Our Favorite Retro Tech Toys, From Tamagotchi to Furby
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A few years ago, my youngest sister asked me what it meant to "hang up a phone." It was a shocking wake-up call: The camera zoomed away, and I was left breaking the fourth wall, staring into space as I realized she had never used a phone with more than two physical buttons.
There are a lot of differences between me, a m*llennial, and her, a part of Generation Alpha. She texts memes to her friends instead of sharing friendship bracelets and playing rounds of M.A.S.H. Her favorite songs are on Spotify, not a burned CD. Her idea of a classic animated movie is more Ratatouille and less Aladdin.
For all of our generational differences, there are some similarities. Sometimes during dinner, my sister has her child-safe headphones on, watching her favorite kid-friendly vlogger on her iPad while she eats after a long day of Zoom meetings. Not much has changed, really—if it were me, 20 years ago, I'd be in her chair, reading a book after a long day of in-person school.
Another thing that hasn't changed: the way we play. Sure, my siblings' dolls and action figures are famous on TikTok instead of on the Disney Channel, but the character narratives are otherwise the same. Their toys are centered around successful women and STEAM-focused activities, but they're also just generally cooler, a refined version of what I had when I was young. The stuffed animals with speakers have volume knobs or mute switches, the Lego bricks come in all sorts of colors and shapes, the dolls have more than two skin tones.
"What did you do when you were a kid?", she asked, jolting me out of my nightmarish divination. "Did you play with sticks?" No, ma'am, we did not. Well, not all of the time. I look forward to introducing her to the magic of Spirographs ... and some of our other favorite retro toys.
- Photograph: Amazon
Digital Pet
Bandai Tamagotchi OnTamagotchis combine all of the best features of '90s toys. They're bright, chunky, and portable, every button-press accompanied by a cheerful, if too loud, beep. Bandai is still making these digital pets. The newest versions have some 21st-century upgrades, including the option to open an app and visit your friends' Tama pets. You can also view a family tree, and marry your pet off to create a new generation. The gameplay hasn't changed much. My modern-day Tamagotchi still insistently beeps at the worst times, letting me know my pet is starving, whether for food or for attention. I've managed to successfully keep my pet alive for a week now—and every time I pull out my egg-shaped digital child to feed or water it, someone in real life exclaims, "Is that a Tamagotchi?!"
- Photograph: Ebay
Cha-Ching
Mattel Barbie Shop With Me Cash RegisterI loved to play store as a kid. (And it taught me basic math!) So when the Shop With Me Barbie cash register came out around 1999, it was the only toy I wanted, and I vividly remember the birthday when I finally got it. The register, complete with satisfyingly squishy buttons, came with product cards you scanned to purchase—like candy or a VCR—a store savings card, paper bills and plastic coins, and an American Express charge card. There was even a microphone to make announcements to your bedroom grocery store. Watching a demo video recently actually brought tears to my eyes. Barbie’s voice and all the toy’s beeps brought me back to when I didn’t know anything else but make believe. Even its deafening credit card processing noise made me nostalgic. Yes, it really did sound like that right out of the box. —Medea Giordano
- Photograph: Claire's
First Foray
Kids' MakeupFor me, kids makeup has the most powerful nostalgia of all. Beauty is booming, and the industry had its first intersections with tech far before YouTube was ever a thing. Who could have guessed that playing with low-pigment, waxy lipstick and plastic spoolie brushes packaged in faux tech products would turn an entire generation into aspiring influencers? Me. I could have guessed. Kids' makeup ruled.
The packaging was always my favorite part, partially because it had this air of futuristic design. Even now, there are retro camera makeup sets and flip phone lip gloss kits. Back in the day, I distinctly remember fawning over makeup packaged inside a fake translucent Apple USB mouse. There's something so playful and cool about this stuff (and I'm not the only one who thinks so). I'm telling you—if a modern-day company made a throwback line inspired by '90s play makeup, I'd buy the entire thing.
- Photograph: Nintendo
Get Game
Nintendo Nintendo Super NES ClassicRetro gaming consoles have made a resurgence. The pandemic has made them expensive, but you can check eBay or wait it out and prices should drop again. The SNES Classic is my favorite, but the NES Classic is also a good choice. Both of these consoles come preloaded with games and are easily hackable, if you're the sort of person to do that. The SNES can be hacked to run NES games, and those games are backward-compatible on the SNES Classic. The same can be said if you installed SNES games on your NES Classic console, but the simpler button layout on the NES controllers make some SNES games unplayable.
Even if you aren't going to hack your new-old console, these are fantastic to revisit the games you loved as a kid. And yes, you can emulate games using a Raspberry Pi, but something about nearly original hardware makes the extra cash worth it.
- Photograph: Amazon
Oldies Hits
Casio SA-46 Portable KeyboardWe could probably write a whole story just about great retro music gear for kids. There have been several staples in the category, from xylophones to those weird echo microphones (which have since gotten an upgrade). None can top a Casio keyboard.
