Best 90s Toys That Only 90s Kids Understand!

We all know the 90s was a decade of many wonders and joy. One of the things that we loved the most was our toys. They were so much fun and they were so different from what we have today.

The 90s were such an incredible time for kids as we would get to watch our favorite TV shows, play with our favorite toys, and enjoy an entire decade without any worries or responsibilities.

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Innovation in technology had reached its peak in the 1990s and we saw the emergence of some amazing toys that would change our lives forever.

Certainly the 80s toys were fantastic in their own regards and came with some of the best games of all time and put an end to a wonderful decade. With so many gadgets, video games, movies and toys to choose from, here are some of the best 90s toys that only 90s kids will understand!

American Girl Dolls

American Girl dolls are one of the best-selling doll in history. These dolls have been a part of American girl's childhood and well into being an iconic 90s toy for more than 30 years and they are still going strong.

Atari Jaguar

The Atari Jaguar was a video game console released in 1993. It was a CD-ROM based system that had the ability to play games in 3D.

The Atari Jaguar is one of the most iconic 90s toys that we all grew up with. It was also one of the first CD-ROM based consoles and it had 3D graphics capabilities. The Atari Jaguar is a fantastic option for those who are looking for a niche console, it's no wonder it deserves a spot on our list of best 90s toys.

Batman Action Figures

The 1990s was a golden age for Batman toys as there were more than 100 different action figures made by various toy manufacturers including Mattel, Kenner, Mego Corporation, and Toy Biz Incorporated.

The movie adaptation toys from Batman Returns and Batman Forever were ever popular models that drove the 90s toy market wild. It's no wonder that Batman were one of the iconic 90s popular toys!

Beanie Babies

The Beanie Babies are a collection of stuffed animals that were popular in the 1990s. They were first made by Ty Warner Inc. and became very popular in the 1990s, with over a hundred million sold.

The toys were originally designed to be sold at $5 each, but they quickly became much more valuable because people started to collect them and trade them with other collectors. The Beanie Baby stands as one of the most iconic 90s toys of all time.

Betty Spaghetty

Betty Spaghetty is a 90s kids toy that was made in response to the popular Barbie doll. The idea behind Betty Spaghetty was to create a toy that would be more relatable to girls and provide them with an alternative option.

Betty Spaghetty is an example of how the 90s toy industry has been changing over the years, with more and more designers focusing on creating toys that are not only attractive but also provide different options for girls.

Biker Mice From Mars

Biker Mice From Mars was a show in the 1990s that aired on TV. It was about three biker mice who were friends and they would ride around on their bikes and have adventures.

Biker Mice From Mars had a toy line that was released with the show, which sold well in the 1990s. There was also a fantastic racing game on the SNES using the franchise.

Bop It

Bop It is a game that was first introduced in the 1990s. The game has four different modes: Basic, Advanced, Beat Box and Pass It. There are six different commands that the player must follow using either their hands or their feet. This fantastic toy is still being sold today.

Buzz Lightyear

Buzz Lightyear is a toy that was made famous by Pixar Animation Studios. He first appeared in the 1995 movie Toy Story, where he was voiced by Tim Allen. If you were a fan of the iconic movie Toy Story, chances are you had a Buzz or Sheriff Woody lying around.

Tamagotchi

Remember these little digital creatures? This toy became such a huge sensation because it gave you an opportunity to take care of something without having to worry about real-life responsibilities.

The more you cared for your pet, the happier it would be! It also had games built into it that added an extra touch in case you were board of raising your Tamagotchi.

Digimon Adventure Digivice

The Digimon Adventure Digivice is a 90s kids toy that has been updated for the new generation. The toy is a small device that can be used to monitor your child's health and fitness. It also has some games and features that will help encourage your child to get active.

There are two versions of the Digimon Adventure Digivice, one for children aged 5-10 and another for children aged 11-14. It comes with a pedometer, an alarm clock, and an activity tracker that monitors their progress in getting active.

Doodle Bear

Doodle Bear was a toy that a lot of 90s kids might remember. It was an interactive toy with speech recognition and voice recognition capabilities.

The toy would listen to children’s voices and then it would draw what they said on paper. The idea behind the toy was to teach children how to read, write, and spell by recognizing their voices and drawing what they said.

Doodle Bear is not available in stores anymore, but you can still buy one online if you want to relive your childhood memories with your kids or just have a cool toy for yourself.

