If you grew up in the 1990s, you know it was a pretty special time. Kids who came of age in the '90s had access to some technological advances in the toy industry, sure. But they were also quite content with good old-fashioned toys that didn't require a battery. Imaginations ran wild when kids got their hands on the latest action figures or toy sets, and many of the brands that defined the toy landscape during the decade are still thriving today. As part of our ongoing Parade Rewind series, we consulted two toy experts to take a look back at the 25 popular toys every kid wanted in the 1990s.
Whether you were a '90s baby and want a fun blast from the past, or your own children grew up during the decade and you remember all the hottest toy releases of the time, the list below highlights some of the most iconic 1990s toys that kids were obsessed with.
When you think of the '90s, the holiday toy craze instantly comes to mind.
The decade saw the emergence of more digital toys, including Game Boy Color and Tamagotchi, alongside analog toys.
Over the course of the decade, many collectible toys caused quite a stir.
Overall, the '90s was a time of "incredible innovation," per Friedland, with many new toys and games invented over the course of the decade, including the Super Soaker, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers action figures and Zords, Beanie Babies, Tamagotchi, Tickle Me Elmo, Bop It, Furby, Pokémon and Razor Scooters.
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1. Tickle Me Elmo
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When kids hugged or squeezed Elmo, he laughed hysterically and shook, much to the delight of children.
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2. Furby
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Each Furby came complete with Furbish-to-English dictionaries to help owners communicate with their new toy.
"They also had sensors that responded to light, sound and touch, so each Furby behaved differently depending on what was happening around it," Friedland adds.
3. Tamagotchi
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"It fit in the palm of your hand and acted as a virtual pet. And much like the real thing, you had to feed it, play with it, clean up after it and make sure it stayed alive," Friedland explains. "Because you had to give Tamagotchi pretty regular attention, it became slightly addictive. While it was very hot for a brief period, kids’ attention went elsewhere, and their Tamagotchis died."
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4. Beanie Babies
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There were Beanie Babies for practically every animal imaginable, and they were affordable enough that kids could own a bunch of them.
"When Ty Inc. announced retirements of certain Beanie Babies, it encouraged kids (or more so parents) to look and call everywhere. Soon parents began to think that buying Beanie Babies and selling them later could help them put their kids through college," he shares.
5. Pokémon cards
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"What made it all work was that there was an anime with a continuous storyline, a Game Boy game that was addicting and a trading card game that mixed collectability and playability," Friedland explains. "All of these hit the U.S. at the same time, offering multiple entry points into the brand."
"In a way, children could collect cards from a blind bag, similar to how Pokémon trainer Ash would collect them on the TV show. The Pokémon slogan 'Gotta Catch ‘Em All' encouraged kids to collect and complete their collection," Changnon says.
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6. 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' action figures
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"The brand and toys became a pop culture phenomenon with kids wanting the toys for the holidays. The toys were simple figures with a button on the back that flipped the Ranger’s helmet to its human face," Changnon says.
"While it felt similar to the '80s approach of a show as a commercial for toys, the show itself was focused more on martial arts, continuous storylines and combining Zords into a Megazord to fight giant monsters," Friedland shares. "The show was an immense hit when it first aired, and the toys were impossible to find because kids wanted to get all five rangers and all five Zords plus the Megazords."
7. 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' toys
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The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon may have premiered in the late '80s, but the characters and their pint-sized Playmates action figures exploded in popularity in the '90s after the first live-action film was released, per Friedland.
"What made the Playmates line work was that they did a great job of creating versions of each turtle that expanded on the base version every year," Friedland states. "Throughout the '90s, they also added new characters and variants tied to the sequels and the animated series, which gave kids constant reasons to buy new turtles, evil mutants, Foot Clan soldiers and my favorite, Baxter Stockman and his 'fly' version."
8. Barbie
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"Barbie turned 30 in 1989 and spent the '90s evolving in a way that mirrored culture," Friedland shares. "Mattel leaned further into aspiration, introducing lines like Astronaut Barbie, Presidential Candidate Barbie and careers that reflected a changing cultural moment for girls."
"Her hair reached her feet and came with a variety of accessories that children could use to style her," he says.
Related: 15 Vintage Barbies That Are Worth a Fortune Today, According to Doll Collectors
9. Barney
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"The purple dinosaur that sang about loving each other was all over the airwaves, and when toys based on the character were released in 1993, they were literally everywhere," Friedland shares. "The toys themselves were relatively unremarkable—they were just plush as far as I remember—but preschoolers couldn’t get enough of them."
10. American Girl of Today
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"Instead of focusing on history, the line focused on personal identity, allowing children to pick a doll that looked like them," Changnon tells Parade. "The dolls came with blank journals for children to write their own stories. Children could put on outfits resembling those they wore."
