Smokey the Bear, the friendly brown bear that said, ‘Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires,’ was a powerful force in stopping forest fires. Here’s his story.
Vintage toys & old-fashioned games
After hitting the market in the early 1980s, it didn’t take long for the Rubik’s Cube to become one of the most popular toys ever. Here’s a look back!
Back in the seventies, you weren’t considered ‘in’ in some circles if you didn’t have a Pet Rock – the perfect pet. Here, look back at a few of the most popular ‘breeds,’ and find out the history of this silliness.
Tiddlywinks (originally Tiddle-dy Winks) seems like a simple kids’ game… but there’s a lot more to it! Find out about it – including how to play – here.
Unbelievably enchanting and ever-changing, the Wham-O Magic Window toy created countless designs, landscapes, seascapes, birds and butterflies as the crystals fly, slide and erupt into one pattern after another.
The old Sears Wish Book catalog was perfectly named – it was where kids and adults alike would dream about all the things that Santa (or a special elf) might bring for Christmas. Find out its history here!
Check out this fascinating collection of 1970s Christmas photos and magazine clips, showcasing the unique holiday spirit and trends of the era.
Back in the late sixties, a small company started selling these vintage Make-A-Plate kits, which were a huge hit with kids, parents and teachers. What better gift for mom or grandma than a one-of-a-kind melamine plate featuring a child’s artwork?
Dive into the nostalgia of 80s toys! From Transformers to Strawberry Shortcake, explore the iconic playthings that made the 1980s a decade of fun.
Old toys collectively reflect the fun & creativity that drove playtime way back when, and we have collected dozens of photo examples for your nostalgic enjoyment!
These fun vintage mechanical rides – including the ubiquitous coin-operated horse – made millions of kids smile.
Explore the history and enduring appeal of Wonder Horses, the iconic ride-on spring rocking horse toys that galloped into the hearts of children from the 1950s to the 1980s!
3D covers with lenticular printing made these vintage Puppet Storybooks from the 60s & 70s super fun
With 3D lenticular printing on the covers and full-color stop-motion animation-like illustrations, these vintage Puppet Storybooks were irresistible to kids!
Mood rings were incredibly popular pieces of jewelry in the mid-1970s – a colorful fad. So did the rings actually work? What do the mood ring colors mean? Find out here!
When teddy bears hit the market, the craze for these soft, comforting companions was instant and universal. Here’s a look back at the remarkable history of the teddy bear, and see lots of adorable versions through the years.
Do you recall playing with vintage clicker and Clacker toys trend of the early 60s and 70s. Inexpensive and fun hard plastic balls on strings, their popularity spread like wildfire over the course of just a few years.
The Raggedy Ann doll, in her humble glory, has stood the test of time. Let’s take a look back at her history!
For decades, Cracker Jack has been more than a just a popcorn and peanut snack. Thanks to the famed Cracker Jack prizes, it’s also a treasure hunt in a box! Find out more about this peak Americana treat.
Making a splash in 1970, Avon Small World dolls weren’t your ordinary collectibles. See what made them so extra special!
Barbie wasn’t just a doll – she had an empire! Look back at vintage Barbie play sets, complete with friends and family, fabulous dollhouses, pools, pets… and lots and lots of fashionable vintage Barbie clothes.
Roy Rogers was a name that transcended the man himself, becoming synonymous with a bygone era of optimism and adventure.
If you were a kid during the 70s & 80s, be prepared for a wave of nostalgia from this collection of vintage Mattel toys for little kids, including See n Say & those little yellow shopping carts!
Take a look back at these vintage Lego toys from the 20th century!
Take a look back at some of the most popular vintage 1970s cereals that we loved – including many discontinued products we still miss. (And don’t forget about the free toys that were inside kids’ cereal boxes!)
This catalog of household goods was published to help people ‘spend’ the gift stamps they had earned at the grocery store — much like the better-known Green Stamps.
Remember the joy of opening a fresh set of these magic markers and felt-tip pens? Here are some retro brands you might remember!
For generations, kids have been playing with Mr Potato Head – but how many remember how they used to look? See vintage original Mr Potato Head toys here, along with many other versions over the years!
Let’s take a dive into the nostalgic maze of the original Pac-Man game – plus see point values and scoring, plus home and arcade version of the OG and his family, including Ms and Baby Pac Man!
‘Suzy Homemaker’ was the name of a vintage line of toy appliances that encouraged girls to play by cleaning and cooking… just like mom!
The party favorite – more fun than throwing custard pie! Wham-O Silly String shoots a plastic stream of plastic string 1/4 mile long!
These vintage Thermos ads from the 1950s, 60s and 70s feature designs so iconic, you might find the ones you used to have!
Intellivision gaming systems from the 80s were supposed to be more realistic than anything else available at the time. You may be surprised to see (or remember) how simplistic and pixelated the games really were!
Vintage Tonka trucks and construction vehicles: From bulldozers, diggers, dump trucks, trenchers and shovels — these toys have been produced since 1947.
