Life is what happens when you blink your eyes and suddenly, you're an adult. In one moment, you're playing with Polly Pockets and watching Rugrats, enjoying some Lunchables with other 90's children. In the next moment, you're buckling down for senior year of college, looking ahead at apartments, jobs, and life's next direction. It's a scary and unstoppable reality. But as life keeps chugging along, it's important to remember the things that helped shape who you are, the fun that you've had growing up, and all of the ways that society has changed. And if you're a 90's kid like I am, these 40 childhood memories will definitely strike that chord:
1. Walkman
Sure, the endless batteries and the scratched CDs were annoying, but there was something special about compiling a personal collection of physical disks, album artwork, and pamphlets of song lyrics.
2. Cereal box prizes
Too often, we chose boxes of cereal for the prize inside and not for the actual cereal. We would then pour bowls bigger than our stomachs could bear in a hunt for the buried treasure.
3. Tamagotchi
We swore that we loved our pocket-sized companions because they were simple, cute, and fun. All the same, we let them die time and time again because we either lost them or simply got bored.
4. GameBoy
Most 90's kids can remember those tricky late night drives, attempting to play GameBoy under the intermittent glow of street lights. It was inconvenient, but we persevered!
5. Surge
Although this citrusy drink perfectly embodies the taste of 90's nostalgia, it was banned for good reason. The high levels of caffeine and sugar could not have been healthy for our young bodies.
6. AOL Instant Messenger
Long before Facebook and even before MySpace, AIM instant messenger kept us connected to our friends. Who could forget those embarrassing screen names and the cheesy away messages?!
7. Super Nintendo
Donkey Kong, Paper Boy, PunchOut, and all of the original Mario games; Super Nintendo was a childhood classic!
8. Lite Brite
If you need proof that 90's toys were fantastical and unique, Lite Brite literally made it possible to create pictures with colors and light! Paints and crayons simply could not compare.
9. Furby
To be honest, the 90's would have been better off without these freaky, little creatures! They might have been fun to interact with at first, but there was nothing more horrifying than an unprompted Furby waking up to play.
10. Pokémon cards
Pokémon Go might be all the rage right now, but there was a time when trainers collected Pokémon the right way: we bought and traded cards to add to our beloved collection.
11. Wonder Ball
What could be better than finding more candy inside of your candy?! Even though stores are attempting to bring Wonder Ball back, they just don't make them like they used to.
12. Easy Bake Oven
It's actually pretty impressive that all you needed was a light bulb and some prepackaged mix to bake cakes, cookies, soft pretzels, and a handful of different tasty treats!
13. Boy bands
Regardless of whether you were an NSYNC*, Boys ll Men, NKOTB, or Backstreet Boys groupie, you most definitely fan-girled over your favorite 90's boy band.
14. Crimped hair
Nowadays, a kink found in your perfectly straight hair is a fashion faux pas. However, crimps used to be an intentional style, and ironing tools were sold specifically to achieve that look!
15. Choker necklaces
For some strange reason, black wire looped around your neck was a big hit. I'm just glad it's an accessory that we left in the past!
16. Stick-on earrings
Getting your ears pierced can be a scary commitment, but 90's girls had no reason to worry. They had disposable earring stickers that looked just as fab without the needle!
17. Scrunchies
No 90's look was ever complete without this large wad of fabric holding your ponytail in place! It may sound strange, but it was a colorful accent to every hairstyle.
18. Beanie Babies
Every 90's kid swore that their pristine Beanie Baby collection would one day make them rich. (And with the rarest ones selling on eBay for tens of thousands of dollars, they might have been right!)
19. Skip-it
Although Skip-it was a great source of exercise, nothing hurt more than having the hard plastic shell skid into your ankles.
20. Lisa Frank supplies
Any kid who stocked up on Lisa Frank school supplies was bound to be the talk of the classroom. They were all so cute and colorful!
21. Dial-up Internet
I can still hear the static, the obnoxious buzzing, and the anticipated "Welcome. You've got mail!" as if it were yesterday.
22. Fruit Stripe gum
This was easily the most frustrating treat in existence. The flavor was so good, but it only lasted for a few sweet seconds!
23. Kid Cuisine
After a long day of keeping up with our crazy antics, 90's parents were probably relieved to have Kid Cuisine. These prepackaged meals were fun, balanced, and an easy ways to end the day.
24. Full House
As a 90's kid myself, I'm slightly bitter about the Fuller House Netflix revamp. Nothing can compare to the quirky, lovable original, complete with its drama, laugh track, and sappy life lessons. "Whatever happened to predictability?"
25. Denim everything
Whether you were rocking the overalls with one strap undone, or sagging your jeans with one pant leg rolled up, denim was the epitome of 90's fashion!
27. Betty Spaghetty
Essentially a glamorous version of Mr. Potato Head, each Betty Spaghetty doll came with interchangeable outfits, limbs, and accessories; she was Barbie's spunkier cousin!
28. Bedazzled/beaded hair
More often than not, attempting to bead your hair left a tangled, stubborn mess. But that didn't stop 90's kids from stringing their hair through a Conair beader and sporting their shimmering jewels.
29. Trix cereal shapes
Is it just me, or did Trix taste better when it came in colorful shapes? Or maybe 90's kids simply lost the ability to see and taste the deliciousness; "Trix are for kids" after all!
30. Dunkaroos
Unpopular opinion: There is nothing astounding about Dunkaroos. They're cookies dipped in icing - nothing more than deconstructed Oreos. All the same, it's a familiar flavor of the 90's that people crave out of pure nostalgia.
31. View Master
A true 90's kid would be familiar with this palm-sized movie theater. The slideshows of vibrant, 3D scenes were so captivating, it was often hard to look away!
32. Plastic ball hair ties
Not only were these hair ties complicated and confusing, but they hurt like hell when the plastic beads snapped against your skull. This was the type of torture that 90's kids endured for the sake of fashion!
33. Bill Nye The Science Guy
You knew the school day was going to be awesome if you walked in to find a TV cart sitting in front of the room. The teacher most likely planned to show Bill Nye for science, and you and your classmates were born ready to chant the theme song!
34. Cassette tapes/VHS
There was nothing worse than popping in a tape to discover that the last person forgot to rewind. (And yet, you were probably guilty of doing the same exact thing.)
35. McDonald's characters
Before McDonald's attempted a "healthy and modern" image, the locations were bright and fun with playgrounds, impressive toys, and an entire cast of characters! But while we still get to see Ronald McDonald on occasion, the restaurant has almost completely moved away from the kid-friendly vibe.
36. Cheap makeup palettes
Mac? Too Face? Urban Decay? Who needs those big-name products when you could have everything that you need in the palm of your hand!
37. Light up sneakers
Sneakers in the 90's were cute, comfy, and fun! The lights that sparkled with every step kept kids up on their feet.
38. Bop It
Every 90's kid got a small taste of anxiety whenever playing with this toy. The pressure was nerve wracking as you sat on the edge of your chair, waiting for the next command.
39. Frosted tips
Why go through the hassle of coloring your whole head when you could simply highlight the very tips? It was the classic boyband look of the decade, rocked by celebs like Justin Timberlake, Aaron Carter, and Lance Bass.
40. Colored Ketchup
And last but not least, colored Ketchup was another strange 90's trend that still makes me cringe to this day. There was something unsettling about dipping your French Fries in purple and green goo!
