Photos That Have Us Feeling Nostalgic About the Past

All we needed for a great time was a good box of Crayola 64, and with those sixty-four different shades of crayons, coloring was pure bliss. Remember staring at those beautiful colors, trying to decide which ones you would use for your scribbled masterpiece? Yeah, we do too. Let’s also not forget the satisfaction of the trusty built-in crayon sharpener, where getting that perfect pointy tip turned into an actual hobby for every single kid.

Nothing was better than pumping the water through Waterful Ring Toss and catching the plastic rings on the spikes. It was a staple of every 90s kid’s childhood, and thankfully, they still exist today. We’d spent hours trying to catch all the rings, and doing it successfully felt like winning the kid lottery. Although, losing a ring down the drain was a pure heartbreak- the first of many adult ones to come.

The classic smell of Play-Doh was a precursor to the hours of fun that would happen as soon as you sat down at the kitchen table. Also, as much as you’ve always denied it- we’ve all gone in for a taste or two of the bright-colored stuff as kids. Whether your hours were spent molding the colorful blobs or making pizza and dinosaurs, nothing was greater than the spaghetti maker tool.

This alarm clock is a familiar sight, and that lovely, soothing sound that woke you up every morning in a nails-on-a-chalkboard way is forever etched in our brains. No matter how much we resented waking up to this thing every day, it was always there for us day in and day out. You might even be able to still find one at your grandparent’s house if you look hard enough.

There was once a time when kids had to spend what felt like hours untangling the cursed phone chord, only to have it get tangled up again five minutes later. Let’s also not forget about the joys of trying to have a private conversation while your parent could listen in on the other line. With the current endless wireless technology, all we can do is sit and feel just a bit jealous.

These neon-colored plastic bingo counters are hard to forget. You would use them to mark off the numbers on a bingo card- which was definitely the game of the century at the time. The best part was being able to stack them just right, only for them to topple over with the slightest movement. Also, let’s not forget the satisfying clicking sound they made on the board as you marked a number off.

This was certainly the most fragile of all music libraries, but truly nonetheless nostalgic. There’s no denying that you’d never know if you were going to hit a bump in the road only to have your entire music collection become a pile of shattered disks. But there was just something so fun about flipping through the endless pages before eventually finding that one CD that you just had to listen to while driving.

There was once a time when you spent hours huddled around an old computer, typing out your wagon train’s journey westward while trying to avoid diseases like dysentery and surviving through treacherous rivers. The Oregon Trail was a game of strategy, perseverance, and pure luck, so it’s hard not to feel a twinge of nostalgia when seeing what other kids are playing nowadays. Nothing beats the thrill of surviving a wagon train journey.

The 90s was certainly a simpler time when there was no need to navigate through menus or figure out complicated settings if you wanted to block someone. There was just a simple, foolproof method that required nothing more than a flick of the wrist. Moving the phone from the receiver wasn’t exactly discreet, but it was definitely an effective foolproof method that had a very certain yet satisfying finality to it.

Whether it was scratch-and-sniff or sparkly, having a sticker collection was like a status symbol in elementary school. The more Lisa Frank stickers you had, the cooler you were. Of course, let’s not forget about the trading where these things became a literal currency, so much so that kids would start whispering and making deals just to snag their favorite sticker before the end of the school day.

Back in our day, we had to wait days or even weeks to see the results of our picture-taking efforts, while today, it’s more like seconds. From dropping off the rolls of film at the local drugstore and anxiously waiting for it to be ready, there was a pretty high chance that only half of them turned out decent. That moment of finally opening that package was like Christmas morning.

If you didn’t know the truth until now, you might feel like your entire childhood was a lie. That’s okay, though, because everyone’s mind is blown once finding out the truth. Those towel displays were so big and fluffy that it really was hard to imagine that they weren’t just filled with an endless amount of towels. Nowadays, we know better, but we can’t help but still feel a twinge of disappointment.

Pretty much everyone’s favorite movie growing up was The Land Before Time. From cute animals to adventure and a heart-wrenching scene or two, it’s got everything a kid could ever want in a movie. Also, we feel the need to point out the catchy theme song that you likely still remember the words to. Modern animation has come a long way, but nothing can compare to an emotional dinosaur rollercoaster like this one.