Dream Phone

In the 1990s, a toy company called Tiger Electronics released a game called Dream Phone. The object of the game was to find out who your secret admirer was by using your phone and calling up different people.

The toy was originally released in 1990 and became popular in the early 2000s when it started being sold on eBay for over $200. The Dream Phone is a wonderful option for someone looking to relive that nostalgia and deserves a spot on our best 90s toys list!

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy Bake Oven was introduced in 1963 and has been a staple of kitchens with young cooks ever since.

The Easy Bake Oven was introduced in 1963 and has been a staple of kitchens with young cooks ever since. The oven is powered by an electric light bulb, which heats up the oven to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius). The first version of the toy came with a small packet of cake mix, a packet of frosting mix, and two paper baking cups for making cupcakes. Capturing the audiences of many, the Easy Bake Oven is one of the best choices for a 90s popular toys.

Etch A Sketch

Etch A Sketch was a popular 90s toy in the early nintees that allowed you to draw pictures on a screen and then shake it to clear everything. It was first released in 1960, but it became famous in the early 60s when it was used by NASA for teaching purposes.

The toy is still available for purchase today, but the original Etch A Sketch is no longer being manufactured.

Foxtail

Foxtail is a toy from the 1990s that was made to resemble the tail of a fox. It was originally created and manufactured by Mattel, but later discontinued in 2000.

Foxtail is an example of what would be called a “fad toy”, which are toys that have a short lifespan on the market due to their limited availability and high popularity among children.

In this case, this fad toy was popular for about three years before it was discontinued in 2000.

This toy has been largely forgotten since it's discontinuation in 2000, with few people even knowing what Foxtail is today.

Furby

Furby is a 90s toy that was a huge hit. It’s a furry robotic creature that can respond to human emotions and speech.

The Furby is an interactive toy that can be programmed to respond to your moods and what you say to it. It has sensors inside of it that detect how you are feeling and responds accordingly with different movements, sounds, or expressions.

Gak Splat

Gak Splat was a 90s toy that was a liquid filled egg with a toy inside. The idea behind it was that you would take the egg and smash it on the ground. The liquid would then form into a puddle, and you could then play with the toy inside.

Gak Splat was originally made in 1993 by Kenner Products, which later merged with Hasbro in 1991. It is not clear how many of these were sold or how long they were on the market for, but they are still being sold to this day.

Game Boy Color

The Game Boy Color is a handheld game console released in 1998 by Nintendo. It was the successor to the Game Boy and it was the first color handheld console.

The Game Boy Color has a 32-bit CPU and 8-bit GPU that makes it possible for it to produce more colors than previous models. The device is also capable of displaying 64 colors on screen at once, which is double the amount of colors that can be displayed on an average TV screen.

Giga Pets

The Giga Pet was a toy that was popular in the 1990s. It was a handheld digital pet. The toy had a small screen and four buttons. The player would select an activity for the pet to do, such as feeding, walking, or playing.

The Giga Pet was created by Tiger Electronics in 1997 and discontinued in 1999. Due to this fact, it's grown quite popular online if you're able to snag one on sites like eBay.

Gogo's Crazy Bones

Gogo's Crazy Bones were a toy that was popular in the 1990s. The idea behind the toy is that each set of bones has a different shape and you can use them to create a creature.

The Gogo's Crazy Bones were developed by Tomy in 1995 and they were marketed as an alternative to Lego. The idea behind the toy is that each set of bones has a different shape and you can use them to create a creature.

The Gogo's Crazy Bones are now hard to find, but they are still available on Amazon for around $25 per set.

HitClips

HitClips was a children's music player that played short snippets of popular songs. It was released in 1999 by Tiger Electronics and discontinued in 2000.

HitClips were designed to be a low-cost alternative to the more expensive digital music players that were on the market at the time. It consisted of a small box with nine buttons, each which corresponded to an artist or genre of music. When one of these buttons was pressed, it would play a clip from one of the songs associated with it.

Homies

Homies were a toy that was released by Mattel in 1992. They were little dolls that had a big head and small body with a magnetic back that allowed them to be stuck to surfaces.

Hungry Hungry Hippos

Hungry Hungry Hippos is a game released in the 1990s by Hasbro. It is a competitive game where players try to collect as many marbles as they can with their plastic hippo.

