With the holiday shopping season in full swing, toy stores everywhere are making sure they have the latest “must-have” item in stock in plenty of time for Christmas.
And like everything, these fads and trends tend to come and go from year to year. That hot new toy from last year—the one parents battled traffic jams and long lines at shopping malls to get— has probably already disappeared under the bed by January 1st, never to be seen again. Some never went out of style, and simply re-emerged decades later.
Here’s a brief look at the must-have games and toys that have been on every kid’s list over the last century:
1900s
Hopscotch, 3D viewers, Kewpie dolls, ping pong, Raggedy Ann, Teddy bears.
1910s Tinker toys, Ouija boards, erector sets, Raggedy Ann dolls.
1920s Crossword puzzles, mah-jongg, electric model trains, Crayola Crayons, Yo-yos.
1930s Mickey Mouse, pinball, Shirley Temple dolls.
1940s
Hummel figurines, LEGOs, LP records, Magic 8-Ball, electric train sets.
1950s Barbie dolls, Frisbees, hula hoops, Pogo sticks, Silly Putty, Slinkies, Chatty Cathy dolls, Gumby and Pokey, Play-doh, Pez, Mr. Potato Head.
1960s
GI Joes, Barbie dolls, lava lamps, Easy Bake Oven, troll dolls, Ouija boards, Flatsy dolls, Hot Wheels, Lite Brite, Barrel Full of Monkeys, Operation, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Etch-a-Sketch, Mrs. Beasley, Twister, Candy Land.
1970s
Mood rings, Pet Rocks, Star Wars, Barbie dolls, Monopoly, Nerf, Duncan Yo-Yos, Stretch Armstrong, Chrissy and Velvet, Matchbox cars, Battleship.
1980s
Cabbage Patch dolls, Chia Pets, Rubik’s Cubes, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Trivial Pursuit, skateboards, Nintendo, Smurfs, Jenga.
1990s Beanie Babies, Teletubbies, Tickle Me Elmo, Furby, Barney, Power Rangers, computer games, rollerblades, Rug Rats, Pogs, American Girl dolls.
2000s
Razor Scooters, Pokemon, Bratz dolls, Teddy Ruxpin, LEGOs, Zhu Zhu pets, Baby Alive, Bobbleheads, iPods, iPhones, and iPads; Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Playstation, Guitar Hero, Finding Nemo items.
2020s?
What’s in store for the decade ahead?