Introduced in the late 1970s, Underoos were a popular brand of colorful children’s underwear featuring characters from popular franchises like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Star Wars.
Cabbage Patch Kids were a popular line of dolls created by American art student and illustrator Xavier Roberts in the late 1970s. By the time
Hot on the heels of the flower child era, back in 1974, Mattel introduced a set of toys that were sort of the anti-Barbie: The Sunshine Family dolls.
We found a treasure trove of letters to Santa dating back to the 1930s (and they are adorable!). Come see what kids were asking for back in the day.
Some hardware stores in the 70s used to stock tons of great toys and Christmas gifts for kids – like dolls and trucks, bikes and ride-on horses, car sets and craft kits. Take a look!
In the early 1950s, an atomic energy lab kit for kids hit the toy store shelves. The thing was *actually radioactive*. The set had real uranium ore, and children could conduct real scientific experiments. Here’s what they were like!
Adapted from an article that ran in Better Homes & Gardens print magazine back in December 1970, this cute craft how-to for “colossal Christmas balls”
‘Just add water and you’ve got instant life!’ they said. ‘Over 150 amazing Sea-Monkeys born ALIVE before YOUR eyes!’ But, oh, the disappointment when the critters didn’t look anything like the pictures on the package.
Candy Land, the vintage board game that made millions of kids dream of an ice cream & lollipop world
Here, take a look back at some of the game pieces, cards, and several game boards for the vintage Candy Land game. Which ones do you remember most?
This collection of vintage Pier 1 Christmas ads shows the great variety of gifts, home decor, and Christmas decorations they had available through the second half of the 20th century.
The chance to take a trip through the aisles of Toys R Us in the 1990s is over forever, but you can join us in reminiscing with this collection of the toys and games kids wanted back then!
Billions of 80s stickers were collected by millions of kids – and appeared on everything from binders to books, cassette tapes to sticker collection albums. Do you recognize any of these vintage stickers?
How exactly did they repair antique dolls back in the 1950s and before – in the days before toys and dolls were made of plastic? Here’s a look at what went into doll construction and restoration!
Some of the most iconic 80s school supplies have been revitalized for a new generation (assuming they ever went away in the first place). Here are some of our sentimental faves that you can buy new even now!
Over the years and across the miles, a tricycle has been a rite of pedaling passage for generations of toddlers and preschoolers. Check out our collection of vintage pictures of old trikes
Did you know that Silly Putty was originally marketed to adults? Read on for more interesting tidbits about this fun and magical stuff!
For years, curious kids have loved experimenting with vintage chemistry sets and science kits like these with countless things to explore!
See a dozen cute vintage play kitchens – toys for kids who wanted to pretend to cook, and have fun with mini appliances and plastic food.
The old VTech PreComputer 1000 from the 80s was a small 3-in-1 computer ‘teacher’ that helped kids learn touch typing and basic computer programming – plus had a 3500-word dictionary, and knew more than 1000 facts
Liddle Kiddles were tiny vinyl dolls with rooted, brushable hair, and were adorable and fun in a pocket size. No surprise they are considered collectible these days!
Anyone obsessed with vintage Strawberry Shortcake probably dreamed of these pieces of sugary sweet delight featuring their favorite gal – dolls and toys, of course, but also bedding, wallpaper, roller skates and more.
For decades after their introduction in 1963, Easy-Bake Ovens showed up on wish lists for Santa and for birthdays, and millions of them were sold. Take a look back!
50 years ago, the coolest vintage banana seat bikes for kids also had bright colors, high handlebars and slick rear tires. Check ’em out here!
Press the Clock-A-Word lever and new group of letters appears – the clock starts ticking and you try make the longest possible word fast.
Called ‘the world’s greatest toy catalog,’ vintage FAO Schwarz toy catalogs like this gives you a peek at what children of all ages loved to play with back in the sixties.
Remember apple head dolls – the early American craft with folk art roots that became popular again in the ’60s and ’70s? Find out how to make these shrunken apple dolls, and more about the art of dollmaking.
On these pictures of Christmas trees in the 70s, cuddly creatures, lace, ribbons, flowers, Santas and toys, were all radiantly spotlighted with the gleam of shining ornaments. Take a look back here, and get a little retro inspo for your holidays!
When you were a kid, there was nothing else like the joy of old-fashioned treehouses or forts: a little getaway that you built (maybe with some help) that could be a clubhouse or castle or spaceship or simply a place for a little peace and quiet.
Follow us backward through time, and check out dozens of the old roller skates that were so well-loved in the heyday of roller skating!
These cute vintage 60s dolls seemed to offer something for everyone – from the mod Swingy doll to more traditional baby dolls, and mini doll sets to talking toys!
Soaky was a popular brand of bubble bath in the ’60s that kids loved because the plastic bottles were shaped like cartoon characters. See some here!
Tiny Tears was a very popular baby doll back in the ’50s – and the big selling point was that she cried ‘real’ tears – and wet her diaper.
Incredible Edibles, the candy-making Thingmaker counterpart, said that their Sooper Gooper would mold sugarless liquid Gobble Degoop into chewy gumdrop-like morsels in 4 flavors. Here’s how it worked.
