Blogmas Day 14: Toys I Had As A Kid That Your Kids Will Love

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Nostalgia sells right? The 90s and early 2000s have been back “in” for years now, and that’s not changing anytime soon. We mainly think about this in terms of fashion, but it’s absolutely true for other things. So, for today’s Blogmas post, I’m sharing ten toys that I had as a kid, that would make great gifts for your kids today.

Lite-Brite

The first item on this list is the toy that inspired this post- the Lite-Brite. As soon as I saw this on Amazon, I was transported back 20+ years. I can actually feel the black paper and the little pegs in my hand.

Spirograph

Who else had this toy? This classic has been updated a bit (I admit, the pens look much better than the ones I had in mine!), but it’s still the same fun thing. I’ve seen this in a few stores recently, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about getting it for my 30-year old self!

You can get the 15 piece set right here. Or, get this fancy looking ‘scratch & shimmer’ version!

Iron-On Bead Kits

I’m not sure if they go by the same now as they did years ago, but these bead kits were definitely a popular item when I was a kid. We had so many magnets that I’d made from these kits. You can get a ‘regular’ one, or the fun holiday one if you’re looking for something for all the nieces to do on Christmas Day.

Polly Pockets

Any Polly Pocket lovers out there? This house has 4 floors, 5 rooms, 4 hidden “reveals,” and accessories and Polly and Paxton dolls!

Thomas the Tank Engine Wooden Train Set

Technically, the Thomas trains that we had were my brothers’. But, I played with them just a much as he did. I would build these super elaborate tracks (or as elaborate as my 6 year old self could make) and then we’d play for hours. I know Thomas is still on tv, but the new version is just weird and creepy. If your child likes Thomas, definitely go for the wooden sets over the plastic- they’re just nicer, but you also get a great ‘click click train sound’ when you roll the trains over the tracks.

Skip-It

This was such a workout! I had a version that you needed to kick out before you began skipping and the end would extend out on a cord (the one on the right is the closet I can find to what I had). Did yo have one of these? Which kind did you have?

Easy Bake Oven

Did you have an Easy Bake Oven? This is one toy I did not have as a kid- my parents thought they were ‘stupid.’ I knew some people that had them, but, because I frequently helped my Mom bake for real, I didn’t understand why some classmates loved them.

Favorite Childhood Games

I may be wrong, but I remember board games being a much more popular thing when I was a kid. There was Perfection (you know the commercial- “pop goes perfection!”), which I think is the reason why I’m so jumpy and hate balloons, Mouse Trap, Operation, Trouble, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Sorry, and so many more!

If you’re looking for more board game gifts, check out this post for ideas for both kids and adults.

Blo Pens

Not going to lie, I was a little afraid to search for these pens online. But man, this is where my artistic sills truly shined. The blobs on paper I created were just *chef’s kiss*

GigaPet & Tamagotchi

Who had one of these as a kid? If you ask me what toys I had as a kid, this is one of the first things to come to mind. I personally had the purple GigaPet (the dog), and I loved that thing. But, one day my Dad kept hearing it go off in the house. I don’t know where I was, but I wasn’t home. So, Dad put it in the freezer and killed my dog. RIP digital dog. Honestly though, I’m really, really tempted to buy one of these.