As a 90s baby and new millennium child, I grew up with some of the best toys that I can remember, and they certainly weren't all plugged in to the TV with a little black cable. Of course, all of my favorite toys weren't just from this decade, but were also from within the first decade of the new millennium. I've seen a few throwback toys circling the web, but I never quite saw one compiled with toys I recognized as a child born in the middle of the 90s. So, here's to some of the best toys I grew up playing with and the nostalgia that comes along with looking back at childhood.
1. Brittany Spears Concert Stage
Not only was she the coolest Pop Star ever during that time, she was also from my own backyard! Well, sort of. I thought it was amazing that she was from Kentwood, Louisiana. We were from the same state; how much better could it have gotten?
2. WuvLuvs
It was the cutest toy, half plush, half electronic toy. The more you loved it, the better chance you had of that pouch opening up to reveal an egg with a surprise baby WuvLuv inside! It is kind of a weird kid's toy, if you really think about it.
3. Gameboy Color
If you didn't have a Gameboy Color, then you weren't cool enough. My first game ever was "The PowerPuff Girls: Paint the Town Green, Buttercup Edition." Some of my other favorites were "Mickey's Dangerous Chase," "Super Mario Brothers Deluxe," "Pokemon Blue," and "The Flintstones Burger Time in Bedrock."
4. Polly Pocket
Who doesn't remember those tiny plastic dolls with an entire play set fit inside a palm-sized container? Then later on, those enlarged dolls with the stretchy elastic clothing that was so difficult to get on them.
5. Don't Wake Daddy Board Game
I used to love this really weird board game. I was never able to win it, though. Maybe that was the precursor to why I was never able to properly sneak out the house without waking my parents.
6. Robot Dog
I remember writing many letters to Santa Claus for this toy, but once I finally got it, there wasn't really much to do with it.
7. American Girl Dolls
Every year for Christmas my grandma would give my sister, cousin, and I a new American Girl Doll. Getting those American Girl Doll magazines in the mail were some of the most exciting days of our young lives.
8. Pokemon
Anything Pokemon and you had to have it, whether it be the cards (which I truthfully never learned how to play; I just really liked collecting them), the mini play sets, or the action figures. Remember when Burger King even gave away Pokemon figurines in their kid's meals? #WhenKidsMealToysWereAwesome
9. Nestle's Wonder Ball
Whenever my mom allowed me and my sister to get candy from Walgreens, I always chose a Wonder Ball. Not only was it chocolate, but there was also a surprise inside, too! I remember getting a Hades figurine from Disney's "Hercules" once, and his hair would change to blue under cold water. Now, they're considered a choking hazard, and they only make them with candy inside.
10. Furby
Truthfully, I never really understood what to do with my Furby. He used to terrify me at night so much that I wound up having to hide him in the back of my closet. He still kind of scares me a little bit. What was he even supposed to be? A Gremlin?
11. The Fisher Price Dream Doll House
This was my childhood summed up right here. But by the time I finished setting up all the pieces just right (usually an hour or two later), I wasn't really interested in playing dolls anymore.
12. Sweet Streets Doll Houses
If you don't remember these then you must have been living under a rock or something. My sister and I used set up all of ours together on the Sweet Streets Map and then would fight over who got to play with which buildings and dolls.
13. Hot Wheels
I'm definitely not afraid to admit that I played with Hot Wheels cars as a kid. I had a male cousin around my age, and we used to set up all kinds of Hot Wheels courses around the house.
14. Calico Critters
I remember we used to take these toys camping with us. We always wound up loosing all the pieces except for the figures, though.
15. Mouse Trap
I used to love this game so much, except for the fact that I could never get anyone to play it with me. I babysat a few years back and found this dusty game in the back of their game closet. I couldn't even get those kids to play it with me.
16. Hit Clips
Remember these things? The original MP3 player of my childhood!
17. Betty Spaghetty
Apparently these are really worth something now. I wish I would have kept mine.
18. The Original Littlest Pet Shop
Remember the original Littles Pet Shop toys? Not those bobble-headed things they sell today.
19. PowerPuff Girls
I watched just about every episode of the Cartoon Network show growing up; so naturally, I had to have all of the play sets. Granted, no one ever let me be Blossom when I shared my toys with them. There was a reason why I hated sharing.
20. McDonald's Happy Meal Toys
When McDonald's Happy Meal toys were actually worth collecting.
21. Barbie RV Motor Home
Your Barbie collection wasn't complete without this bright pink RV Motor Home.
22. Rugrats
I learned how to braid hair on my Chuckie Finnster doll. I loved these so much that they even made an appearance in my third birthday pictures. I think I actually still have all of these upstairs in the attic somewhere.
23. Doctor's Playset
Who didn't love pretending to be a doctor? Especially when you got to give shots to other people.
24. Pound Puppies
These were another great addition to my childhood toy collection! I loved Pound Puppies even though the puppies were so tiny that I always lost them and later found them in really odd places around the house as I grew up.
25. JoJo's Bouncing Boneheads
I remember collecting these, but I never learned how to play the game associated with them.
26. Dream Garden Flower Play Sets
These were awesome, especially because they were scented play sets. I had the one that smelled like oranges.
27. Crocodile Dentist
Playing with this toy is how I learned to cross animal dentistry off my future job list.
28. Care Bears
So maybe they're a little older than I was, but I still loved collecting and playing with these figures. Who couldn't resist these adorable, cute bears? And the stuffed animal versions? Irresistible.
29. Cabbage Patch Dolls
Again, maybe they first appeared in an earlier decade than my birth, but I still had a fair share of my own Cabbage Patch Kids dolls.
30. Puppy Surprise
Teaching kids about gender and puppy birth at such a young age. And yes, I did have Popcorn, and she had three pups.