Remember these classic Fisher-Price preschool toys, like the vintage corn popper, colorful xylophone, music box TV and chatter telephone?
Merlin, the ‘electronic wizard,’ was a red telephone-shaped toy used buttons, lights and sound effects to let kids play a variety of simple games, and was one of the earliest gaming consoles.
More than one billion Colorforms sets have been sold since the ’50s. They started with basic geometric shapes, then moved on to branded playsets.
Who was Uncle Wiggily? Find out more about the author of these serials and Uncle Wiggily books, see examples of the characters and artwork, and look back at a copy of ‘Uncle Wiggily and His Friends’ that was published in 1955!
Look back at the fun kids generations ago had on dangerous old playgrounds – with towering structures, fast spinners, rickety rides & other unsafe old-school play equipment.
Today’s toddlers ride in style in the sleek and racy, brightly-colored, low-slung plastic numbers like the vintage Big Wheel from Marx – that whiz, spin, skid, slide, race and even roar.
The first vintage Etch-A-Sketch toy was made back in 1960. It was a big seller from early on, and over the years, Ohio Art made several other creative, artistic toys – such as those shown here.
What better use to make of those big, clumsy cartons that once held ar new refrigerator or range? Make a fun toyland for the kids with these creative DIY cardboard box fort & playhouse ideas!
By the early 20th century, materials were more readily available to make picture jigsaw puzzles – and the novelties were soon found in households across the country.
Do you remember Shrinky Dinks? They were DIY crafts that could be made by coloring on a plastic sheet, cutting out the various shapes, and then shrinking them down using heat.
Vintage Fisher-Price Little People made their debut in the 1950s, and they have been insanely popular with kids ever since! Let’s reminisce.
What did many of our grandparents and great-grandparents look most forward to getting for Christmas? In many cases, trains – like these vintage American Flyer railroads!
Have a look back at these cute vintage Fisher-Price dollhouses from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s! Take a look at how they changed over the years, and see which one you remember best.
Remember Vintage Wacky Packages (also called Wacky Packs for awhile) that were popular when Gen Xers were kids? Here’s a look back at some of the best of these wild and crazy collectible stickers from way back!
It’s like going to the movies. Only better. With Fisher-Price Movie Viewer toys, kids could run short films all by themselves, just by turning a handle. In slow motion, speeded up or backwards.
This easy-to-make vintage cardboard dollhouse is a project that can grow with your children! Here’s how you can make it – along with tips for cute ways to decorating the little play house.
These vintage Rig-a-Jig toy sets were popular back in the fifties, and were sort of a hybrid of TInkertoys, Lego and an Erector Set. See how they worked, and what you could create with them, here!
Put together a half dozen pieces of this DIY fun furniture for kids, and your child will have endless play ideas. Made from just one simple box construction, the pieces are great for pretend games, the right size to use as table and chairs.
The original vintage Slinky toy was an all-metal spring that thrilled kids by ‘walking’ down stairs. Invented by accident back in the forties, it’s one of the classic toys that has stood the test of time.
The basic concept hasn’t changed much in 100 years, but vintage Erector Sets like these are still popular, still inspiring creativity, and still being used to build everything from mini roller coasters to motorized robots.
Back in the seventies and eighties, these vintage Fisher-Price dolls enchanted millions of little kids. They were available in a few different sizes, styles and colors, and you could get them a lot of different outfits.
These vintage Sew Magic & Sew Perfect toys were working sewing machines that let kids do real sewing, but without having to use needle and thread by hand.
Hopefully, these vintage 1970s Playskool toys, dolls, ride-ons and more will bring back some happy memories! They may also remind you of a simpler time, when most toys were joyfully kid-powered.
How many of these cool vintage scratch-n-sniff stickers do you remember seeing? Can you vividly recall their scents, too? Here’s a look back at a collection of more than 50 of the decals.
With this easy vintage DIY puffy happy face pin project, it’s easy to put on a happy face, a funny face, or any kind of face you fancy with soft, cuddly cotton creatures!
These retro spinning circling train top were popular with kids in the sixties! Each one had a clear plastic dome with a mini locomotive inside.
This creative collection of ideas came from Crayola, the famous crayon maker, back in the 1950s. They suggest some simple old-fashioned ways for kids to have quiet fun at home with crayons and paper.
Looking for a fun and creative holiday project that’s a little different? Check out these crafty and cute vintage Christmas decorations, based on ideas popular back in the sixties.
Take a look back at these vintage jewelry boxes that were so popular, including some with fold-out storage and – of course – spinning ballerinas.
When you joined this Young Model Builders Club back in the 1960s, with each kit, your child would get a booklet outlining the history and development of the original car or other object upon which the model was based
Check out these old school toys: vintage ’80s Playskool play sets, which kids could use to imagine and build their own mini worlds.
Take a look at more than 40 of the cute vintage plush toys and sweet stuffed animals that millions of kids cuddled back in the ’80s.
