Posted inPop Culture Fads Toys and Games Trends
Koosh Ball: The Toy Everyone Had to Squeeze
Some toys asked you to imagine a whole world. The Koosh Ball asked you to pick it up once, and that was enough. If you were anywhere near a toy…
Posted inPop Culture Arcade Classics Fads Fast Food Favorites Food Toys and Games Trends Video Games
ShowBiz Pizza and the Birthday Party Every Kid Wanted
Before bounce houses and party packages took over, one birthday flex ruled the 80s: ShowBiz Pizza. If your name was on that cake table, you were the main character for…
How Care Bears Filled 80s Bedrooms and Saturday TV
Some characters stayed on the screen, but the Care Bears climbed right off it and onto our beds. Before they became icons of children's television, these lovable characters were born…
Posted inPop Culture Action Figures Toys and Games
M.A.S.K. Toys and the Vehicles Kids Swore Were the Best
You didn't just play with M.A.S.K. toys, you sprang them open. A red car became a flying assault machine. A semi truck turned into a mobile command center. A boat…
Posted inPop Culture Toys and Games
Micro Machines and the Tiny Cars Kids Took Everywhere
There was a moment when a whole fleet could fit in your palm, and that felt like magic. Micro Machines were tiny enough to lose in the couch, yet big…
Posted inPop Culture Fads Fashion Toys and Games Trends
Slap Bracelets and the School Ban Panic
You could hear them before you saw them, that fast little snap in the middle of homeroom. Slap bracelets were cheap, bright, weirdly satisfying, and almost impossible for kids to…
Posted inPop Culture Fads Toys and Games Trends
Scratch and Sniff Stickers, the School Prize Kids Saved
One scratch, and the whole desk smelled like grape soda, strawberry candy, or a cartoon pizza party at 10 a.m. If you grew up in the age of reward charts…
Sega Genesis and the 16-Bit Leap Kids Wanted
You didn't need a spec sheet to know the Sega Genesis felt like a real step up. One look at the screen, one blast of that crunchy music, one quick…
Posted inPop Culture Discontinued Treats Favorite Foods Food Saturday Morning Cartoons Toys and Games Trends
Fruit Stripe Gum and the Tattoo Wrapper Kids Loved
Some candies were good. Fruit Stripe Gum, the zebra gum with the striped packs, was a whole scene. You remember the pack first, don't you? The wild stripes, Yipes the…
Posted inPop Culture Toys and Games Video Games
Nintendo Entertainment System: The Console Kids Begged For In The 80s
Some toys got circled in the catalog. The Nintendo Entertainment System got underlined, starred, and brought up at dinner three times a week. If you were a kid in the…