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Full disclosure, I’m a ‘90s kid, born and bred. The ‘90s run in my veins and I’m very much a kid of that era! You wouldn’t believe the level of nostalgia I have for the era. It’s utterly ridiculous how much I miss watching Sunday morning cartoons while eating a huge bowl of cereal and playing with my beloved toys. (All at once, of course—I’m a fantastic multitasker when it comes to doing the things that I love.)
I’ve still got a huge box of toys from my childhood that I love to go through from time to time. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t pop in some batteries to play Mario, Donkey Kong, and Pokémon on my GameBoy Color when I feel like I need a break from ‘The Real World.’ When it rains, when I get the blues—it’s nostalgia time. And a yearning for a more carefree era in my life. However, we here at Bored Panda know that there are lots of you Pandas who are nostalgic for the '70s, '80s, and ‘90s, so we’ve compiled this fun list of the toys you likely played with during that decade. Keep in mind that some of these toys are from even earlier still, but they were still very popular in the '70s, '80s, and '90s. Growing up with them was great!
Oh, and don’t forget to upvote the toys that you loved playing with the most. We’d also love to hear about what your fondest memories and favorite toys were from your childhood, so don’t be shy and drop on by the comment section. Ready to plunge straight into the Land of Nostalgia? Let’s go!
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This isn’t the first time that Bored Panda has tackled the topic of nostalgia (here are two great posts by yours truly if you're feeling any nostalgia for my writing). London-based child and adolescent therapist Kemi Omijeh, who is a member of the BACP, went into detail about nostalgia with me on two previous occasions. She explained that our memories of the past can contribute to our sense of self and well-being.
"The period of time we tend to be nostalgic over are significant moments that stood out. Perhaps it was a time when we felt happiest or safest, or perhaps it’s a period where things changed for us,” she told Bored Panda.
According to therapist Omijeh, what a specific time period means to us is far more important than what age we were during the period of time. "Our memories of the past can change over time depending on how often we revisit and also depending on what is going on for us in the present,” she said.
Omijeh noted that who we were during each decade will change our impressions of the time period. So, while she jokes that “oh course, the ‘90s was better!”, she also notes that she might be biased in this particular case.
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“Generally speaking, the better decade is associated with youth and freedom. Nostalgia also often gives us rose-tinted glasses from which to reflect from. How we reflect on the past decades can play a part in how we engage with the current decade."
Earlier still, Omijeh explained to Bored Panda that we tend to feel nostalgic for those time periods where we felt loved and nurtured. Meanwhile, if we had a difficult childhood, odds are, we won’t have much nostalgia for it.
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"Nostalgia can also be a good coping strategy for times of low mood and challenges," she said, adding that nostalgia can also start to become a problem if it interferes with our everyday lives, as well as our ability to be present in the current moment.
"If we end up comparing it to our experiences today and feeling like nothing is as good as it was, then this will inevitably affect our mood and our ability to do what we need to do. We can become stuck in our nostalgia; in which case it might be best to seek help from a counseling professional to help you process your past in order to enjoy your present."
In short—nostalgia’s fine… in moderation. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Mario won’t be able to save Princess Peach without my help. Watch out, Bowser! [Beep boop.]
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