A special feature on nostalgic toys and the trends we craved as kids—loads of the things we wanted back then are here!
Do you ever find yourself suddenly remembering those nostalgic toys you were obsessed with as a kid? The gadgets you used to compete with your friends over, or that one item you begged to have no matter what.
Trends in toys may change from era to era, but that thrilling excitement that stays deep in your heart never fades, does it? Some of them are still popular even today.
In this article, we’ll look back at the things we wanted as children and the toys that were all the rage back then, and introduce plenty of items that will make you blurt out, “I remember that!” Let’s open the door to those nostalgic memories!
- A roundup of nostalgic toys for people born in the ’90s [Trends]
- A roundup of nostalgic toys for people born in the 2000s [Trends]
- Nostalgic games that were popular when we were kids
- [Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Toy Ideas You Can Create Yourself
- [List] A roundup of games and recreational activities kids love
- It's fun to spin! A collection of DIY toy ideas
- DIY ideas for a den-den daiko (Japanese pellet drum). Let’s make and play with this nostalgic toy!
- [Make with Kids] Handmade Outdoor Play Toy Special
- [For Kids] Today's Recommended Recreation Idea Collection
- Indoor Games for Small Groups: Exciting Recreational Activities
- [For Kids] Today’s Handmade Craft Ideas
- [DIY] A Collection of Handmade Moving Toy Craft Ideas
- [For Elementary School Kids] Handmade Toy Craft Ideas
A Flood of Things We Wanted as Kids! A Special Feature on Nostalgic Toys & Trending Toys (1–10)
Water game
It’s that thing with lots of rings inside a water-filled container.
When you press the attached button, it creates a current in the water and the rings shoot up.
The goal is to hook the rings onto the pegs inside the container.
There were various series, from slightly larger ones to smaller, handy-sized versions, right? It’s extremely simple, but I think many of us played it obsessively as kids.
Mini 4WD
There were so many kids in the ’90s and 2000s who were totally into Mini 4WD cars! I’m sure lots of people set up tracks to race with friends, and many even entered big tournaments.
Everyone would swap out parts and tweak their cars to make them run even faster! Plus, Mini 4WD became a huge hit thanks to the manga and anime “Bakusō Kyōdai Let’s & Go!!” and even video games.
Biting Granny
The Grandma Biter eraser was released in 1987 as a prize from a lottery you could enter when you bought mechanical pencil lead refills.
Didn’t some of your classmates have one at school? The dentures are designed to come off, making it a very humorous toy! Given its uniquely surreal look, I wouldn’t be surprised if quite a few people have still held onto it without throwing it away.
A rush of things we wanted as kids! A special feature on nostalgic toys and trendy toys (11–20)
shrink plastic
Shrinky Dinks—plastic sheets you still often see today as handmade craft items.
Back then, they weren’t as mainstream as they are now; I remember them being thought of mostly as kids’ craft toys.
Since they’re transparent, many of us probably traced a design placed underneath, drew on the sheet, then heated it in the oven to make keychains and the like.
These days, people even coat Shrinky Dinks with resin to make accessories and other goods!
Flower Rock
It’s a simple toy that moves as if it’s dancing in response to nearby sounds or music.
Many of you might have owned one back in the day.
Although it was released by Takara Tomy as a toy, it apparently became unexpectedly popular among people in their twenties and older.
A revised version was even released in 2008, making it one of those long-loved, classic toys.
Pepsiman bottle cap
Even now, when you visit model shops or toy stores that sell pre-owned figures, you’ll spot those Pepsi bottle caps.
They first appeared in 1998 and stayed popular until the early 2000s, didn’t they? Back then, each bottle of Pepsi came with a bonus bottle cap, and I’m sure many people’s refrigerators were packed with Pepsi.
The collaborations with Star Wars and Ichiro Suzuki are nostalgic, too.
Pocket Pikachu
A small handheld game device that lets you communicate with Pikachu on the screen—nicknamed PokéPika.
It had a pedometer function, and the more steps you walked, the closer your bond with Pikachu became.
I’m sure many people took their PokéPika out when they went to play.
It was also designed to link with Pokémon Gold and Silver, making it a hot topic among kids who played Pokémon!