80's Toys
These dolls were “grown” in a garden patch and came with a birth certificate.
What are the Cabbage Patch Kids? These cute baby dolls came with a complex
backstory to explain their origins.
In 1972, Alexander had a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad” one of these.
What is day? There is a movie and musical based on the popular picture book.
During the 1960s and ’70s, this playground toy was popular among girls for games like double Dutch.
What is jump rope (skipping rope)? Because girls were often excluded from school sports, jump rope was a form of exercise they could enjoy.
You might run across this animal at night in its natural habitat, a dam it builds across a creek.
What is a beaver? The nocturnal animal is North America’s largest rodent and the second largest globally. Fully grown, beavers can grow up to 48 inches (122 cm) long. Their razor-sharp teeth never quit growing, but they keep them in check by felling trees for their dams.
When people first fall in love, they feel like they are on this cloud.
What is cloud nine? Cloud nine denotes a feeling of euphoria.
These popular ’80s toys were glow-in-the-dark creatures.
What are Glo Worms? The toys are still available today from some manufacturers.
The last in a series by this author, The First Four Years follows Laura and her young family’s prairie life.
Who is Laura Ingalls Wilder? The book was a bestseller in 1971 and was the ninth in the Little House series.
Popular throughout the decades, red rover is played by two teams chanting “Red rover, red rover, let [player’s name]” do this.
What is “come over”? Global versions include the Chinese game called “forcing the city gates.”
What is a female fox called?
What is a vixen?
This is where Batman fought crime.
What is Gotham City? Batman started fighting crime in Gotham City in the fourth episode of the Batman comic book, released in 1941. Before then, he was based in New York City.
Which toy's motto taught us that "Caring is what counts"?
What is Care Bears
This story is a children’s classic about a train traveling to the North Pole and was written by Chris Van Allsburg.
What is The Polar Express? This favorite book from the 1980s was adapted to a film in 2004 starring Tom Hanks.
This circular playground favorite was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong National Museum of Play in 1999, though its Hawaiian inspiration is much older.
What is a Hula-Hoop? The toy’s creators were inspired by bamboo hoops used in Australia and by the Hawaiian hula dance.
This is the largest species of feline in the world.
What are tigers? Tigers can weigh up to 660 pounds (300 kg), whereas lions typically reach only 550 pounds (250 kg). Both lions and tigers can grow to be 10 feet (3 m) long from head to tail.
This is the fictional palace of King Arthur.
What is Camelot? The term was applied to the Kennedy presidency by Jackie Kennedy in a Life magazine interview after John’s assassination.
Every little girl wanted to be just like her mom. Mom would clear away the coffee table every morning and would sweat to "Jane Fonda's Workout" cassette. What was the name of the kiddie line of exercise equipment made for these future gym members?
Get In Shape, Girl!
In his second collection, this poet and artist explores what might happen Where the Sidewalk Ends.
Who is Shel Silverstein? He began his career drawing for the military magazine Stars and Stripes.
These colorful items, long used by the military, became part of gym glass curriculum in the 1980s and are a playground favorite for games.
What are parachutes? Sebastien Lenormand is generally credited with invention of the parachute in 1783, but Da Vinci had sketched the concept centuries earlier.
One in two million lobsters is this color.
What is blue? In fact, they’re bright blue. But that’s not the rarest lobster. The orange lobster is a one-in-30-million find.
This mythological Norse location is the palace home of fallen warriors.
What is Valhalla? Legend tells that the warriors will live at Valhalla until Ragnarök, or Doomsday, when they will fight once more alongside the Norse god Odin.
With characters like Butterscotch and Cotton Candy, these toys were first released in 1983 and spawned several films and TV shows.
What are My Little Ponys? The 1986 movie features the voices
of Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, and more.
In 1988, Roald Dahl published this book about a bookish and smart girl with a secret superpower.
What is Matilda? In the film version, actress Mara Wilson portrays the title heroine.
In 1975, Tennis magazine published an article about this “newest racquet sport,” which shares its name with a deli snack.
What is pickleball? The sport was invented by Joel Pritchard, Barney McCallum, and Bill Bell, who were seeking to create a family game.
People from this country brought domestic cats to the United States
What is England?
This fictional perfect place is located high in the Tibetan mountains and is one of the settings in James Hilton’s Lost Horizons.
What is Shangri-La? It’s a fictional utopia where people live for hundreds of years.