It’s the end of the decade, a time when we look back and remember all those favorite things we had when we were children.

Tamagotchi (1996)

When we were all little, we dreamed of having a pet of our own, so that was why Tamagotchi, a virtual pet-creature you would feed and play with became popular on the children’s toy charts. People fell in love with these pets, but if you did not take care of them they would become very sad and die! Kids still love these virtual creatures.

Silly Bands  (2002) 

Trading fun was all the rage when silly bands were introduced I myself was obsessed with these fun-shaped bracelets all with unique features: some sparkled and others glowed. These bracelets made you feel like the coolest kid in school, especially if you had rare ones.  Ahhhh, memories.

Orbeez (1960) 

 Don’t you remember when your parents yelled at you if they found these squishy colorful balls around the house? Orbeez were such a fun thing to have–back in my day we would grow them and then play with them. They came in so many different colors and were so fun to hold. I would bring them to school and hand them out to friends. I was later known as the Orbee queen.

Tech decks (1999)

Flipping, twisting, turning: that’s what we all did when tech decks were brought into view. These miniature skateboards that we would bring to school and play with, in class were so much fun. They came in so many designs. They even sold miniature skateparks and ramps at a separate price. We would trade some and save others for display. “Tech Decks: start small, go BIG!”

Webkinz  (2005)  

Sweet little Webkinz, the cutest little stuffed animals anyone could have. There were all different kinds of animals from kitties to gorillas. There were also rare Webkinz like Valentine’s Day puppy. These were one of the most popular toys back in the early 2000s. Once you received a Webkinz, you could type in the code found on its tag into a game that you played on a computer. Your Webkinz would pop up on the screen, and you could play with it in this virtual Webkinz world.

Club Penguin (2005) 

We all remember those lovable penguins from–you guessed i–the hit game Club Penguin. This computer game came out in 2005 but didn’t fully take off until about 2008-2016. It was so popular. This game involved a penguin that you could make any color you want; it would walk around the world of Club Penguin, and you could interact with people from all over the world and play with your friends. There were pets that you could buy called Puffles, and those were my all-time favorite thing. You cared and played with your penguin. This was the hit game back in the day.                                                                                                                                      

Pillow pet (2003)

“ It’s a Pillow, It’s a Pet, It’s a Pillow Pet!” That catchy jingle definitely rings a bell, not just for me but for many of my friends. I don’t know what it was about these fluffy pillows, but they were just so popular. When I was a little kid, they only had the classic pillow pets, the originals, you know: the panda, unicorn,  dog and just a handful of others. These days they have Disney pillows, dinosaur pillows, even pillow pets for babies. I wish I had those back in my days. These pillows came in small to huge sizes and others would project lights on your ceiling. If that’s not cool, then I don’t know what is.

Perler beads(1960) 

“ Keep calm and make Perler.” That was my life motto. Perler beads were so popular and are still popular to this day, kids would sit and make fun designs out of these small beads for hours. The process was time-consuming but fun, and fun is all that matters. First, you would make your design, then you would take special paper and iron the beads so they stuck together. Once that was done, you had your masterpiece! You were able to put keychains on your creations and show them off to whoever passed by.

Rainbow looms  (2010)   

 “ It’s rainbow loom”:  you remember those tiny rubber bands that came in so many colors, patterns, and features, like the glow in the dark ones. I know, how nostalgic, right! When rainbow loom was around, kids would make bracelets for family, friends, and even the neighbors across the street. No one could get enough! People would swap and sell bracelets and the cooler your bracelets looked the cooler you were. They brought together foes and bonded friends. They would also keep people busy for so long.

Mood rings (1970)

From lovable yellow to calm blue, mood rings were groovy. But there were not just mood rings, there were mood necklaces, bracelets, and even pet collars–so many ways to tell your mood. Every color meant a different emotion: red for fear and purple for very happy and so on and so forth. Mood rings were not just for kids. Teens, adults, and even pets wore things that reflected their mood. It was the hot topic at school and home. I would hear people say, “Omg, you’re nervous” and “Cool, I’m relaxed too!” I know one thing–it was for sure a conversation starter.