Can You Name These Famous Toys From the 1980s?

Lauren Lubas

Image: Junkyardsparkle via WikiCommons

About This Quiz

When you think of the '80s, you either think of the stock market or the toy boom. If you are thinking of the latter, you were probably an '80s kid. You most likely had a View Finder and a Nintendo (and if you didn't, you had a friend who was lucky enough to have one). As far as toys are concerned, the 1980s brought us the beautiful synergy boom that led to toys connected to cartoons, entertainment that made its way into our cereal boxes and a revolution in stuffed animals. Whether you were a girl or a boy (or a girl with an older brother who was forced to play with G.I. Joes over Fluppy Dogs), you probably look at the toys from the '80s with nostalgic regard and a warmth covers your heart. 

Whether you coveted the toys you saw on those memorable little Saturday Morning Cartoon commercials, or you were lucky enough to obtain these works of art (and now, collector's items), you're going to have a blast with this quiz. It's all about nostalgia and the '80s right now, so take this quiz and see if you can identify these famous toys.

What is the name of this favorite doll of the 1980s?

If you grew up believing that babies came from a garden and all of them had their father's name tattooed on their butts, you probably had a Cabbage Patch Kid. These dolls were a hot item in the 1980s.

This huggable creature lit up when you snuggled it. What is it?

Glo Worms were marketed to younger children, but pretty much every '80s child had one. They were great if you were scared of the dark, or if you just needed something not-so-soft to snuggle.

Do you remember this character and toy that was happy and magical?

Rainbow Brite was a pretty great way to fight the Barbie craze. She was a larger doll who had her own television show. There was nothing like opening up your first Rainbow Brite doll on Christmas morning.

Do you remember this series of bears that everyone loved?

Care Bears were one of the most popular stuffed animals of the 1980s. They even had their own cartoon on Saturday mornings. Each Care Bear had its own personality and a logo on its belly.

This magical contraption was a huge hit in the 1980s. What is it?

If you had a stockpile of black construction paper, you didn't have to buy the designs from the toys store. This toy was a pegboard connected to a lightbox, and it worked and sold like crazy in the '80s.

Can you name this plastic hazard?

While the design of roller skates has changed a little over time, if you simply strapped these to your shoes, you never had to worry about transitioning footwear while you were playing outside.

Do you remember these dolls that weren't proportioned well?

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe put the power into little children's hands. As a matter of fact, they were marketed toward all boys who wanted to have more power.

They were like Matchbox cars, but smaller. What were they?

If you grew up in the 1980s, you remember (very clearly) the man who spoke very fast in the Micro Machines commercials. The Micro Machines guy is famous, but you probably only caught about ten percent of what he said.

Every girl remembers these sweeties. What are they?

My Little Pony dolls were an excellent addition to your Barbie collection if you were an '80s girl. These magical creatures were colorful with movable (sort of) parts. They were a gorgeous addition to any girl's toy box.

It was dangerous, but it was the talk of the neigborhood. What is it?

Pogo Balls were for people who had no idea how to get more than one bounce on a pogo stick. You simply had to hold the ball between your feet and jump. It was always a contest to see who could get the most hops without falling.

Can you name this gem from the 1980s?

Popples were a short-lived toy that was pretty genius. It was a stuffed animal that folded into a ball. These days, you can find a "Popples" series on Netflix, but back in the day, it was all about using your imagination.

Before adopting shelter animals was cool, these guys took over the market. What are they?

Pound Puppies were another great way to get children interested in stuffed animals. They were also great for collecting. Pound Puppies were each sold separately, but their commercials made it look like you could own your own pet shop.

What is the name of the female version of the Masters of the Universe?

If your brother liked He-Man, you liked She-Ra. She was all about girl power and could do anything that He-Man could do (sometimes even better). She had a whole group of friends to help her, as well.

They were a mix between stuffed animals and action figures. What were they?

Smooshies are probably the best toy ever made. They never broke (though they could get holes in them), and they were perfect for any playset. These mini stuffed animals could fit into anything (they were like cats, but cooler).

She had a gang of friends with yummy names. Who is she?

With friends like Blueberry Muffin, Orange Blossom and Plum Pudding, how could Strawberry Shortcake not be the sweetest character ever made? Oh, and the strawberry smell on this doll lasted years and years.

This was one of the most coveted toys of the 1980s. What is his name?

