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About This Quiz
Can you tell Cabbage Patch Kids from Care Bears, or Matchbox Cars from Micro Machines? Know the difference between Rainbow Brite and Strawberry Shortcake with just a single glance? If so, you might have what it takes to ace this '80s and '90s toys quiz!
The last two decades of the 20th century were the first to really and truly marry toys and television, resulting in kids who were completely immersed in the commercials-disguised-as-cartoons craze without even knowing it. That meant kids were watching their favorite shows while playing with the toys they saw on the screen -- and in many cases, the shows themselves were created purely to market the toys.ÂÂ
Of course, none of that takes away from the awesomeness of '80s and '90s toys. From Power Rangers to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Masters of the Universe to My Little Pony, the period had some of the most popular action figures ever made. By the '90s, toys were increasingly taking advantage of technology, resulting in interactive favorites like Tickle Me Elmo, Tamagotchi virtual pets, electronic diaries, and music players like Hit Clips.
Think you know everything about your favorite childhood toys? Take our quiz to see if you can identify these '80s and '90s favorites from a single picture!
YouTube
Which toy is this?
Skip-It
The Skip-It is a toy created in the 1980's by Avi Arad, Maggie Henry, and Mel Kennedy. The design of the toy included a small circle or hoop, attached to a hoop was a rope and a ball on the end. The hoop would go around and your ankle and your jump in a skip like fashion once the ball at the end of the rope comes around. The Skip-it was available in a variety of colors.
Mr. Potato Head
Play-Doh
Tonka Truck
The Movie DB
Which toy is this?
Yo-Yo
Chemistry Set
Furby
Furby is a classic American toy that was released in 1998. The electronic robotic toy resembles an owl with large pointy ears. The Furby comes in many different colors and characters and during the '90s was a must-have toy for children.
Stuffed Mickey Mouse
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Which toy is this?
Cabbage Patch Kids
The Cabbage Patch Kids are a set of dolls that were first introduced in 1978 by Xavier Robert. The soft sculptured dolls came in a variety of characters and each doll came with a birth certificate. The dolls were characterized by their pudgy faces and stumpy arms and legs. They also came in many different characters and were very popular with kids.
Pop-Up Book
Radio Flyer Wagon
Army Men
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Wiki commons
Which toy is this?
Easy-Bake Oven
Bop-It
Bop it was created and released in 1996 by Hasbro. The handheld device resembled a car's steering wheel. Commands were given through audio speakers on the device and the player had to follow these instructions. The pace of commands given increased as the player got further along in the game.
Rock'em Sock'em Robots
Hot Wheels
n/a
Which toy is this?
Transformers
The Transformers line of toys was first introduced in 1984 by Hasbro. The line is split into two sets of Transformers: The Autobots who are the heroes, and the Decepticons who are the villains. The action figures transform from cars to robots and were very popular with kids. Soon after the toys were released, a television series was created.
Yo-Yo
Army Men
Magic 8 Ball
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Which toy is this?
Polly Pocket
Polly Pocket is a line of small dolls and accessories. The doll line, which was first introduced in 1989, comprised of pocket-sized figures. The Polly Pockets were very popular, and dollhouses and other playsets were also created as part of the line.
Hula Hoop
Stuffed Mickey Mouse
Pop-Up Book
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Which toy is this?
Sock Monkey
Rubik’s Cube
The Rubik's Cube, first invented in 1974, was originally called the Magic Cube and is a 3-D combination puzzle. Later in 1980, the name was changed to what we now know as The Rubik's Cube, after its inventor Erno Rubik. On each side of the six-faced cube are nine smaller solid colored squares.
Finger Paint
Magic 8 Ball
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Which toy is this?
Chemistry Set
He-Man
He-Man is an action figure that was based on the main character from the Masters of the Universe comic book series. He-Man has superhuman strength and defends the planet Eternia from evil forces. He carries a big silver sword and is clad in orange boots, a chest shield, and a brown loincloth.
Radio Flyer Wagon
Finger Paint
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Which toy is this?
Frisbee
Barbie
Tamagotchi
Tamagotchi is a digital pet. It was released in Japan in 1996, and the rest of the world in 1997. The digital pet is housed in a small egg-shaped handheld device and starts off that way, as an egg. Control buttons on the device allow you to take care of the pet by nurturing, feeding and playing with it. The Tamagotchi came in a number of colors and characters.
G.I. Joe
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Which toy is this?
American Girl
The American Girl is a line of dolls released in 1986. The six dolls were of different ethnicities and were approximately 18 inches in height. They were accompanied by books which contained stories from different periods in American history narrated from the point of view of the doll.
Rock'em Sock'em Robots
Frisbee
NERF Ball
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Which toy is this?