Players take turns placing their hippo's mouth over the marble in the center of the board and spinning it around. If an opponent's hippo is blocking its path, it can push that player's hippo away to claim its marble. The object of the game is to amass 10 marbles before any opponents. Hungry Hungry Hippos offers faced paced tabletop action and makes it's mark on our list of the best 90s toys.

Laser Challenge

The Laser Challenge is a 90s toy that was created by Milton Bradley. The game consists of a grid of laser beams. Players move their markers through the beams, trying to avoid being hit by the laser beams.

Players are given two minutes to complete as many grid patterns as they can. The game has four levels of difficulty and two different playing modes: "standard" and "advanced".

The game is designed for 2-6 players, but there is also an option for solo play.

Lite-Brite

Lite-Brite is a 90s toy that was very popular in the 1990s. It is a plastic device with pegs on it and a light source that is placed under it. Users can place different colored pegs on the board and then turn on the light to see them shine through the clear plastic.

Lite-Brite was invented in 1967 by Larry Fullerton, an employee of General Electric (GE). He came up with the idea for Lite-Brite when he was working in GE's plastics engineering department, which was tasked with finding new uses for plastics.

Littlest Pet Shop

Littlest Pet Shop was a popular 90s toy that was popular amoung price consious parents. It was a toy that encouraged children to use their imagination and creativity instead of fancy gimmicks or AAA batteries that other toys at the time relied on.

Magic Mitt

Magic Mitt is shaped like a mitten and it has a rubber band attached to the back of it. It was so much fun to throw the ball and catch it with use of the velcro on the other side of the glove. It's no wonder we all loved the Magic Mitt, with it's simple design for a 90s toy, we absolutely loved pulling them out of our closet from time to time.

Marble Run

The toy is a simple construction kit of different sized plastic tubes, balls and connectors.

A marble run is a 90s toy that consists of a series of channels, usually made from plastic, with obstacles and other components. One or more marbles are dropped into the top of the channel and they make their way through the course to the bottom. The design of the course makes it possible for multiple marbles to be in play at any one time so that they can collide with each other as they pass through the run.

Mighty Max

Mighty Max was a toy line of action figures created by Kenner in 1990. The toy line was based on the 1987 animated TV series "Mighty Max". The toys were marketed as "action figures with brains".

The toy line consisted of five different figures: Mighty Max, Skull Face, Spider-Monkey, Shriek-Wrecker and Dr. Vile. All five figures had interchangeable parts that could be mixed and matched to create new characters.

Mouse Trap

Mouse Trap is a board game designed by Ralph Anspach and originally released in 1974 that eventually was incredibly popular as a 90s toy. It is a family game for two to four players, where players take turns moving their mice around the game board until one player traps all of the other player's mice.

The object of the game is to trap all of the other player's mice with your mouse on their starting space before they can trap yours. The first player to do so wins the game.

Mr. Potato Head

Mr. Potato Head is a toy that was introduced in 1952 by Hasbro. It consists of a plastic potato body and various parts, including eyes, noses, mouths, hats and ears which can be attached to the potato to make different faces.

The toy was invented by George Lerner in 1949. The original design was created by Art Clokey in 1948 but he had never seen the finished product before his death in 1985. In the 1990s, Mr Potato Head was one of the most popular toys on Earth and has remained so since then.

Nerf Blaster

Nerf blasters were introduced in the 1990s and have been popular with children ever since. The toy is designed to resemble a weapon, but is non-functional and cannot be used as a real firearm. Chances are you still have one of those foam darts underneath your couch today!

Nintendo 64

For most gamers, the Nintendo 64 was their first experience to 3d gaming as a whole. Seeing Mario 64 in toy store kiosks absolutely blew the minds of kids and some of the mechanics used on the N64 remain in modern games. Nintendo was such a fantastic game designer back in the 90s it's no wonder it cemented a spot on our list of best 90s toys.

Play-Doh Fuzzy Pumper Barber and Beauty Shop

The Play-Doh Fuzzy Pumper Barber and Beauty Shop is one of the toys that little girls in the 1990s could not resist asking for.

The toy set came with a salon chair, a hair dryer, scissors, clippers, and a mirror. It also came with Play-Doh that children could use to style their own hair or the hair of their dolls.

The Play-Doh Fuzzy Pumper Barber and Beauty Shop is available on eBay and Amazon today!

