid dolls, Care Bears, Fluppy Dogs and My Little Pony figurines. Iconic He-Man and She-Ra figurines were also common, and Star Wars toys were just as popular as they are now!
1990s
The 90s continued the electronic trend with the rather annoying Bop It game, Tamagotchi’s and electronic diaries. The 90s also saw a lot of kids come home soaking wet after a friendly feud with their Super Soakers. Those spinning aerial fairies known as Sky Dancers were hitting shelves everywhere, and are making a comeback today! And who could forget the Pokemon craze that has enveloped children for years? The Game Boy games and trading cards kept kids busy for hours on end as they tried everything they could to ‘Catch ‘em All!