Legos
Moon Shoes
Moon shoes are anti-gravity shoes that were created for kids. They supposedly allowed the child to feel like he or she was walking in space. The platform shoes were made of plastic and had two velcro adjustable straps that allowed them to remain in place. The shoes were called mini trampolines for the feet because of their trampoline-like springs.
Yo-Yo
Sock Monkey
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Which toy is this?
Magna Doodle
NERF Ball
Sock Monkey
Beanie Babies
The Beanie Babies were first created in November 1991. The line of stuffed animals contained plastic pellets or beans, hence the name Beanie Babies. The Beanies were collectibles and came in a variety of colors and species.
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Which toy is this?
My Little Pony
The My Little Pony toy line was created in 1981. Each brightly-colored pony had a brushable tail and mane and a unique symbol printed on its side. The ponies also came in different sizes and with different poses, some were created standing; others were created in a sitting position.
Stuffed Mickey Mouse
Pop-Up Book
Hula Hoop
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Which toy is this?
Tonka Truck
Silly Putty
Mr. Potato Head
Troll Dolls
Troll Dolls, also known as Lucky Trolls, were first created in 1959 by Thomas Dam. The Trolls were characterized by their soft brightly-colored hair which stood straight up. They were small, tan colored dolls, which were so ugly, they were actually cute! The dolls were available in a number of colors and characters.
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Which toy is this?
Koosh Ball
Play-Doh
Game Boy
The Gameboy was first introduced in Japan in 1989 and soon its popularity spread throughout the world. The grey rectangular device was the first handheld gaming console manufactured by Nintendo. The Gameboy used cartridges; each cartridge contained a different game. It was very popular in the 1990's, and millions of units of the device sold.
Shrinky Dinks
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Which toy is this?
Barbie
Tonka Truck
Tickle Me Elmo
Tickle Me Elmo is based on the Elmo character in the popular '90s kids television show, "Sesame Street." The Tickle Me Elmo doll was released in 1996 and quickly became a hit with kids. The red muppet Elmo shakes and vibrates once it is squeezed or tickled.
G.I. Joe
YouTube
Which toy is this?
Wiffle Ball
Chemistry Set
Army Men
Teddy Ruxpin
Teddy Ruxpin was a talking bear that was created in 1985. The bear's eyes and mouth would move while he read stories that were programmed onto a cassette tape placed in its back. The bear wore an orange t-shirt, a brown vest and a pair of blue pants
n/a
Which toy is this?
Wiffle Ball
Legos
Skateboard
Skateboards were first introduced in the 1940's. The skateboard is made of a piece of wood with four wheels, two on the front and two on the back. The skateboard moves by using one foot to push the board forward while the other foot remains on the board. With the popularity of the skateboard, skate parks were created for skateboarders to use.
Silly Putty
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YouTube
Which toy is this?
Strawberry Shortcake
The Strawberry Shortcake doll was introduced in the 1980's by American Greetings. The character started off in greetings cards and was soon turned into merchandise or toys. Strawberry Shortcake wore green and white striped stockings, a pink and red dress and a huge pink bonnet which was decorated with strawberries. The doll smelled like a bunch of strawberries.
Legos
Tonka Truck
NERF Ball
YouTube
Which toy is this?
Play-Doh
Sock Monkey
Pound Puppies
Pound Puppies were created by Mark Bowling in 1984. The puppies were stuffed toy animals and came in a variety of colors. One of the signature looks of the Pound Puppies were their droopy eyes and floppy ears.
Mr. Potato Head
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Which toy is this?
Rock'em Sock'em Robots
Rainbow Brite
Rainbow Brite was created in 1983. The colorful doll had blonde or yellow hair and was dressed in a blue skirt and a rainbow-colored top. Rainbow Brite also wore rainbow-colored boots. The popularity of the Rainbow Brite doll led to a children's television series with Rainbow Brite as the man character.
Stuffed Mickey Mouse
Yo-Yo
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YouTube
Which toy is this?
Star Wars Figures
The Star Wars Figures toy line was created after the success of the first "Star Wars" film which was released in May 1977. The demand for the toys was so high, that the distributing company was unable to produce enough of the figures to meet the demand. The Star Wars figures included many of the characters from the film.
Pop-Up Book
Barbie
Radio Flyer Wagon
YouTube
Which toy is this?
Hula Hoop
Speak and Spell
Speak and Spell was introduced in 1978 by Texas Instruments. The device resembled a huge calculator with a handle. The brightly-colored handheld children's computer had a keyboard and a screen display. The talking device would ask the user to spell a particular word and using the keyboard, the user would input the letters to spell the word.
Chemistry Set
Army Men
n/a
Which toy is this?
