Nostalgic Toys 80s

If your childhood took place in the 80s, you'll most certainly have a memory of a toy you were fond of. Or maybe even a toy you hated. Or maybe a toy someone you knew had and you immediately had to hate them for having it. Either way, taking a little jaunt down memory lane by asking around, was surprisingly entertaining. I'd also have to say that many of the toys would still be kick-ass to play with today.


Lite Brite. May not have been manufactured for the 80s generation, but it was always a fun time. Whether it was late night illumination when all are asleep. Or whether it was the cry of agony and defeat from some unsuspecting victim who would step on tiny plastic pegs with their bare feet. Which, I will admit is not half as bad as stepping on some of our next choices.




Jacks! (And balls) Apparently. I am aware this game has been around almost forever. But I'm not even sure I recall how it works, exactly. So what does one do in such a case? Of course, head to Google. 

As soon as I realized I didn't care so much as to how the game was played, I let my attention-deficit-type brain wander aimlessly on to the next toy.

If you're that damn curious you can find said info here.





Lego. Alright, alright. Lego was originally designed in the 1940s, and like other timeless classics has been passed on to different generations of children to take joy in. I mean even I'd still play with Lego and I'm a mature, responsible adult.

Yeah, Shut up.

With that, they deserves a spot in our reminiscing.



Cabbage Patch Kids. I still have one of these little bastards packed away somewhere. I have unfortunately lost track of his original clothes. 

The creepy yarn hair and hard plastic faces. Xavier Roberts signature on the ass of all places. What's not to like?

I was surprised to learn that Coleco started the mass production of these dolls in 1982. After Coleco went under in 1989 other, more familiar names to most; Hasbro, Mattel, and Toys "R" Us, had taken over production.

Cabbage Patch Dolls have since gone under such a dramatic change that today, some of the dolls being created just look entirely odd to me. I also can't help but wonder if they still have that same Cabbage Patch smell. Yes, I said smell.


Playful Penguin Race. It took me several years to find anyone who remembered what this toy was, let alone finding the name that it was called. After a discussion with a friend last night, I decided to hunt it down. Though, he himself could not recall the game either.

This site and Amazon have it available, apparently. I'm still not sure of the original origin or the year it was made. I'm taking a wild guess here because I had it as a child; that it was made in the 1980s. Other than that I have no idea.

There's proof that it exists, and that's all I really needed. I was never quite sure if it was a real or imaginary thing I had remembered from some random parallel universe or something.


Popples. These were manufactured in the United States by Mattel in the 80s. They're cute little critters that can 'hide' in the pouch on their back by pulling it over the front of them. Forming a ball with a tail, and pom-pom at the end.

I still have one of the mini pocket sized Popples. I'm not certain what the particular fascination was with these plush creatures, but they sure made their mark on the memories of many children at the time.


Another great gizmo I simply adore. Again it is not from the 80s originally but it's one toy that sticks out for many. The View Master. From The Beverly Hillbillies to images of Carlsbad Caverns there were a plethora of disks one could entertain themselves with.

The history in itself is worth a look. I mean really, you've read this far.




My Little Pony. Is still quite popular today if I am not mistaken. Though they appear to have gone the way of the Cabbage Patch Doll. Their appearance changing ever so slightly over time to become almost ugly in the eyes of the cynical observer.







Speak & Spell. A classic of Texas Instruments products. It was originally produced in the 70s but made it big on through the 80s and early 90s.

The purpose of which is fairly self explanatory; the 'game' used a visual display and audio cues from interchangeable cartridges to teach a subject how to speak, and spell. With other additions like math and word games such as Hangman, it's one that became an instant favorite of mine and many others.





Alphie! Bitches. I had nearly forgotten about this Playskool toy. Another point for interactive educational electronic games. After some checking up on Alphie it appears that he's still around and nourishing young minds as a new and improved version.

Though, again I'm not too tickled with the new look. Does this mean I am getting old? Cripes.

Well, it's either that or my intense dislike of nearly everything in existence is a symptom of some other issue. Whatever, Alphie was dope.




Pound Puppies. You're my one and only. Or something like that. Anyway, another plush desirable for frantic children everywhere. Made by Tonka in the early 80s. There was a cartoon on American television for 2 seasons; featuring the characters available for 'adoption'.

There was also an animated motion picture called Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw made in 1986 by TriStar Pictures.




There's probably 100 more toys that could be added to this list. These were just some of my favorites. Several still not mentioned but no less enjoyable; Simon, Care Bears, Madballs, Glo Worms, Teddy Ruxpin (I loved this show), Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite, ColecoVision, Atari 2600, Robotix, He-Man & She-Ra (Action figures), Jem and the Holograms (Doll), Polly Pocket, Sweet Secrets, Skip-It, Nosy Bears (LOVE these guys, never had one), My Buddy, and so many more.

www.inthe80s.com was a helpful resource along with the obvious, Wikipedia and Google. Not to forget the good folks who took some time for discussion to jog my memory.


Image sources - Little Pony, View Master, Alfie, Pound Puppies, Speak & Spell, Lego, Jacks, Popples, Lite Brite, CPD