Pokemon Cards

Pokemon Cards were a popular toy in the 90s. They were collectible cards that had information about different Pokemon creatures. Players would trade and collect them, and use them to play the game.

Pokemon cards are highly collectable and are often fetching hundreds or thousands of dollars online.

Poo-Chi

Poo-Chi was first introduced in the nineties as an interactive robotic dog that could walk, sit, and wag its tail. The toy was created by Tiger Electronics and became popular with children of the time.

Power Rangers

Power Rangers is a toy franchise created by Haim Saban and Toei Company in 1993. The series revolves around teams of people, called Power Rangers, who can transform into superheroes.

The toys were first released in the U.S., which led to the franchise's popularity in North America. In 1994, Saban Entertainment expanded distribution of the toyline to Europe and Australia.

Rainbow Brite

Rainbow Brite is a fictional character who first appeared in a series of animated films and Saturday morning cartoons in the 1980s. She is portrayed as an adventurous young girl with long, curly hair and a dress that changes color with her emotions.

Rainbow Brite was created by Hallmark Cards in 1983, and has been featured in various merchandise including books, dolls, clothes, and other items.

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots

The Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots were originally introduced in the 1990s and were one of the most popular toys for children and adults alike. We loved being able to juke and give your way to victory with a big smash on your opponent.

Sega Dreamcast

The Sega Dreamcast was released in Japan on November 27, 1998 and in North America on September 9, 1999. It is considered to be ahead of its time due to its high performance and advanced graphics for a home console. The console has a reputation for its innovative controller with an analog stick and built in microphone.

The Sega Dreamcast was discontinued in March 2001 after it failed to keep up with competition from other consoles like Sony's PlayStation 2 which had been released two years earlier. While not exactly a 90s toy, the Sega Dreamcast was one of the most underappreciated consoles of all time.

Silly Putty

Silly Putty is an interesting invention that has taken many forms over the years. It was first developed in 1943 by James Wright, who worked for General Electric at the time. He came up with it while looking for a way to use silicone polymers to create adhesives for military purposes.

The company then introduced Silly Putty to consumers in 1950 and it became an instant hit. It became popular because of its ability to stretch and bounce, which led to people using it as a toy. The company continued producing Silly Putty until 1988 when they sold it off to another toy maker, Hasbro Inc., who finally stopped producing it in 2000.

Skip It

Skip It is a 90s toy that was popular with kids and adults alike. The game consists of a plastic handle, a string, and four brightly colored disks. Players swing the handle in an arc and try to land the disks on the ground within the space between two lines on the ground.

The Skip It game is simple enough for children to play but challenging enough for adults to enjoy.

Slammer Whammers

Like the phenomenom it created by Pogs, Slammer Whammers were incredibly popular in the 90s among kids, especially in the playground. We remember an almost casino like experience being able to take down your friends or enemies pogs with your slammers and win over the girl (or guy) of your dreams in the process. Slammer Whammers were such an iconic product it's no wonder we've granted it a crucial spot on our best 90s toys list.

Slime

Slime is a children’s toy that was a popular choice for a 90s toy at the time. It is a stretchy, gooey substance that is made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), borax and water.

The slime was created by a man named Steve Spangler. He wanted to make an interesting science experiment for his son's birthday party. He mixed borax with glue and liquid starch to create the slime and it became an instant success with the kids at the party.

The toy has been around for more than 20 years now and it has changed over time. The slime we buy today is usually made from acrylamide polymer, which is less toxic than borax but still not safe for kids to play with unsupervised.

Slinky

The Slinky was invented by naval engineer Richard James. He was inspired by watching a spring fall off a table and then coil into a shape.

In 1943, James made a prototype of the toy and gave it to his wife as a gift. She showed it to her friends, who all wanted one too. James then quit his job in order to manufacture the Slinky full-time.

In 1945, James sold his first 400 Slinkys at Gimbels department store in Philadelphia for $1 each—which cost him only 10 cents per toy to make. Fast forward to a 90s toy that has held up and we can safely say that Richard James created such an iconic toy for eternity.

Socker Boppers

Socker Boppers were a toy that was popular in the 90s. They are inflatable balls that come with a pump and two handles. The goal of the game is to slam your opponent’s Socker Bopper and make it pop.

It is important to note that these Socker Boppers are not like the ones from today, they are much smaller and don't have any sensors or electronics.