Magic 8 Ball
Radio Flyer Wagon
Simon
Simon was invented by Ralph H Baer and Howard J Morrison and launched in 1978. The electronic device tested memory skills. The device was circular and resembled a steering wheel. Simon had four colored buttons, red, green, yellow and blue, that would light up.
Silly Putty
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Which toy is this?
Hot Wheels
Atari 2600
Atari 2600 was released in 1977. The early video game hardware consisted of two joystick controllers, a conjoined paddle, and cartridges that contained various games. The gaming console needed to be hooked up to a television for the user to enjoy it.
Easy-Bake Oven
Magna Doodle
YouTube
Which toy is this?
Mr. Microphone
Mr. Microphone was invented in 1964 by Ron Popiel. The device had an AM radio transmitter built in an orange and black microphone or mic. Once you turned on a nearby radio and spoke or sang, the Mr. Microphone would transmit your voice through the radio. Mr. Microphone allowed you to have your own personalized PA system.
Monopoly
Pop-Up Book
Play-Doh
YouTube
Which toy is this?
Mr. Potato Head
Stuffed Mickey Mouse
My Buddy
The My Buddy doll was created in 1985 by Hasbro; the doll line was targeted at little boys. The doll, which was male in gender, wore a blue jumpsuit, a rainbow-colored t-shirt, and a baseball cap.
Sock Monkey
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n/a
Which toy is this?
Frisbee
Wiffle Ball
Lite Brite
Lite Brite was invented by Joseph M Burck. The Lite Brite consisted of small colored plastic pegs and a plastic box with a panel of holes, behind those holes were a light source. When the colored pegs were plugged into the holes, they lit up creating a picture. There were eight colored pegs, and various templates were available to create a variety of pictures and fun objects that lit up.
Shrinky Dinks
YouTube
Which toy is this?
Barbie
Chemistry Set
Legos
Trac Ball
Trac Ball is a two-player game which consisted of two oversized rackets, or baskets, and two balls. The balls were made of Styrofoam and allowed for players to have hours of fun while practicing their tossing and catching skills.
YouTube
Which toy is this?
Rock'em Sock'em Robots
Yo-Yo
Smurfs
The Smurfs were created by a Belgian cartoonist named Pierre Culliford in 1958. The blue creatures who lived in mushroom-shaped houses were characters in a comic book. The Smurfs soon turned into a television series and gained popularity. After that, various toys were produced of the tiny blue colony.
Finger Paint
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YouTube
Which toy is this?
Sock Monkey
Casey the Talking Robot
Casey, the Talking Robot, was a blue plastic robot that was released in 1985. The robot's face was a digital display, and it had a built-in cassette player. Put a cassette into the player and Casey's mouth would correspond to what was being played.
G.I. Joe
Finger Paint
YouTube
Which toy is this?
Madballs
Madballs were a set of small rubbery, bouncy, grotesque-looking balls. They were created in 1985 by Am Toy. There were eight original Madballs: Screamin Meenie, Slobulus, Aargh, Horn Head, Dust Brain, Oculus Orbus, Skull Face and Bash Brain.
Radio Flyer Wagon
Wiffle Ball
Army Men
n/a
Which toy is this?
Colorforms
Colorforms were invented by Harry and Patricia Kislevitz in the 1950s. They started off as simple shapes which were cut from a flexible vinyl material. This material would cling to a smooth surface without the use of adhesives. Popeye was the first licensed character to be made into a Colorform. After that, many popular characters followed.
Magic 8 Ball
Silly Putty
Mr. Potato Head
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YouTube
Which toy is this?
G.I. Joe
Magic 8 Ball
Silly Putty
Creepy Crawlers
Creepy Crawlers were first introduced in 1964. They toy gave children the opportunity to create their own creatures. It consisted of metal molds, an oven to bake those molds, and bottles of liquid colored rubber/plastic goo.
Wiki commons
Which toy is this?
Hot Wheels
Stuffed Mickey Mouse
Nintendo NES
The Nintendo NES was released in July 1983. The console featured a grey control box and a smaller player controller. It was an 8-bit home video game console. The device introduced games like Mario Brothers and Donkey Kong which were available on cartridges.
Magna Doodle
YouTube
Which toy is this?
Chemistry Set
Pop-Up Book
Legos
Care Bears
Care Bears started off as characters in greeting cards but were introduced as toys in 1983. The plush bears each came in a different color and had a special imprint on its stomach. The imprint represented its personality.
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Which toy is this?
Easy-Bake Oven
Frisbee
Power Rangers
Power Rangers action figures were launched after the popularity of the television series, "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers." The five action heroes that made up the Power Rangers were teenagers who would morph into heroes to defeat evil forces.
Barbie
YouTube
Which toy is this?
