All of this Christmas shopping has us reminiscing about the good old days and what we wanted for Christmas as kids. Looking back at some of the best selling toys and the 80s and 90s, it's no wonder we were outside all the time. Take a walk down memory lane and check out these 14 toys your parents used to get you outside and to stay there.
1. Fisher Price Roller Skates
The segway to your first pair of "real" roller blades. They adjusted to fit almost every kid in the family and the cousins too. These "roller skates" saw more awkward shuffle-walking than they did actual rolling, but they were an absolute blast and gave enough of a taste of being on wheels that you were begging for roller blades by the next Christmas.
2. The Lawn Mower Bubble Machine
Mom and Dad used this as a way to keep you away from the actual lawn mower. Little did you know, they were training you to become the family's primary grass-mower as soon as you were old enough.
3. This Super Soaker
Pump, pump, pump, pump, attack! The best summer toy ever. If you were lucky enough to be the strongest kid in the water fight, you could pump longer and attack from the furthest distance.
4. Big Wheels
You can still hear the noise and feel the resistance. Getting traction on your big wheel was no easy task. The slightest amount of gravel and you were "burning rubber" and it was everything you could do to gain a little momentum.
5. Hacky Sack
Remeber the stall? A fresh Hacky Sack was the most difficult kind of Hacky Sack. The first thing you'd do is smash it against the driveway a few times to soften it up. A well-weather hacky sack made for the most creative stalls.
6. Moon Shoes
It was the personal trampoline of the early 90s kids. It was all fun and games, with big leaping strides until you snapped a band or two.
7. Pegs on Your BMX Bike
The ultimate enhancer of the most standard play-thing. Pegs were the coolest. Though they were advertised to help you grind rails and progress in the park, you mostly just did a lot of standing, just because you could. The neighbor kid could easily tag along and you were always proud to say, "just stand on my pegs."
8. Trac Ball
This was best played with a friend with great aim, or Mom or Dad when t-ball got old. The wide frame made catching effortless and when you got really good, you could throw curve balls.
9. Hippity Hoppity
This thing looked the most fun toy ever! And it was, for about five minutes. The Hippity Hoppity was the definition of exhausting.
10. Skip-it
The counter might have been the best feature of the Skip-It. Talk about learning to set and achieve goals. It's still amazing they sold this as a kids toy and not an 80s work out accessory.
11. Laser Tag
If you were lucky you got to stay out late and play in the dark. Laser Tag was the ultimate adrenaline toy and probably the most intense thing you owned.
12. Slip'n'Slide
The only downside... it killed the grass. The Slip'n'Slide made summer the greatest season ever. Though, someone usually ended up in tears from absolutely wiping out and was that thing at the bottom every actually inflated?
13. Hoola Hoop
Sometimes a little anti-climatic, the Hoola Hoop was super fun once you got in the groove. It was always a challenge to learn a new trick. Waist spin, to neck spin, the arm spin, to air toss. "Hey Mom, check out my routine!"
13. Pogo Ball
The Pogo Ball is included in our 2017 Gift Guide but this thing has been around forever. It was the slightly-safer alternative to the more dangerous pogo stick, but still tons of fun.
14. Roller Racers
Another toy that could have been easily mistaken for an 80s workout device. It was all in the wiggle and all in the core. Once you got a rythm though, so fun!
14. This Fisher Price Car
The best memories from this Fisher Price Car were the ones you made when you were way to big for it. One kid in the seat with legs out of the front window and one kid flopped over the top. You'd speed down the hill and flip out-of-control into the grass.
