The Toy Show is fast approaching, and soon kiddies all over the country will be donning their fresh Christmas pjs and tucking into a mountain of snacks as Ryan and his pals review the latest toys and gadgets.
It’s a special time, and has us harking back to our own Toy Show days. Laying belly down in front of the tv with the trusty Argos catalogue close at hand for cross referencing. And who could forget the iconic toys that pretty much every child in Ireland had in their Santa letters? Tamagotchis, Furbies – is it too OTT to say they shaped who we are as people? I’m going with it anyway. Here’s a look back at some of our favourite childhood toys, for the week that’s in it.
Furbies
We couldn’t go on a deep dive of childhood toys without finding all the OG commercials too. This is the very first Furby ad from way back in ’98.
Tamagotchis
We all have a lot to say about kids being hooked on phones from a young age these days, but was there a school bus in 90s Ireland that didn’t have at least 20 kids on board glued to their lil virtual pets? Same diff, really.
Polly Pockets
We might have always lost the little doll, but Polly Pockets were still iconic. I may have gone on a buying spree of these during lockdown #2, but that’s between me and my Ebay account.
Gameboy
Technology peaked when the first Gameboy came on the market back in ’89. Super Mario Land, Pacman and Tetris remain among the most iconic games ever, and afternoons glued to this teeny screen make up some of my favourite childhood memories, tbqh.
Beanie Babies
The 90s child urge to not rip the TY labels off incase the beanies would be worth something some day. Did anyone actually end up selling them on and making a small fortune?
Sylvanian Families
These tiny furry toys were everything. If you were a fan of these growing up and haven’t yet checked out Sylvanian Drama on TikTok, I’d strongly recommend. They’re soap opera type story lines played out with Sylvanians, usually with Taylor Swift playing in the background. What more could you ask for, really.
Little Tikes Red and Yellow Car
Couldn’t find an OG commercial for this iconic set of wheels, so instead please enjoy this highly dramatic one from 8 years ago. Shout out also to the turtle shaped sand box (there was one in every playschool) and when we got older and cooler, the basketball net.
Spice Girls Dolls
I tried to not go too doll-heavy in the name of gender equality, but every child wanted a Spice Girls doll… right?
Lego
If the permanent queue outside the Lego store on Grafton Street is anything to go by, none of us ever grew out of our Lego phase. And we probably never will. Here’s an assortment of Lego ads from ’85 – ’94 for anyone looking to take a trip down memory lane.
Sky Dancers
A great toy by all accounts, but we mainly needed to include it so we had an excuse to rewatch this video of one spiralling into the fire. We shouldn’t laugh, but it’s hard not to.
Did we overlook your favourite childhood toy? Let us know, and we’ll all ride this nostalgia wave together.
Header image via ShutterstockÂ
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