Related: We Ranked the 66 Best Movies of the 1990s, From 'Fargo' to 'Forrest Gump'
11. Game Boy Color
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"Released in 1998, the Game Boy Color was all that kids wanted because, for the first time, they could play these digital games in color. The Game Boy Color could also play black and white games from its predecessor," Changnon says.
12. Buzz Lightyear
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"What's interesting about this is that the major toy manufacturers passed on the Toy Story license because they weren't sure the movie would be a hit, so a smaller company called Thinkway Toys produced the first line in limited quantities," Friedland explains. "Retailers were cautious in their orders and were completely caught off guard by the demand, which meant there was no way to restock in time for Christmas since the movie opened so late in the year. Toy Story 2 actually referenced the shortage directly."
13. Sky Dancers
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"This toy, a static or non-movable doll, was designed to shoot into the air when pulled by a string, and the dancers' foam wings would spin like helicopters. Though a beloved toy, they were recalled due to injuries inflicted on their users," Changnon states.
14. Littlest Pet Shop
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"Introduced in the market in the early '90s, these particular toys were not cartoonish bobbleheads like their counterparts of the early 2000s," Changnon says. "The '90s toys were more realistic with wagging tails and blinking eyes. The brand encouraged collecting and allowed kids to care for a toy, rather than a real pet."
15. Polly Pocket
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Over time, the Polly Pocket line expanded to include larger dolls. To this day, the brand is still thriving and includes many fun themed sets based off popular TV series and movies like Clueless, Friends and Bridgerton.
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16. Super Soakers
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"Similar to how Silly Putty and Slinky weren’t originally designed as toys, the Super Soaker came out of the design for an environmentally friendly heat pump system," he explains. "When NASA engineer Lonnie Johnson combined a high-pressure water gun using a nozzle, PVC pipe and a two-liter bottle, he accidentally created a new type of high-capacity squirt gun. When Super Soakers hit the market, they made every other water gun look sad in comparison."
17. WWF Wrestling Figures
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"Larger-than-life figures like Hulk Hogan, Randy 'The Macho Man' Savage and 'The Million Dollar Man,' Ted DiBiase, had rivalries and storylines that extended beyond the ring, offering kids drama that was familiar from morning cartoons," Friedland shares. "Combined with a slightly rubbery and posable action figure line that was different than other toys, Hasbro’s WWF figures became an iconic part of wrestling."
Since there was an ever-changing WWF roster, there were always fresh faces and personalities to transform into action figures.
18. Pogs
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"Pogs started as a Hawaiian playground game in the 1920s using cardboard milk caps," Friedland states. "In the '90s, Pogs came back with licensed and branded versions that drove scarcity and collectability. The game itself is simple: each player stacks their Pogs face down, takes turns slamming the stack with a heavier disc called a slammer, and keeps any Pogs that land face up."
19. 'Jurassic Park' toys
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"Kenner Toys capitalized on the movie’s magic with the Electronic Command Dinosaur, the vehicles and a line of action figures," Friedland explains. "What made this line stand out is that Kenner took the dinosaur designs seriously, which meant the toys looked as good as the film, rather than being a brand-licensed cash grab. Kids who had never seen the movie wanted the T-Rex because it was a great-looking dinosaur toy."
20. Hot Wheels
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"In the '90s, Mattel kept Hot Wheels fresh with new track sets and crash-and-stunt systems like Criss Cross Crash, but the core product never really changed. It always was, and likely always will be, a well-made, detailed die-cast car that is affordable for kids," Friedland shares.
Related: 25 Popular Toys Every Kid Wanted in the 1980s
21. Bop It
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The small device instructs players to pull it, twist it, flick it, spin it or bop it, and the speed of the commands increases over time.
"If you do the wrong thing or hesitate, then the game is over. The interesting thing is that there is an endpoint to the game, meaning you can go through an entire sequence and beat it," Friedland says.
22. Mighty Max
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Similar to Polly Pocket, the pint-sized toys and cases made them quite portable and let boys get in on the fun.
23. LEGO
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"Pirates, Space, Castle, Technic and Mindstorms gave kids challenging builds that could be played with after construction," Friedland says.
Additionally, Star WarsLEGO sets were also a strong seller.
24. Bitty Baby
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Bitty Baby was a durable doll that came with high-quality outfits and accessories.
"The dolls were inclusive of diverse skin, hair and eye color, allowing children to play with a doll that looked like them," he says.
25. Groovy Girls
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Sources:
Blake Changnon is the founder, president and CEO of The Changnon Family Museum of Toys and Collectibles, a virtual museum featuring his extensive collection of Pleasant Company and American Girl items.Bob Friedland is a toy expert who has experience running public relations for both Toys”R”Us and FAO Schwarz. Throughout his career, he has supported several toy brands and companies, including Hasbro, Target, Bandai, Lionel Trains and more.Hence then, the article about 25 popular toys every kid wanted in the 1990s was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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