Nothing was more fun than turning on your favorite Kelly Clarkson album and spending hours flipping through catalogs to circle all the toys and gadgets you desperately wanted. Of course, what came next was presenting those circles to your parents will all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. No matter how much effort went into begging and pleading, mom and dad never seemed to get you a single thing.

The only memory this art package brings is of dried-out markers, crusty paints, and pastels that were more like chalk than anything remotely artistic. But the truth is, we didn’t care one bit. We were too busy pretending to be Picasso with our broken crayons and brittle colored pencils. Although, there’s no doubt that this same box was the symbol of childhood optimism, where truly anything felt possible when you got a hold of this thing.

The playground of the 80s was ruled by basically every item you see in this picture. Every kid had to have cassette tapes, and let’s not get started with that Game Boy Color. Back then, you’d spend your entire allowance on blank tapes to record songs off the radio. What was even better was strutting around with those bulky headphones and fast-forwarding through the boring parts of every single song.

Who remembers the days of pressing the “2” button three times just to get to the letter “C”? If you wanted to type “LOL,” you’d truly have to go through a marathon of pressing other buttons about twenty times to spell out the three letter word. We didn’t really know what the future had in store for us, so we were flying through those words faster than a genius with a Rubix cube.

If you grew up in the 80s, it’s hard to forget about the times you’d crawl into the car while mom was loading up the truck on a hot day, hoping she didn’t notice that you were avoiding the boiling metal seatbelt. Of course, she told you to put it on as soon as she hopped in, where we all had to basically face the absolute inevitable- the burning hot seatbelt.

Taking a bite of the classic Wonder Bread sandwich was like a delicious game of ham and cheese roulette, never knowing when a bit of the fluffy stuff would turn into a sticky mess in your mouth. Regardless, our parents kept making it, and we ate it because it was delicious. Throwing peanut butter and jelly into those bad boys made it even more of a mouth trap, but nonetheless, absolutely tasty.

These were created to erase mistakes, but they were as effective as using a spoon to dig a giant hole. Every time you’d try to erase something, you usually earned up with a bigger mess than before. Whether it was smudges, tears, or erasing shaving all over our paper- there’s no denying that we still really loved these things. It’s true; kids back then simply couldn’t get enough of fruit-shaped erasers.

Despite the mysterious nature of “Tales From the Crypt,” many kids still eagerly tuned in for the scary bedtime stories, finding comfort in the comedy and satisfying endings. From the cackling commentary to the twisted tales themselves, the show really did provide a unique form of entertainment that also happened to spook most of its young viewers. Yet somehow, it was still the perfect thing to fall asleep to because of the stories.

There aren’t many joys in our current day and age that can compare to ones from the 80s or 90s, and this was certainly one of them. The real excitement of picking out a new lunchbox for the school year was all the awesome characters and designs we could choose from. From Power Rangers to Ninja Turtles, we were definitely spoiled for choice, and that shopping day was always a really great one.

Ouch, our heads really do hurt just from looking at this picture- mainly because it brings back way too many pain-filled memories. These things looked cool but were simply uncomfortable, and if your hair was curly, the pain was about ten times worse. We honestly didn’t mind the discomfort, and if we did, it’s not like your parents would let you take it off anyway- regardless of the killer headache.

Koosh balls didn’t light up or make noise, and they certainly didn’t do anything useful, but there wasn’t a single kid who didn’t love them. Maybe it was the satisfying squishiness of the little rubber stands or the way they bounced around like hyperactive jellyfish. Or perhaps it was just the joy of being part of the Koosh club- everyone had one, and if you didn’t, you were seriously missing out on the fun.

With their brightly colored fur, the Care Bears could turn even the grumpiest of frowns upside down. If you were having a bad day, all you’d have to do was pop in a VHS tape of the Care Bears in action, and everything was simply ten times better. It was like having an instant team of fluffy therapists 24/7. If only adult life were as simple as summoning a bunch of cartoon bears for happiness.

These colorful butterfly clips were more than just a fashion statement- they were basically a way of life. You really couldn’t go anywhere back in the day without seeing at least one person with a butterfly clip in their hair. They were like the Furbies of the hair accessory world- cute, colorful, and pretty much impossible not to want. Let’s not even get started on the endless possibilities when it comes to styling your hair with these clips.