Radio Flyer Wagon
Shrinky Dinks
Magna Doodle
Snoopy Sno-Cone Maker
The Snoopy Sno-Cone Maker was created in 1979. The first thing that had to be done was to ensure that the Sno-cone maker was correctly assembled. The machine, which came in the shape of Snoopy's doghouse, turned ice blocks into shaved ice and came with a flavored syrup that turned the shredded ice into yummy sno-cones.
YouTube
Which toy is this?
NERF Ball
Thundercats
Thundercats toy figures were created after the success of the "Thundercats" television series. The series was launched in 1984. The action figures were fashioned after the main characters in the series, Lion -O, Cheetara, Pathra, Snarf, Tygra and the main villain, Mum-rah.
Rock'em Sock'em Robots
Hot Wheels
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Which toy is this?
Tonka Truck
Play-Doh
Mr. Potato Head
Street Sharks
Street Sharks were created by toy giant, Mattel. The action figures were half man, half shark. The four action heroes were different species of sharks and would fight against a common enemy to save the world. The figures had a smaller lower half, representing the human body, and a more significant upper half, representing the shark.
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Which toy is this?
Talkboy
Talkboy was a portable cassette recorder and player manufactured by Tiger Electronics. The design of the device included a built-in microphone to record and a speaker for playback. The cassette player also had a speed setting which could be used to speed up or slow down recordings and playbacks.
Sock Monkey
Magic 8 Ball
Finger Paint
YouTube
Which toy is this?
NERF Ball
Popples
Popples were first manufactured by Mattel in 1986, and just as the name suggests, they popped. The Popples each had a pouch on its back which allowed them to invert to a brightly colored ball, then pop out of that pouch and become a cute, cuddly teddy bear.
Shrinky Dinks
Koosh Ball
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YouTube
Which toy is this?
Army Men
Sky Dancers
Sky Dancers was a fairy-type line of dolls that were created in the 1990s. The dolls came with a pull string base, on which the fairy would stand. The long fairy wings were made of a foam-like material. Once you pulled the string on the base, the fairy would propel into the air and spin like a dancing ballerina.
Chemistry Set
Stuffed Mickey Mouse
youtube
Which toy is this?
Wiffle Ball
Silly Putty
Legos
Super Soaker
Super Soakers were invented in 1982 by Lonnie Johnson. The water gun had an advance designed featuring an air pressure system that allowed it to spray water at further distances, and with greater power, than other water guns. The super soaker came in a variety of colors and sizes.
YouTube
Which toy is this?
Radio Flyer Wagon
Yo-Yo
Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64 was first released in Japan in 1996. It was the first console to feature a 64-bit central processing unit, hence the 64 in the name. The Nintendo 64 was the first console which allowed four players to play at once and featured an updated controller.
Pop-Up Book
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Which toy is this?
Tonka Truck
Crossfire
Crossfire was released by Milton Bradley in 1971. The two-player game resembled table hockey and consisted of a board, two pucks, two attached guns, one on either side, and small pellets. The object of the game was to get the puck into your opponent's goal. The first person to score three goals won.
Hula Hoop
Easy-Bake Oven
youtube
Which toy is this?
Little Tikes Log Cabin
Finger Paint
Koosh Ball
Pogo Balls
Pogo Balls or Lolo Balls as the toy was sometimes called, was invented in 1969. The Pogo Ball consists of a rubber ball surrounded by a sturdy plastic platform. To play with the Pogo ball, you plant your feet on either side of the rubber ball on the plastic platform, and you jump or bounce up and down, similar to the movement of a pogo stick.
YouTube
Which toy is this?
Jem and the Holograms
Jem and the Holograms were released in 1985 by Hasbro. Jem was a rockstar and the alter-ego of Jerrica, the co-owner of a music corporation. The original Jem line of dolls was very funky and came with different outfits so that Jem could transform back into Jerrica. The doll line was later expanded to include other dolls, Flash and Sizzle Jem, Rock n Curl Jem and Glitter n Gold Jem.
G.I. Joe
Barbie
Hula Hoop
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YouTube
Which toy is this?
Army Men
Play-Doh
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures were first produced in 1988 and were the main characters in the comic book series, Teenage Mutant Turtles. The four turtles, named Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, and Leonardo, each wore a different color mask and had different weapons.
Yo-Yo
YouTube
Which toy is this?
Hot Wheels
Micro Machines
Micro Machines were invented by Clemens V Heeden Jr. in 1976. The miniature toy line not only included cars and trucks but was expanded to include trains, airplanes, boats, and motorcycles. Over time, the toy line also included non-vehicular miniatures, including Power Ranger figures.
Easy-Bake Oven
Magna Doodle
You Got:
/50
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