80’s Now and Then Toys

There’s nothing like having children to bring back memories of your own childhood. And if you were born in the 80’s, that probably means memories of some awesome toys and games. Need a little help remembering? Buckle up because we’re about to take you on a fun trip down memory lane! And we’ve also rounded up some modern-day equivalents, so you can share a piece of your childhood with your own kids. Fortunately, it’s much simpler now to buy toys than it was back then!

Top 80’s Now and Then Toys:

1. Magneti’book & Fuzzy-Felt
2. Glow Art & Etch A Sketch
3. Giant Piano Dance Mat & Echo Electron Mini Piano
4. Sound Telephone & Fisher-Price Chatter Phone
5. Talking Wildlife Camera & View-Master
6. Pyraminx’s Puzzle and Rubik’s Cube
7. Aqua Bluetooth Speaker & Fisher-Price Record Player
8. Mini Keyring Tetris & Tetris

1. Now & Then: Magneti’book & Fuzzy Felt

If you’re an 80’s baby, you probably remember Fuzzy-Felt, one of the most iconic and most-loved British toys of the past 100 years! This tactile fabric toy came in all kinds of cool themed sets. Maybe you had a farmyard one, or maybe you had the ballet, circus, hospital, or My Little Pony set. Whichever one(s) you had, you probably had hours upon hours of creative fun building figures, making up stories and getting completely lost in pretend-play.

As a parent, you probably realize now that part of the reason Fuzzy-Felt was so popular was that parents loved it too. After all, it was an indoor toy that didn’t make any noise, didn’t create any mess, encouraged solo play and imagination, and was portable and could be played with anywhere: at home, in the car, at relatives’ homes. The perfect toy, really!

Crazy Faces – Magneti’book ,  £21.95 £21.95

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Modern day magnetic Fuzzy-Felt

This magnetic set has the same concept as the Fuzzy-Felt we all loved! The difference, though, is that instead of felt, the pieces are made of magnets. Kids can mix and match the pieces and stick them to the magnetic inner lid of the box (or the refrigerator door) to create all kinds of funny faces. The set also comes with 12 ‘challenge’ cards that prompt children to make specific characters, like a happy clown or a handsome king. Just like the original, this set is excellent for quiet, indoor, anytime and anywhere play. A classic that stands the test of time!

2. Now & Then: Glow Art & Etch A Sketch

In the 1980’s, the Etch A Sketch was every little artist’s favourite toy. It was like magic in that you could draw and erase within seconds. And the best artists were the ones who could somehow draw curved lines… The rest of us were stuck drawing pictures comprised of squares and rectangles!

Glow Art – Neon Effect Drawing Board (Pink) ,  £25.99 £25.99

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Glow and sketch

With the Glow Art board, today’s children can get that same feeling of artistic gratification that we used to get from Etch A Sketch. This update on the classic children’s toy means you can create glowing works of art that light up in 36 colours. It comes with a set of fluorescent marker pens, which are much easier to draw with than those little white dials!

3. Now & Then: Giant Piano Dance Mat & Echo Electron Mini Piano

In the 1980’s, everyone seemed to have one of those little Echo Electron mini pianos… These pocket-sized musical instruments were about the same size as one of today’s smartphones, and they came with an attached case so you could slip them into your pocket or schoolbag without setting off the music. You’ll probably also remember that they didn’t have an on-off switch!

The best part about these clever little toys was that the rubbery keys were numbered and the set came with a mini songbook featuring numbered sheet music so you could learn to play simple songs, many of them Christmas-themed. These pocket-sized synth pianos felt incredibly high-tech at the time, and learning to play music on them was definitely more fun than sitting for piano lessons…

Giant Piano Dance Mat – Music made Easy! ,  £39.99 £39.99

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The new fun way to learn the piano

Okay, so this ‘now’ is just a little bit bigger than our original 80s throwback version, but the same basic principle applies. And it’s also sure to give you flashbacks to the 1988 film, Big, when Tom Hanks’ character plays a duet on a piano mat at a toy store in New York! This floor mat’s 24 touch-sensitive keys are colour-coded and numbered, and it comes with song cards so you can easily learn to play classic songs like Happy Birthday, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Jingle Bells, Heart and Soul… All the hits! In addition, you’ll be pleased to know that toy technology has come a long way since the 80’s, so now you can also record and listen back to your musical genius. Did we also mention you can change the instrument sounds? In the 80’s, we only had piano sounds, but today’s kids can have fun with eight instruments including a trumpet, guitar, violin and a harp. Rad!

4. Now & Then: Sound Telephone & Fisher-Price Chatter Phone

In the 80’s, everyone had the Fisher-Price Chatter Phone. Your children probably know this toy from Toy Story 3 –– and the popularity of that film has sparked such nostalgia in adults that you can now buy a working telephone that looks just like Chatter Phone for your home!

Back then, the Chatter Phone was a semi-realistic version of the phones our parents used. Of course, times have changed, and phone technology has come a long, long way in the past 40 years. What hasn’t changed is children’s desire to be like their parents. That makes a smartphone replica a necessity!

