Let’s face it, when we’re all neck-deep in essays, readings, and projects we all dream about reverting to the good ol’ days when naps were enforced and the hardest decision we made was if we wanted draw or play with our favorite toy. So sit back, relax, and scroll through this list of things you’d rather be playing with than trying to finish your assignment for your first class tomorrow.
1. Lite Brite
These were great because you could make a really cool picture that lights up without having to put in the amount of effort to draw everything yourself, or even to stay within the lines in a coloring book.
2. Tamagotchi
These little things were annoying with how needy they were, and they would die or transport back to Tamagotchiland, or whatever the heck they did so easily! But raising those little digital pets was one of our most important tasks. Even if it meant trying to sneakily check on them during class, we were totally there for them.
3. Pixel Chix
Let’s not forget about Pixel Chix. Honestly the only thing I remember about this is connecting my Pixel Chix house to the one my cousin had so they could hang out, but look at all the buttons they had! So many more things to push than on the Tamagotchi.
4. Easy Bake Oven
To this day I still don’t know how those little desserts tasted so good (at least to seven-year-old me). If you didn’t pretend to be on your own cooking show when you were baking those little cakes and cookies, did you really have a childhood? The best was when you had someone around to co-host with (as long as they made their own dessert instead of trying to steal yours!) But honestly, we were all kind of scared of burning our hands while trying to put in or take out a cake.
5. GameCube
If you didn’t hear the little theme song that played when you booted up a game on the GameCube, you weren’t a real fan. There was nothing better than spending a day playing Kirby Air Ride, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, or a game based on one of the movies you recently saw with your friends, siblings, and/or cousins. Nothing really compares to this masterpiece of technology, except maybe the GameSphere from Drake & Josh, because “IT’S SPHERICAL!”
6. Pokémon on the Game Boy
Sure a couple of years ago, everyone was playing Pokémon Go, but Pokémon on the Game Boy was far superior. Nothing quite beats the adventure of leaving your family for the wild to put your pets to fight wild animals that you plan to domesticate to make them fight other animals. Good times!
7. Push Pets
So this is really throwing it back, but these were so much fun to run around with as a toddler! Hearing the slap of the little rubber pieces on the wheels as you gallivanted around the house with your wooden pet was a great way to kill time before your mid-afternoon nap.
8. Nintendogs
If you weren’t able to get a real dog, these were a close second! Those virtual puppers were so stinkin cute! It was so much fun to train them for competitions, and to play with them and teach them new tricks!
9. Disney Online Video games
Did you hear songs from any of the ToonTown lands when you saw that pic? From ToonTown and Pirates Online to 625 Sandwich Stacker and Tipton Trouble. Disney had some of the best online games ever (that they should totally bring back for all of us oldies). It was so much fun to kill an afternoon playing these games instead of doing times tables. If anyone else is feeling the nostalgia hit really hard, fans have recreated some of the online roleplay games (such as Toontown Rewritten), so you can relive the glory days (for free!), and prove you still have what it takes to defeat cogs or rule the seas.
10. DreamLife
If only high school was as easy as it was in this game. I totally remember dreaming about what it would be like to be a teenager while playing with this game in elementary school. I probably spent more time picking outfits and socializing with people in this game than I actually did in high school (whoops!).