The 1970s were a magical time to grow up in. Not only did it seem like toys were getting better each year, but there were also toy crazes like we’d never seen before. It seemed like there was a new must-have toy coming out every week, and you would be the coolest kid in school if you managed to get one.
So, let’s travel back in time to a golden age and take a look at the toys that every kid wanted in the 70s.
Rubik’s Cube
Was the Rubik’s Cube the most iconic toy of the 1970s? It felt like everyone was trying to solve one at the time, and not just the kids! Nothing matched the sense of achievement you felt when you finally restored the six faces to their original colors. Then what? Mix the colors up and try to solve it all over again!
Weebles
Every 70s kid remembers the commercial: “Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down.” Did Weebles actually do much other than wobble? No, but that wasn’t the point. Everyone remembers the Weebles Treehouse playset, and there were so many characters to collect. Nothing was more fun than creating your own Weebles stories with your friends at the time.
Simon
If you wanted a memorable game night in the 1970s, Simon was all you needed. Simon was a memory game like no other, displaying a sequence of lights for you to remember, which got progressively more difficult as you played. You could also invite friends over and try to beat each other’s scores, which would often last long into the evening.
Stretch Armstrong
We had never seen anything like it. A soft toy that could stretch out for (what seemed like) miles and then return to its original shape! Why not get three friends and stretch your Stretch Armstrong out to all four corners of your backyard? Don’t worry. Stretch would be okay!
Pet Rock
Okay, you definitely had to be there to understand what made Pet Rocks so great. But if you were a kid in the 1970s, you already know it was the perfect pet. Using the commands in the training manual, “teaching” your Pet Rock to sit or stay was a breeze and much easier than training a dog. Every kid’s room had one!
Pong
Forget the PlayStation or Xbox; Pong was the original home video game console and arguably the most addictive. The graphics may look extremely dated now, but Pong got families across the USA playing tennis in the comfort of their living rooms in the 1970s without any risk of damaging the furniture.
Clackers
While there are several toys on this list that you can still buy today, Clackers are not one of them. It was so addictive when you mastered knocking the Clackers together, making their signature noise. The downside? You might hit yourself in the face, or worse, Clackers had a habit of shattering, leading to them being banned. Great fun, but one toy that should stay in the 70s!
Dungeons & Dragons
Few things were more exciting than battling dragons and solving puzzles with your friends. Dungeons & Dragons was a true team experience and one of the first role-playing games to become popular in America, creating an army of fans and a board game culture that still exists today. Create your own character and transport yourself into a world like no other.
View-Master
View-Master provided a fun way to enjoy characters from franchises like Disney or Star Wars, and it was portable enough to take anywhere! Looking into a View-Master, you could click through glorious 3D images of your favorite cartoons or films. If you ever got bored (and I don’t see why you would), you could always get more reels! A timeless classic.
Playmobil
If you dreamed of being a pirate sailing the high seas in the 1970s, Playmobil had the perfect playset for you. Or if you would rather stay on land and care for animals in a zoo, Playmobil had a playset for that, too. In fact, there were so many Playmobil characters and playsets you could never collect them all, no matter how hard you tried.
Star Wars Action Figures
If you played with Star Wars action figures in the 1970s, you would have been so happy recreating scenes from the movie with your favorite characters. However, if you didn’t play with them and left them unopened, then you would be even happier, as the original carded Star Wars action figures now change hands for thousands of dollars. Still, playing with them was worth it for the memories.
Holly Hobbie Dolls
Hanging out with your Holly Hobbie Doll was the best in the 1970s. If you had one, you’ll remember the soft textile doll that it seemed like everyone owned, as well as all the other merchandise like bedding and lunch boxes. Those were the days!
Electronic Battleship
What could be better than a game of Battleship? How about a game of Electronic Battleship? Nothing was more satisfying than hearing the exploding sound of your friend’s ship being hit. And, unlike the original, you didn’t have to worry about any cheating as Electronic Battleship confirmed the hits for you.
Boggle
A game of Boggle was never over. With a set of dice engraved with letters rather than spots underneath a clear plastic dome, playing Boggle always had the potential for hours of fun. Whoever could find the most words in three minutes would be the winner. Then simply push down on the dome to start again!
Hungry Hungry Hippos
There was a genuine Hungry Hungry Hippos craze with the American public in the late 1970s, and who can blame us? Nothing was more exciting than competing with your friends to see whose hippo could eat the most marbles. Hungry for more? Hungry Hungry Hippos has stood the test of time, and you can still buy it in toy stores today.