Once upon a time, someone took a piece of furniture, slapped a screen on it, and called it a television. Thankfully, technology has evolved since then to a point where wood and television don’t always have to come together. Since these were unique for the era, we certainly can’t forget the antenna situation. Those were like a science experiment gone wrong. Position it just right, and you might have possibly been able to watch your favorite show clearly.

Let’s be honest here; Swatch Watches were more than just a timepiece- they were a fashion statement. With their bright colors and funky designs, they were the perfect way to show off your general sense of style. If you were really cool, you have a collection of them and one for every outfit. The greatest thing was that they were waterproof; you could swim, shower, and do just about everything with one of these on.

There really was nothing better than opening up a fresh pack of stick-on earrings that came with a pair for every day of the month. Monday? Time to stick on a yellow star earring. Tuesday? Let’s go for the blue heart. Every morning was like a mini-game show where you’d try to match the right earring with the correct day of the week- but you were lucky if these actually stayed on for half the day.

There was once a time when you could choose from various options while playing solitaire online. There was the classic fish card, the vines, and the beach- it really did feel like the limited choices were endless. If you were really feeling wild, you might have even gone for the super cool robot. Choosing a design was like a mini fashion show for your computer screen where half the fun was picking a card.

The tiny plastic beads seen here were like a miniature disco party on your ride, and they also happened to make the coolest sound as your rode around the neighborhood. They came in a wide variety of colors and shapes, and the more beads you had, the cooler you probably thought you were. The best part was that they almost always flew right off whenever you would hit the smallest bump in the road.

We didn’t have fancy video games or smartphones to keep us entertained like today’s kids. Instead, we had books. The greatest of them all was the Miss Nelson series- and everyone absolutely loved them. We’d eagerly flip through the pages, wondering if we’d finally catch a glimpse of the elusive Viola Swamp. Of course, who could forget about those awesome illustrations? Everything about it was like a hug but in the form of a book.

These clamshell hair clips are one accessory we can all agree that they need to make a comeback, regardless of how painful they are if you accidentally get caught in one. Those spikes were also like tiny little torture devices for your scalp if you wore them for too long, but that didn’t stop us. With the current rise of punk and grunge, there’s really never been a better time for these to make a return.

Our minds are filled with memories of opening up one of these $1.99 packages with glee, excited to break them open to see what was inside. Usually, you’d end up pulling out a tiny plastic perfume bottle that smelled like pure plastic and a nail file that was just about as effective as sandpaper. Nevertheless, your day was absolutely made when mom or dad came home with one of these as a present.

The real magic within these bright blue trays wasn’t the food; it was simply the smurfs themselves. Those little blue characters captured the hearts of kids with their cute innocent faces. Looking back, it’s easy to see why these dinner trays were so popular. Not only were they cute and convenient- they were fun, and of course, there isn’t really anything better than eating in front of your favorite television show.

It was the ultimate power move to strut onto a long trip with your trusty companion in hand- that companion being this portable DVD player that had the lowest resolution ever. As you click to open the DVD player and pop in your favorite movie, you can almost feel the envy of your fellow travelers radiating off you like heat from a freshly baked pizza. At least, that’s what you thought at eight years old.

Remember the good old days of the late 90s and early 2000s when you’d rip open a bag of chips and pray to the snack gods that you’d find a shiny Tazo inside? For those who don’t know, Tazos were small plastic disks that came in chip packets and were the currency of your elementary school playground. If you had a rare one, you were basically one of the coolest kids in town.

If you can remember the original Taco Bell sauce packets, it’s definitely time to admit that you’ve been around the block quite a few times. To check this, you might need to dig deep enough inside your junk drawer to see what you pull out. Gone now are the days of being a carefree kid, blinding one of these sauces onto your burrito without a single care in the world.

There are so many movies and shows out there that involve dragons, but the way that How to Train Your Dragon ended is so much better than anything else. Take Game of Thrones, for example, which is excellent in its own way but a whole lot more complicated. That’s why parents these days might want to tell their kids that this was how Game of Thrones ended while facing the challenge of explanation.

Back in 2005, you couldn’t swing a dishtowel without hitting a fake rooster perched on a windowsill or atop a cabinet, proudly proclaiming that your mom’s kitchen in the city was country themed. And the color scheme? Let’s just say that tan was the new black, while everything else was a wood brown. The cabinets were indeed generic, and looking at this picture is like walking into a time capsule.