As I walk aisles of Toy Stores to choose birthday gifts and Christmas gifts (note: I'm expecting in early December so I wanted to get Christmas done really early this year).... the shelves are lined with My Little Ponies, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, Barbie, Raggedy Ann, and Cabbage Patch Kids for the girls and Transformers, Micro Machines, GI Joe, Legos, and a variety of Super Heroes for the boys. The exact same toys that lined the shelves when today's parents were kids are all the rage now.
Granted, many of these toys are "classics" that never really went away (Barbie, Legos, the box of 64 Crayola Crayons and Monopoly are here to stay), but many went into a "retirement" for years and we're suddenly seeing them again. My younger sisters (a full decade younger... they love to remind me) didn't enjoy many of the toys I did. Strawberry Shortcake was unheard of and they were introduced to American Girl Dolls, but suddenly "my toys" are here again when I have children of my own.
Toy Manufacturers are brilliant! They must know the tremendous appeal to modern parents to see their children enjoying the same toys they loved. The Barbie Dream House, with a working elevator, was one of my favorite toys and I still have it to pass on someday. I had a collection of My Little Ponies, one Cabbage Patch Kid, and I adored Strawberry Shortcake (she was the theme for my 4th Birthday, and I named my cat Custard).
It's nostalgic and special to play games (Hungry Hippos, Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, and Uno), and enjoy toys (each of my girls have their own Raggedy Ann, View Master and several My Little Ponies) I loved as a child. My daughter often asks, "Mommy did you have xyz when you were a girl?" She was stunned that sometimes the answer is no... no I did not have a VSmile, no I did not have a toy Castle, and no I did not have Color Wonders!
So parents... what toys do your children love from your childhood? When you shop for toys are those the ones you purchase / consider most? Do you have more fun playing with your children when they are playing with toys you loved?