This modern model has the essential features from the boards you might remember from your childhood. Make funky synth patches, compose crisp '00s pop, or use one of the preloaded backing tracks to create Soundcloud-worthy beats. The 32-key keyboard is good for beginners; proficient users might want to opt for 44 keys.
- Photograph: Walmart
Gross but Good
Hasbro Easy-Bake OvenWhen I was young, my mom caught me snooping at my Christmas presents, and she took them all back. It hurt, but nothing hurt as badly as knowing I ruined my chance at securing an Easy-Bake Oven. (My partner remedied the situation a few Christmases ago, and the oven now sits in a place of pride in my home.) I wasn't the only kid aspiring to cook powdered confections with the machine; they were popular then and are still popular now. Back in 2013, Hasbro even added more gender-neutral color schemes to get more children involved.
The Easy-Bake Oven makes food that's sort of, well, gross. The brownies are usually inexplicably gritty, the cakes are both over- and under-cooked, and the portion sizes are tiny. There's still something magical about whipping up a snack with limited input from adults. Use it as a stepping stone to teach your kids to really cook, or at least make their own refills.
- Photograph: Amazon
Precisely Satisfying
Kahootz Super Spirograph KitSpirographs are classic for a reason. They're easy to use and strike the perfect balance between being simple and immensely satisfying. They can keep kids of all ages occupied for hours. Unlike other hobbies or DIY activities, Spirographs don't take a ton of supplies. All you really need, aside from the plastic wheels, is paper and some bright fineliners or colored pencils. Sharpen your skills and you might even be able to go viral on TikTok.
- Photograph: Amazon
Portable Play
Mattel Polly Pocket CompactsThere was a period where Polly and pals were limited to rubberized clothes. I assume it was an attempt to encourage kids not to eat the pieces. (It did not work on me.) The original compact designs have made a comeback, much to my delight. The whole housing is an area where Polly can play, but the bonus is that this toy acts as its own storage. As any parent that's purchased Shopkins will know, usually toys with tiny pieces have a tendency to scatter all over the floor, where they're doomed to be vacuumed, stepped on, or both. A self-contained play set could be a welcome change.
- Photograph: Amazon
Wee Chef
KidKraft Play KitchenBack in my day, these kitchen sets were all plastic. Now they look like something out of an HGTV fix-up show. The basics haven't changed much, and you might still have to remind kiddos that the fridge doesn't actually work, lest they attempt to store milk and eggs in their bedroom. (Not that I did that as a 4-year-old or anything.)
Having a dedicated spot to play pretend can foster the imagination, and when the toys look this good, their larger footprint becomes less of a hassle. I have experience with the KidKraft brand; assembly can be a chore, but the quality is great. This set even has fake herbs and chopped vegetables, which are a big step up from the empty plastic cans and boxes we had when we were younger.
- Photograph: Amazon
Pop & Roll
Hasbro Trouble Board GameThere are a ton of great classic board games: Life, Sorry, Hi-Ho Cherry-O, and Jenga all come to mind. None, in my opinion, can top Trouble. The plastic pieces and bubble dice roller are tactile and satisfying, and they're easy to use for youngsters still working on their motor skills. Trouble is one of those games that forces kids to learn about good sportsmanship. The random dice rolls mean you might end up starting from the home space multiple times, but there's enough strategy involved that players still feel motivated. Plus, unlike some modern board games, Trouble is super inexpensive.
- Photograph: Lego
Stackable Stimulation
Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick BoxLego bricks have been an essential toy for as long as I can remember, and the sets have only gotten cooler over the years. Of course there are neat licensed building sets that draw from the Star Wars and Minecraft universes, but there are also Duplo sets for smaller hands, girly sets for more inclusivity, and even smart bricks that can teach kids how to code. Building Lego kits together is as great a family bonding activity now as it was 40 years ago.
- Photograph: Amazon
Nature Is Cool
National Geographic Hobby Rock Tumbler KitRock collections are to kids what record collections are to hipsters. Take a kid on a walk and I can almost guarantee that they'll find some new rock to bring home. Can you blame them? Rocks are cool. They'll become even cooler with the help of a tumbler like this one. Tumblers are loud, so they work best in a shed or garage, but the payoff is worth it. This kit comes with some rocks to tumble around, but half of the fun is finding some neat ones outside to take for a spin. Patience will pay off, and an added bonus is that your child's room might be decorated with rocks that aren't all various shades of beige. I had a tumbler when I was a kid and I have fond memories of rinsing the grit and sediment off to reveal new, shiny treasures.
- Photograph: Amazon
What Big Eyes
Hasbro Furby ConnectA classic Furby is hard to come by, unless you want to fork out some cash on eBay or happen to come across one at a garage sale. Hasbro's reinvention, called the Furby Connect, bridges the gap between new and old. The little scamp has gotten a new design, with plastic ears and animated eyes that are somehow even stranger, as well as app connectivity for further interaction. You might not be able to circuit bend them, but with rechargeable batteries and a quick mobile download, this could be a toy your kid plays with fur-ever. Lucky you.
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