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It would be hard not to notice that our favorite toys from the 80’s are making a comeback- some of them really never went away, but are suddenly popping up everywhere, some are back seemingly from the grave. Either way, this 80’s baby is now giving her child the same toys she grew up with (and usually getting a kick out of doing so).
Lets start with Care Bears – a personal favorite of yours truly, and happily they didn’t distort the bears too much when they brought them back for a new generation. So many times, you see the new versions of the toys and they are tall, way too skinny, with super long legs, big heads, and giant eyes. Thank goodness some bears know how to “keep it real”. The new bears are ultra plush, extra soft, and come in several sizes. The Care Bears continue their mission to teach kids responsibility, caring, sharing, empathy for others, and being a good friend. This is a big job for a little bear- good thing they still have magic “belly badges” should they need a little help from Care-a-lot. Available from $3-$25 in stores like Target and Amazon.com
Doodle Bear was a favorite of nearly every kids I knew- I never had one, but always coveted them. Now that they are back again, you bet your bottom dollar I was ready to check them out and see how my own child liked them. Doodle Bears are sweet and cuddly bears that you can create your own artwork on, then just wash and have a brand new canvas. When you wash the bears, place them in a pillowcase or “delicates” bag, and hang to dry. You can get the original Doodle Bear in three colors or the Glow Doodle Bear (where kids can doodle with light). Doodle Bears each come with special washable markers (meant ONLY for Doodle Bear), Glow Doodle Bear also includes a magic light pen and stampers. Available for $20 and up at stores like Target and Amazon.com
K’nex have been around for ages, and are America’s number one building sets. They have unique shapes and snapping pieces, bricks and struts, as well as big flat swatches to hold the pieces together. New sets range from Nintendo’s smash hit (for generations) Mario to the more current sensation, a walking zombie-fied football helmet (based on the current game Plants vs. Zombies) the possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Most sets work with each other, so the more you collect, the more you can connect. Try some of the kid’s new sets with some of dad’s and watch bonding reach a whole new level. Of building, of course.
Fisher–Price Classics Movie–Viewer is back and looks just like the original. While not exactly an 80’s toy- it was first introduced in 1973, it was still a favorite in the 80’s when it was one of my own personal most-played-with toys. The Fisher-Price Movie Viewer lets you play your “movie” as fast or as slow as you’d like it, as well as forward or backward. Slide the cartridge into the slot, turn it towards the light (or any natural light) and spin the hand crank to play the movie. This set comes with wo movie cartridges included, letters and numbers. (In the 80’s, I had Snoopy and the Red Baron- and still have it today. Welcome back, 1985.) Available for about $30 at https://www.fatbraintoys.com
Are we, like, totally retro now?
we love care bears!
I love those Fisher Price classic toys so much! I’d buy them just to have them on the shelf to look at and show off to guests 🙂