Sony Playstation

The Sony PlayStation was a popular 90s toy that helped revolutionize the gaming industry. It is a video game console that had the ability to play games with CD-ROMs. It was first released in 1994 and it is still being used today.

Spice Girl Dolls

The Spice Girl Dolls were a toy line of fashion dolls released by the Mattel Corporation in 1997 and discontinued in 1999.

The doll line was created to appeal to girls aged 6-12, and consisted of five different models of the Spice Girls members: Ginger, Posh, Baby, Sporty and Scary. The dolls were designed with clothes that children could mix and match to create different outfits.

Street Sharks

Street Sharks was a toy line created by Kenner in 1991. The toy line consisted of robotic sharks that were used as vehicles for their human pilots. The toys were marketed as being able to swim in both fresh and salt water, and the packaging claimed that they could "swim faster than any fish."

The Street Sharks toys were advertised with a cartoon series on NBC, which ran for two seasons from 1994-1995. There was also a comic book series released by Marvel Comics. The Street Sharks were such a cool 90s toy with their oversized mouths and exaggerated features.

Stretch Armstrong

The Stretch Armstrong toy was originally created by a company called Kenner in the 1990s. Stretch Armstrong is an action figure that has rubber muscles that can be stretched to many times its original size.

Super Simon

Simon is a game of memory and pattern recognition. It was one of the most popular toys in the 90s.

The toy is named after its inventor, Ralph H. Baer. Originally called "Memory I," it was released under that name in 1967 by Milton Bradley Company.

Super Soaker 50

In the late 1980s, the Super Soaker 50 was introduced to the market. It was a toy that could shoot water up to 50 feet and it became an instant hit.

It was launched in 1990 and had a retail price of $19.99. The Super Soaker 50 is a squirt gun that can be used by children for water fights or by adults for gardening purposes.

The Super Soaker 50 is an iconic 90s toy from the timeframe and it's still popular today!

Talk Boy and Talk Girl

The Talk Boy (and later Talk Girl) were originally to be used as a prop in the Home Alone movies where Kevin would trick the Sticky Bandits into not being home by himself.

The toy was actually produced and sold to kids around the world based on the success of the 90s cult classic movie. Home Alone was such an iconic movie especially around Christmas time, the Talk boy is a fantastic product and we couldn't resist putting it on our best 90s toy list.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were one of the first worldwide successes for 90s action figures. Their toys felt like they were everywhere, retail stores, malls, schools and of course the middle of your home.

The collectability of the TMNT toys were fantastic as multiple revisions were released that had samurai's, baseball players and was the last major cartoon line of the 80s that spawned over into the 90s and beyond!

Perfection

Pop goes Perfection! It felt like that commercial was played 30 times a day to sell kids that game by racing against the clock before the pop sound hit. We knew tons of people that had Perfection growing up and to this day enjoy a round or two!

Tickle Me Elmo

The doll that giggles a lot was sold out of stores everywhere when it was first released. It was the definition of the hot Christmas item in the 90s. It was so large that whenever it was in stock, the clerks were sometimes trampled by customers in order to pick one up!

Tiger Electronics Toys

As a low cost alternative to the Game Boy, Tiger sold millions of units by carefully placed marketing tactics that were used to trick kids into buying these items. The colorful artwork and marketing in video game magazines drew kids in to the inferior products.

Trolls

Troll dolls were not first introduced in the 1990s, but were revitalized in sales as the brand resurfaced. Troll dolls are so incredibly collectable that some people have thousands of dolls filling up their basements in the form of Troll museums!

Vortex Football

The Nerf blaster was such an iconic toy that you may have forgotten that Nerf also built sports equipment for kids in such an eye catching appearance. The aerodynamic surface allowed the micro football to travel great distances when thrown!

Yomega X Brain

The ultimate yo-yo that came back to you automatically was a sure fire way for kids to enjoy the decade old favorite pastime with a new twist. With such a cool feature, it's no wonder it's one of the top 90s toy of all time. It was almost like having your favorite cheat code turned on the Nintendo!

Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game

After gaining extreme popularity in the 90s from the trading card phenomenon in Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh was a competitor game that was incredibly similar to the gotta catch em all craze. Some of these cards are still worth a small fortune!

We hope you enjoyed our list of best 90s toys. The nineties was such a great time in pop culture, with countless great movies, toys and video games to choose from. If you agreed with our list or think something was missed, feel free to let us know on Twitter!