Being a kid, I only wanted to grow up faster, but now I would give anything and everything to be a kid again. Life was easier. Kids don’t have to worry about money, college, homework, or their future. Kids can spend their days however they want. I remember being a kid and having a few favorite toys and shows that I loved. his list is in no specific order, but rather is just a list of (in my opinion) the top 10 things you may have forgotten from your childhood. Let’s take a trip down memory lane.
- Zhu Zhu Pets
Zhu Zhu Pets are those little hamsters that everyone had. There was a switch that would turn the hamster on and off. When the hamster was switched on, it would roll around and squeak. There were different outfits, like capes and crowns, for you to dress up your hamsters or other Zhu Zhu pet. My Zhu Zhu pet had pink and white spots all over it. Emily Mechan (‘26) says “I had so many Zhu Zhu pets. I named one of them Peanut.”
2. Shopkins
Shopkins are mini, collectible plastic toys in the shape of basic items that can be found in the store. There are rubbery plastic foods, accessories, or clothing items. The fun part about Shopkins was that you never knew which figurine you would get, as they all came in mystery packs. They were collectibles, and there were different levels of how “rare” the Shopkin was. I didn’t care about the rarity of a Shopkin, as opposed to how cute I thought it was.
3. Temple Run
Temple Run was a very low-quality and somewhat endless running video game. The character, controlled by you, was usually an explorer that was being chased by demon monkeys. There were many things in your path that tried to stop you from winning. The game involves swiping and moving your screen to avoid obstacles. Temple Run was very addicting and could get very difficult when trying to simultaneously jump over fire and tilt your screen to keep the adventurer on the path.
4. Skylanders
Skylanders brings toys to life in an adventure-style video game. If you put the Skylander toy on the “Portal of Power”, you and the toy enter the video game world. The world was a bunch of floating islands and the Skylanders, a band of heroes, have to protect the islands from evil forces who are trying to take over their world.
5. Rainbow Loom
Rainbow Loom were mini rubber bands that could be looped to form bracelets, necklaces, rings, and so much more. There was a loom and hook that would make it easier to loop the bands together to form creations. Rainbow Loom bands were all over my house. I spent hours watching Youtube videos trying to learn how to make the coolest bracelet. There was always a sixth grader who was very good at making bracelets and would sell bracelets she made to other students who couldn’t make their own.
- Transformer Balls
On the outside, it looks like a plastic ball, but once it hits the floor it transforms into a masterpiece. When opened, the ball forms a dragon or dinosaur. The fun thing about Transformers is that they can easily return back to ball form with just the push of a button.
- Minion Rush
Minion Rush is an electronic action game based on the movie series Despicable Me, where the player leads a minion running through Gru’s house, Gru’s evil lab, or a tropical beach. The Minions have to jump and move out of the way of obstacles, like weapons, left in their path. The Minions collect bananas, which are used as money to buy cool costumes to dress up your Minion. Everyone had this game back when we were in elementary school. If you have never played Minion Run, I highly recommend getting the game, even though it could take a long time to load.
- Pillow Pets
“It’s a pillow! It’s a pet! It’s a… Pillow Pet!” Pillow Pets are exactly what they sound like. Pillows in the shape of various animals. The pillows were square, but they had velcro in the middle so that the pillow could be held together to make it look like it was standing up. Some of the most popular animals were a pink and purple unicorn, a dog, a pink pig, a turtle, and a ladybug. Do you remember which Pillow Pet you had?
- Speed Stacker cups
Gym class, 2016. The scary bald teacher hands you some cups. You are confused. Then you realize the power of the Speed Stacker cups. They give you power no child ever knew was possible. You felt INVINCIBLE. Eden Hostetter (‘25) exclaims, “Speed Stacker cup made me who I am today, gave me confidence in myself and my cup stacking abilities, and led me to now chasing my dreams of becoming a speed stacking master. I LOVE SPEED STACKING!”
- Beyblade
At its simplest, a Beyblade is a spinning top. However, once a little plastic arena is involved, it becomes an intense battle. Beyblade was a duel between good and evil. When one wanted to start a match, they would yell, “Beyblade, rip” and pull out the Beyblade launcher, prompting the spinning top to enter the arena and bang against the other tops until one stopped spinning. There were many different colors and types of Beyblade, making the Beyblade battles quite the spectacle.