In the days of adulthood, there is not much we can do to soothe ourselves besides eating our feelings, developing coffee addictions and regressing back into childhood.
My generation, the “Millennials,” spent the late '90s and early 2000’s living off of Dunkaroos and "Zaboomafoo." But there’s a lot more where that came from.
Let’s take it back now.
1. Tamagotchis
They’re $34 on Amazon guys, so hop on that deal. (Or 99 cents in the app store!)
2. "Bananas In Pajamas"
They're coming down the stairs.
3. Mandy Moore's Music Career
4. "Veggie Tales"
Let’s be honest, we still watch this…well we did until Netflix took it off. And they expect us to pay $9.99 now.
Alas, Larry Boy is still goals.
5. The Video Store
Pre-DVD and pre-Blockbuster, Friday nights were spent scouring the kids’ section for that one VHS you had already seen 300 times while your parents picked out yet another Meg Ryan romantic comedy.
6. Ferbies
Our first best friends.
7. Mighty Beanz
8. Dogz and Catz
Our computer desktops haven't been the same since we lost them.
9. Juicy Juice and Apple & Eve
Mmm...that artificial sugar.
10. "Trudy's Time and Place House"
Also featuring "Millie's Math House" and "Sammy's Science House!" These virtual friends gifted me with so much of the general knowledge that I have today.
11. Gym Scooters
12. Parachutes
Whether you were the cat, the mouse or one of the kids vigorously shaking the parachute, gym class and / or story hour was always bangin’ when your teacher brought this out of his / her office.
13. Neopets
Literally the only reason to have gone to McDonald's.
14. Looking up to Amanda Bynes as a powerful female role model.
15. Scholastic Book Fairs
Get the catalog in school, experience an adrenaline rush as you browse every product, take it home, circle all of the "Mercer Mayer Little Critter" books, beg your parents for money and come home the next day with a Spongebob poster, a long-ass pencil and an eraser shaped like a crayon.
16. Special Announcements
They came after lunch announcements (thank God for Pizza Fridays!) and before the Pledge of Allegiance. You better hope that your name isn’t called down to the office...unless it's your birthday!
17. Wonder Balls
No words needed.
18. Red Rover
Red rover, red rover, send money right over.
19. Turtle Sandboxes
20. Go-gurts
"Good to the last drop."
21. Heinz Purple And Green Ketchup
Not so good to the last drop.
22. All Of The Discontinued Cereals
23. All Of The TV Shows
Before Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, these were our OGs (Original Gangsters). There are too many to name, so let's roll the credits.
"Big Comfy Couch"
"Bear in the Big Blue House"
"Clifford the Big Red Dog"
"Dragon Tales"
"Caillou"
"Little Bear"
"Franklin"
"Roly Poly Oly"
"Blue's Clues"
"Mister Roger's Neighborhood"
" Reading Rainbow"
"Between the Lions"
"Zaboomafoo"
"Maggie and the Ferocious Beast"
"Little Bill"
"Kim Possible"
"Telletubbies"
"Dexter's Laboratory"
"Arthur"
"Rugrats"
"The Proud Family"
"Hey Arnold!"
"Rocket Power"
"Sagwa"
"The Wild Thornberrys"
"Powerpuff Girls"
"CatDog"
"Lizzie McGuire"
"Even Stevens"
"That's So Raven"
24. The Smell Of School Bus Leather
It hit you, rank as ever, on the first day of school every year because you had suppressed that olfactory memory.
25. Snap Bracelets
26. The Outfits That Your Mom Would Dress You In
Picture this, a long-sleeve turtle neck underneath a corduroy dress, tights and Mary-Jane shoes. Thanks Mom.
27. Skorts
Because why not?
28. Inflatable Chairs
29. Shel Silvertein
"Where the Sidewalk Ends" was everybody's shit.
30. The Boy Bands, The Girl Groups And S Club 7
Sugar Ray, Backstreet Boys, N'sync, Spice Girls, Destiny's Child -- it never got better than that. Let us not forget S Club 7's television series either.
There was so much more to childhood that I wish I could include, like Sketchers Heelies, Lipsmackers, Polly Pockets, Lisa Frank and Skip-its. For now, I hope this list has served you well and brought you back to a time when life was legendary.