Sound Telephone – Seven Funny Sounds ,  £16.95 £16.95

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A toy phone for a new era

Today’s kids need phones that look like today’s phones! This cool wooden one makes seven noises, ranging from realistic to a little surreal. Think a camera snap (totally normal) to a cuckoo clock (not your typical smartphone sound). A fun way for children to pretend-play as adults, something that never goes out of style. “…Hello? The meeting is at what time?”

5. Now & Then: Talking Wildlife Camera & View-Master

No 80’s toy roundup would be complete without a mention of the View-Master! There was nothing more fun than sticking one of the round slide discs into this camera-like device, pulling it up to your eyes and peering inside.

And there were so many different slide discs to view! In fact, View-Masters were so popular over such a long period of time, that more than a billion discs have been produced. Some featured cartoon characters, others featured animals and wildlife, Wonders of the World, dinosaurs, scenes from popular films… View-Masters were a fabulous indoor toy and a great way to feel like you were going on a mini-adventure on rainy days when you were stuck inside the house!

Talking Wildlife Camera – With Robert Irwin ,  £65.95 £65.95

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A fresh new take on a View-Master

This ‘now’ version retains the best parts of our much beloved View-Master toy, but with lots of cool modern features for today’s kids. Just like the 80’s version, kids can look through the viewfinder to see images of animals. But while we didn’t always have crystal-clear images back in the day, the images here are high-resolution. This viewing device also features a talking voice, which is a big upgrade! Conservationist Robert Irwin shares over 200 amazing animal facts as he guides you through five incredible regions, from the Arctic to the Amazon Rainforest. You can even test your knowledge in Quiz mode… our View-Masters certainly didn’t have that! And of course, it’s also worth pointing out that this ‘wildlife camera’ looks more like a real camera and comes complete with a tripod, making it brilliant for pretend-play. A throwback sure to keep today’s kids entertained!

6. Now & Then: Pyraminx Puzzle & Rubik’s Cube

One of the most popular toys of the 80s, the Rubik’s Cube still has great success today, with £250 million in sales in 2017. In fact, the Rubik’s Cube is the best-selling toy in the world! We all remember trying and trying to solve one of these as children. And if you were a genius, maybe you actually succeeded!

Pyraminx Puzzle – The Ultimate Fidget Toy! ,  £19.99 £19.99

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A fun new twist on a classic toy

This updated version of a Rubik’s cube proves that the classic toy stands the test of time. This triangular model can be twisted and rotated in a tonne of different ways. Like the original, you have to try and twist it so that all of the colours on all the sides are the same. The shape has changed, but it definitely hasn’t gotten any easier… Hours of puzzle-solving fun await!

7. Now & Then: Fisher-Price Record Player & Aqua Bluetooth Speaker

Remember these awesome Fisher-Price record players? We’re talking about the ones that played real records! Before this, Fisher-Price made some mechanical music box-style record players that played colourful plastic kid-friendly records (think Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Jack and Jill, London Bridge is Falling Down…).

In the 80s, these chunky record players opened up a world of possibilities. You were no longer limited to just children’s songs but could play real records. Pop music, rock music, dance music, jazz… anything was suddenly on the table! This brilliant player featured two settings, one for 33 vinyl records and one for 45 vinyl records. There was also a volume control, so you could relax and play your music quietly in your room or blast it when you wanted to dance and party with your siblings or friends. What a time to be alive!

Aqua Bluetooth Speaker – Water Dancing! ,  £29.95 £29.95

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An 80’s music dance party awaits…

Your children might not know what 33s and 45s are, but they will love listening to some of your old favourites on this mesmerising Bluetooth speaker. This kid-friendly speaker is shaped like a futuristic bullet and features water jets and lights that move in time with the beat. Best of all, it’s portable — much more portable than the clunky record player of your youth. You can easily take this one with you to the garden, the park, a barbecue, on a walk… That certainly wasn’t possible back in the day! This speaker is compatible with nearly any smart phone, tablet or computer. And the rechargeable battery provides around four hours of playback time, so you should be able to get through your entire 80’s playlist…

8. Now & Then: Mini Keyring Tetris & Tetris

Finally, Tetris! We all loved playing this game, which was created in the 80’s, at home and in arcades. In fact, Tetris has been called one of the most popular video games of all time. Versions of the game are now available on nearly all platforms and consoles, including smartphones and tablets. But if you really want that authentic 80’s feeling, you’ve got to try our cool mini keyring version…

Tetris – Handheld Game with Original Sounds ,  £19.99 £19.99

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An iconic arcade game on your keyring

Bring the 80’s with you wherever you go with this awesome keyring version of everyone’s favourite arcade game! This cool little gadget features the original sounds and game play, as well as three-directional controls. A fun and portable way to introduce your children to the way games used to be. Pocket-sized nostalgia!

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What did Arnold Schwarzenegger say when he was invited to a classical composers costume party? I’ll be Bach!