There were the best of times and there were the worst of times. The worst of times probably revolved around the fashion when I was a kid. Like Britney and Justin's matching jean suits. Gross. But, the best of times had to do with the toys.

I'm not just nostalgic over my childhood. Sure, being a kid was great because there was always an easy way to have fun. But, I want to talk about what made it fun. I personally am convinced that the toys and everyday objects were much cooler in the late '90s to 2000s.

This was a time where not everything involved a screen. Don't get me wrong, I love all of the amazing technological advances that have happened since then, but if just some of these things would surge back into popularity the world would be a better place...I mean, I'm talking about a time when gel pens were all the rage.

Which brings me to the first item on the list:

1. Gel Pens

Oh how I miss gel pens. If I whipped out a gel pen in the middle of class today, I would probably get a 20 minute lecture on how the professor "can't read my lime green ink" or how "it's only professional to use blue or black."

Eh, screw off. Let me live!

2. Baby Alive

Girls and boys alike need baby alive. With the decrease in sales of baby alive came an increase in teen pregnancy rates.

I'm not saying it's causation, but statistics don't lie.

I on the other hand do lie, so in all seriousness, this baby doll at the very least teaches some responsibility. And it helped me decide that I didn't want kids for a very long time. I'm nor sure about anyone else though.

3. Tamagotchi

Talk about responsibility, you couldn't leave this baby unattended for more than an hour without your pet dying.

It's a good thing I didn't have a real pet. I don't know how I would have been able to handle both.

4. Skip It

Oh how I miss the skip it. It's dangerous exercise. The probability of breaking your ankle (or someone else's) really creates a thrill.

Honestly, I could spin this thing around for hours on end. By hours I mean about 20 minutes, but in kid time that's really long.

5. Shrinky Dinks

This was some of the most creative fun I had with my mom when I was a kid.

It's basically just flimsy plastic that you paint into a harder piece of plastic. You could make key chains, necklaces or just dozens of little choking hazards.

Regardless, they were fun. And perfect for bonding experiences.

6. Water Snakes

These were probably as weird as they come, but for some reason I loved them. I remember getting them as souvenirs from amusement parks. Don't ask me why they had them.

7. Creepy Crawlers Bug Maker

The Easybake Oven hasn't completely lost its flare, but its "boy" counterpart has. Quite frankly, unless you had a bug-phobia, this was a fun toy for any gender. And a great entomology lesson.

8. B'loonies

Every single time I went to any store, this is the toy I would look for. They were cheap, and the 50/50 chance of blowing a decent bubble never failed to keep me and my posse occupied.

While there are plenty of awesome toys today, I will always have a place in my heart for the funky, ridiculously fun toys of my childhood.

In a way, I want the same toys for kids today. Except, the prices also aren't as nice as they used to be. Oh well, screens are good too!