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!
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- 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 rush of things we wanted as kids! A special feature on nostalgic toys and trendy toys (11–20)
Pokémon: Strongest Sticker Chronicles
These perfectly square stickers look so familiar and incredibly nostalgic, don’t they? I bet many of you used to buy tons of them at the local toy store or candy shop back in the day.
Like with so many sticker and card series, the rare ones would shimmer and shine, right? And I’m sure lots of people who had these as kids ended up plastering them all over their bedroom back at their parents’ house.
Truly brings back memories.
Furby
The pet robot Furby became a social phenomenon.
It was a completely new kind of toy that grew the more you played with it, and it sold explosively when it first came out! I also remember that lots of counterfeits were circulating.
And there were even small Furby toys included in McDonald’s Happy Meals! For those of us who experienced that era in real time, just seeing a Furby brings back a flood of memories like these.
Driving Turbo
Driving Turbo, released in the 1980s and a coveted item for boys, featured a left-hand-drive design inspired by supercars.
Many of you probably played with it back in the day.
Flip the switch and the screen scrolls; shift up and the speed increases, with the gauges responding accordingly.
If you hit another car, the trip meter—which also serves to display your score—stops, so you steer to avoid collisions.
It was a dreamlike toy for boys, wasn’t it?
PocketStation
PocketStation—nicknamed PokéSte—is a device you plug into the PlayStation’s memory card slot to play in tandem with certain games.
When replacing the battery, you had to unscrew it with a driver, and it’s so nostalgic that a tiny screwdriver called the Pocket Driver was even sold for it! Back then, starting with Tamagotchi, there were lots of these small handheld games.
Poppin’ Eye
It’s that dome-shaped toy made of rubber—so nostalgic, right? You flip it inside out and set it on the ground, and when it snaps back it springs up with a boing.
It’s a super simple toy, but I remember playing with it a lot.
By the way, I had no idea it was called a “poppin’ eye” (lol).
Yo-kaizer
It may have been overshadowed by Tamagotchi and Digimon, but that’s exactly why the Youkaizer feels incredibly nostalgic when you look back on it now.
Not many people around me had one either (lol).
It had a pedometer function, battles, and a system similar to other small handheld games of the time.
The controls were so simple—almost unthinkable by today’s standards—that just looking at it makes you feel really nostalgic.
I’m sure plenty of people would hold it in their hand and shake it to cheat the step counter (lol).
A flood of things we wanted as kids! A special feature on nostalgic toys and trendy toys (21–30)
nerf
Nerf is a toy shaped like a gun that fires sponge darts called “darts.” The trademark was registered by the American toy manufacturer Hasbro in 1990, and sales began in 1992.
There are a variety of series that can be enjoyed by both children and adults, and many people have been hooked since childhood.
They come in many forms—handguns, rifles, shotguns, machine guns—appealing to the inner boy.
There are also collaboration products with online games, attracting a wide range of fans.
