33 Toys You Definitely Owned If You Were Born In The '80s
We all have our favorite '80s toys, but some were so popular that they seemed to be in every home in America.
If you're an '80s kid, we'd be shocked to learn you didn't own these toys:
1. Fisher Price Medical Kit
Don't be surprised if you notice a lot of Fisher Price on this list. The toy company dominated the market in this decade, and one of their most popular sets was this doctor's bag.
It had everything you needed to play doctor, and give the family dog a checkup.
2. Popples
The Popples were designed by the same toy company that gave us the Care Bears, but they were never as popular as those multicolored stuffed animals.
3. My Buddy - and Kid Sister
Known for their insanely catchy commercials, these toys let you pretend to have a little brother or sister - and were much cheaper than a certain other toy on this list.
4. Fisher Price Music Box Teaching Clock
The only reason we learned how to tell time in the era of digital clocks is thanks to this toy, so we all owe Fisher Price some gratitude.
5. Monchhichi
While everyone seemed to own a Monchhichi doll, almost nobody remembers much about them. They were actually a hit in Japan before crossing over to the U.S.
6. Tree Tots Tree House
Odds are you still have this playset hiding in your closet, but the actual Tree Tots family have a habit of disappearing. Still, it's really fun to play with.
7. Sit'n Spin
Yes, we had hours of fun with this toy, but it was kind of sad when you think about it. It's basically a one-person version of a playground carousel. Didn't we have any friends to play with?!
8. Fisher Price Stove
We could have endless fun with this plastic kitchen set, but your parents could only play "eat the pretend pancakes" so many times before flipping out and stashing this in the crawlspace.
9. See 'N Say Farmer
Ohhhhh, the cow goes moo. I'm glad I had this toy to teach me, otherwise I never would have figured that out.
If you see one of these toys lying around, it's impossible not to pull the lever.
10. Wuzzles
If Popples were a lame attempt to cash in on the Care Bears craze, then the Wuzzles were their annoying little brother.
The Wuzzles briefly starred in their own TV show, but the toy craze never really caught on.
11. Big Wheels
Even as kids with limitless energy, pedaling around the block on these plastic trikes was tiring. Maybe that's why our parents bought them: to wear us out and make us actually take a nap.
12. Fisher Price Gas Pump
I would love to meet the Fisher Price designer who was pumping gas and thought, "This could be a million-dollar idea for a children's toy." Because, as weird as it sounds, he was totally right.
13. Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine
One of the best toy machines of the '80s, hands down. There was nothing better on a hot day than a Snoopy Sno-Cone.
By the way, you can still buy these, in case you're jonesing for that sugary red syrup.
14. Micky Mouse Talking Telephone
It was a simpler time: back then we bought preschoolers toy phones instead of actual cell phones.
15. Fisher Price Cash Register
"One air pie for you dad? That will be $15,000 please. And no, we don't take American Express."
16. Sesame Street Poppin' Pals
We joke about how easily entertained kids are, but honestly if I had my old Poppin' Pals in front of me right now I would be tapping the buttons like crazy.
17. Care Bears
Greeting card company American Greetings hit a home run with these cutesy characters. They inspired TV shows, movies, and of course the toys we loved to collect. Which one was your favorite?
18. Little People Play House
The Little People have gotten a makeover in the decades since this classic toy came out, but we say "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
19. Fisher Price Record Player
If you want to feel really old dig up this bad boy and let your kids / younger relatives try and play with it. It's good for a few laughs, but it will probably make you feel ancient.
20. Speak and Spell
AH-uu-eE-Oo. DOG. D...O...G. THAT'S CORRECT. The scary thing is this used to be cutting-edge technology.
21. Cabbage Patch Kids
The original must-have toy ignited riots across America. Even if you didn't find one under your Christmas tree, your family wound up buying at least one of these dolls that were called "so ugly it's cute."
22. Smurf Camera
Even if you didn't like the Smurfs, you probably owned this Smurf Camera. It let you smurf the best shots of all the smurf in your house. Just be careful not to smurf any smurfers while you're smurfing.
23. Colorforms
No toy was less fun or more in-demand than Colorforms, which let you make small dioramas with unsticky stickers of your favorite characters. It was hours of fun - or just a few minutes, honestly. Nowadays you can use a cutter like Cricut Maker to make them at home and feel that nostalgia.
24. Glo Worm
"Having trouble sleeping, kids? Cuddle up to this giant, glowing grub, which will sing you to sleep."
Very normal, '80s parents.
25. Fisher Price Family Farm
Like the Little People home play set, it can be upsetting to see how cool the modern Fisher Price Farm looks. Back in my day, we made do with less!
26. Rainbow Brite
The cheery doll in the bright, shiny uniform who "makes everyone happy" was a global hit, and if you're an '80s girl you were probably raised on her shows and movies.
27. Mini Piano
Where did this tiny keyboard even come from? Most people barely remember that it had a name, but it seems like every family in America owned one. Almost creepy when you think about it.
28. Fisher Price Parking Ramp
Like the gas pump, you have to wonder why we had so much fun with a toy parking garage. The crank-up car elevator was probably a big part of the appeal.
29. The E.T. Vinyl Doll
When everyone fell in love with E.T., parents everywhere raced to get a toy of the ugly little alien for their kids. Which is how this weird vinyl doll made its way into our homes, where it creeped out countless younger siblings.
30. The View-Master
Who needs the updated version with VR effects and scanners? We had two interchangeable picture discs of He-Man illustrations, and that was enough for us, darn it!
31. Little Boppers
As Teddy Ruxpin reminds us, toy-makers were still perfecting animatronic dolls in the '80s. These "dancing" characters mainly just vibrated in place until they fell over.
32. Rub-a-Dub Doggie
Bath time was lots of fun with this adorable pooch who would float along beside you.
33. Playskool Rockin Robot
His blank stare was definitely a little creepy, but we all liked singing along to our favorite song on this kid-friendly tape recorder.
How many of these toys did you own?
[H/T: Eighties Kids]