Don't worry, this post has nothing to do with scary dreams or screams like the song of the day, I just heard it on the radio this morning and it fit the theme, so I went with it. Today we are taking a trip back to the awesome 80s and I am going to introduce you to some of my favorite toys from my childhood. So hop into the DeLorean, put your Wayfarers on, sing along to my Wham! cassette, and let's go back to the future.
1. Cabbage Patch Kids - If you were a little girl in the 80s like I was, nothing could beat Cabbage Patch Kids, the adorable dolls with the chubby cheeks, yarn hair (or round bald head), and their very own unique birth certificate signed by their creator, Xavier Roberts. I got two for Christmas in 1984 during the Cabbage Patch hysteria that caused parents all over the country to stand in horrendously long lines and put their names on waiting lists, and my collection was started. Thanks Mom!
2. Talk 'n Play - This wonderful toy was the great-great grandfather to things like e-readers, Leap Pads, and the Leap Frog Tag reading tools for kids. I loved it! There were lots of tapes and books that went with it, and you could read along with the interactive stories and answer questions using the four rainbow colored buttons. This toy probably entertained me more than any other, except for my many Cabbage Patch Kids!
3. Roller Racer - This toy was so much fun! All you had to do was sit down and move the handlebars from side to side, and off you'd go! It didn't go fast and going uphill was nearly impossible, but it was a blast. My sister and I used to make up obstacle courses that we would have to navigate on the Roller Racer, usually ending up with one of us pushing the other about halfway through because Roller Racing was hard work! Ah, good times. :)
4. Skip It - These were fantastic! It was a simple concept, just slip your foot through the ring, whip the toy around, and jump over the plastic bar each time it came around. What made it so great was that it had a counter on it, so for competitive children like me, it created fun games of trying to jump more than my sister or friends, or if they refused to play with me because they knew they could never beat a Skip It champ like myself (that had to be the reason, right?), I would just try to break my own record, which was well into the hundreds. It was great exercise, but it was so much fun kids didn't even realize they were getting a workout! Just look at the girl in the photo. She is having so much fun in all of her 80s glory.
5. Popples - Popples were so great! They were cuddly stuffed animals with a built-in pouch that they could curl up in, turning themselves into a ball. One minute they could be dressed up in doll clothes drinking out of a baby bottle, and the next minute they could be balled up, bouncing off of your cousin's head. What could be better?
6. Lite-Brite - I don't think any child of the 80s can forget about the Lite-Brite. I don't know what it was about sticking those colorful plastic pegs through the black paper, but when the light box was turned on to reveal the glorious work of art you created, it was like a little bit of magic had happened right before your eyes. A classic 80s toy for sure!
7. Viewmaster - Another great way to pass the time before things like iPods, Nintendo DS, or iPads were created. Just slide a thin disc made of cardstock and plastic into the toy and the story comes to life. As easy as that and no batteries required! You know, people complain about how slide shows are so boring, but millions of kids in the 80s found these cartoon slides to be absolutely wonderful, me included!
8. My Little Pony - I am so excited that these lovable little toys are making a comeback. I had several of these, in various sizes and colors, all of which I sold at a swap meet for five bucks when I was 13. I wish I had held onto one or two of them because they were really cute and I had lots of fun playing My Little Ponies with my sister and cousin when we were all kids. I lived in the suburbs of Los Angeles so having a real horse was out of the question, so My Little Ponies were the next best thing.
9. Nintendo NES - The original Nintendo was so cool in the 1980s, so high tech, and at the top of every kid's wishlist. I did not have one because my mom thought I watched too much TV already (hmm...why would she ever think such a thing?!), but my cousin had one and I loved it! I would spend hours playing Super Mario Brothers (the first one was the best) and Duck Hunt. By today's standards, this game system is beyond primative and the graphics are insanely laughable, but back then, the original Nintendo was the king of all video games.
10. Pogo Balls - They didn't bounce that high, they were simplistic, and they looked like the planet Saturn, but I loved my Pogo Ball. I remember hopping onto my Pogo Ball and trying to bounce across the patio and back without falling off, which was quite a feat if you could do this, because if you didn't jump hard enough, you could stumble and fall flat on your face. But they were still fun and still totally 80s! And like the Roller Racer and Skip It, it was a something to get kids off the couch and outside to burn off some energy. Where are these toys now? I think they could find happy homes with a whole new generation of children.
This list could have gone on forever, so I'll just mention a few runners up before I get too carried away. Care Bears, Rainbow Brite, Puffalumps, Fisher Price Little People, Teddy Ruxpin, Pound Puppies/Pound Purries, and Pillow People. So much awesomeness went on in the 80s!
