Retro Gift Ideas: Art Supplies and Toys You Loved Growing Up

Spirograph is a fun drawing activity that literally revolves around circles. Line your pencil up with the slot and spin it around to create fun detailed mandala-like designs.

The Magna Doodle is Etch-a-Sketch's younger sibling. Instead of twisting the knobs to draw, you use a magnetic stylus.

Draw anything and everything using the stylus to carefully scrape the black coating from the rainbow scratch paper to reveal the colors underneath. You can use stencils, rulers, or other tools to create shapes and designs - or freehand draw anything!

Weaving looms come in lots of different sizes, but you can use a small one to make friendship bracelets, potholders, and coasters.

Mix and match the pieces in this Fashion Plates kit, to make an outfit. Then use crayon rubbing to reveal your fabulous fashion combination.

Many kids love collecting stickers. What makes puffy stickers superior to their flat counterparts is the texture. They're soft and pillowy and smooth on top. Perfect for a sensory-loving kid!

You'll want to stock up on alphabet beads in bulk so your kids can make name bracelets for all of their friends. This kit includes several types of alphabet beads and a rainbow of others too.

Fill your windows to pass the time at home with pretty painted suncatchers. This kit includes a dozen cute designs plus suction cups so kids can easily hang them up.

Spin Art is the messy craft you made at every birthday party in the 90s. Start the turntable, then drizzle paint to create a unique splatter artwork. This updated version includes a much-appreciated splatter guard.

If you're looking for art that doesn't equal mess, Aqua Doodle is the perfect solution. Fill the pens with water and lay out the mat on the back porch for the kids to draw. Everything disappears when it dries.

Self-inking stamps were always the best reward a kid could find in the teacher's treasure box. Grab a variety pack for adding embellishments to every art project. They also make easy non-candy party favors.

Making a tie-dye shirt or bandana is a summertime staple. This one-step tie-dye kit includes 18 colors and enough supplies to make 6 shirts.

Carefully pour colored sand into each bottle to design a beautifully layered work of art. This colored sand art kit includes both simple and funky bottle shapes.

Create your pixelated artwork with Perler beads. Follow a pattern to line them up on the grid, then apply heat to melt and fuse them. The pegboards are reusable and you can easily purchase more beads as needed.

Lisa Frank is almost synonymous with the loud, colorful fun of the 80s. Every kid wanted the school supplies and this Lisa Frank activity box has a little bit of everything.

Every 80s art project combined bright colors with unexpected textures. Fuzzy posters are perfect for coloring and hanging under a black light.

Tamagotchi was technically a late-90s trend, but as a virtual pet, they were much easier to care for than Furbies. (And 100% less creepy.)

The Lite-Brite has gotten a modern update that makes the screen flatter. Use tiny colored pegs to create light-up artwork following a pattern or your design.

Ask a Magic 8 Ball any yes-or-no question, then turn it over to reveal a response. Find out whether you passed your math test and if you should clean your room. (Signs point to yes.)

Although simple by modern technology standards, the View-Master is a fun way to see the world, learn about wild animals, and flip through cartoons. The 3D images appear inside the lenses as you click through like a slide projector.

Simon is a deceptively simple handheld game that requires players to memorize a pattern of flashing lights. Every time you get the pattern right, it adds another one.

Although you can find vintage NES consoles online pretty inexpensively (at least, when this post was first published in 2020), this new mini NES console from Nintendo has the advantage of not needing any maintenance. Plus, it comes preloaded with 30 classic games.

What made the Duncan butterfly yo-yo an overnight fad before things could even go viral? Who knows, but with enough practice, you can master a few impressive tricks.

The Easy Bake Oven is just a toaster oven with kid-safe features, but it's a fun way for kids to get their first taste of baking on their own. Kits come with a few mixes to start, but you can purchase refills or even find Easy Bake Oven recipes on Pinterest.

Jumping on a pogo ball is surprisingly difficult because you have to hold on to it with your feet while you jump. It's a unique alternative to a pogo stick and a fun challenge.

Part jump rope and part hula hoop, Skip It is the toy whose commercial jingle was always stuck in your head. The hoop goes over one ankle and the jumper must hop over the bar as it circles.

Moon shoes are the (safer?) alternative to a trampoline when you don't have the space. They attach to your regular shoes so you can jump anywhere.

The best thing about the Magic Mitt was the satisfying ripping sound the ball made when you pulled it off of the velcro. It's a fun way to play catch with younger kids who might not grip the ball to catch it as well.

In the 90s, Pogs became another viral sensation with kids playing in school until they were banned. Similar to bottle caps or marbles, the goal was to flip and collect all your friend's pieces.