While there may be no TED talk about Teddy Ruxpin, we all wanted Teddy because he could talk. He had a series of books to follow along, which helped children read, and if you put a speed metal tape in his back, he would rock out.

This mixed creatures were on television as well as in our homes. What were they?

If you don't remember Wuzzles, don't feel so bad. These characters only had one season on TV to make an impression, and even though they didn't last, the creative interspecies animals were great stuffed animals.

We all know Barbie wanted to date these little guys. What were they called?

Let's make one thing clear: G.I. Joe wasn't a doll. He was an action figure. This was, of course, back in the day when dolls were strictly for girls. One of the greatest marketing plans of all times was calling G.I. Joe an action figure.

If you loved robots and vehicles, you probably had a million of these. What are they?

Transformers were robots in disguise. They basically mixed all of the boy likes of the time: aliens, robots and trucks. These toys were pretty expensive, but they were totally worth it as they are all collectibles now.

Do you remember this toy that was for girls who wanted to be designers?

Fashion plates were super fun. If you loved clothes or coloring, you might have had one of these bad boys. While they are collectible items now, they were considered a quiet time toy back in the 1980s,

This toy could take you anywhere. What was it?

View Finders were a great way to go on vacation when your parents couldn't afford it. You could learn from them and be entertained by them at the same time. You didn't need a projector for them either.

Can you identify this children's computer from the 1980s?

Whiz Kid was a computer for children that had cartridges with different learning elements. These things were awesome, as long as you didn't have a younger sibling breaking your card cartridges all the time.

What is the name of this memory game?

Simon was a fun game for the first twenty minutes you owned it. After that, it became a control hub on your G.I. Joe's pretend spaceship. If you never did that, you're probably regretting it right now.

Do you remember this toy that had an interesting name?

Baby Furskin might sound a little too close to a piece of the male anatomy, which is probably why sales of this stuffed animal didn't last very long. However, it was a very cute toy, as long as you renamed it.

He was a doll marketed to boys. What is his name?

My Buddy dolls were just that, dolls. At this time, it was a bold move to call a boys' toy a doll, but My Buddy just worked. He was a normal kid who liked to play in the mud. Just look at the commercials.

Nintendo released this handheld machine in Japan in 1989. What is it?

Game Boy's first design was a heavy grey brick that gave young players Carpal Tunnel Syndrome before they hit puberty. However, it definitely helped them get better at monochrome gaming.

They didn't have legs, but they sure could move. What are they?

Little People were an excellent little toy. At first, they were made out of wood, but soon, plastic replaced the material as it was more durable. It's not easy living without arms or legs, but these figurines managed.

What is the name of this incredibly dangerous toy?

What happens when you put a piece of plastic on the ground and saturate it with water? Bruising, breaking and scraping. Heaven help you if you missed a rock while putting this thing down. Ouch!

Do you know these little blue creatures?

Smurfs like to change English words to the word "smurf" or some variation of it. For the most part, it was completely random, but you can catch that "smurf" is generally used for verbs and adjectives. No smurfin' way!

What are these gross spheres called?

Madballs were pretty gross. They had zombies and random monster heads on rubber balls. While the balls didn't bounce very well, they were often purchased around Halloween because of their theme.

If you had one of these in the 1980s, you probably still have it. What is it?

When you have a product this good, you don't even have to give it a witty name. Tonka Trucks were easily the longest-lasting toy the universe has ever seen. They were made out of metal, so there were some injuries, but they were awesome, so no one cared.

This doll could talk. What was her name?

In a time that demanded that boys' toys were boys' toys and girls' toys were girls' toys, Cricket was the answer to the huge hit, Teddy Ruxpin. Cricket came out just a year after Teddy as a talking doll for girls.

When you wanted to teach your child about chores, you bought this. What is it?

Add bubbles, and watch your child fake mow your lawn. While this toy didn't teach children about the dangers of mowing lawns, it did teach them that bubbles are cool, if they come from a lawnmower.

This Fisher Price play set went with the little people. What is it?

The animals had legs, but the people didn't. It was probably because no one wanted to ride a pig. This little farm made noise when you opened the door, and batteries were not necessary. It was awesome.

What is the name of these little toys that were kind of dangerous?

You had to press a Popper down, and it would pop up really high. However, when children were pushing them into their eyes, these toys didn't last long. They relied on suction to jump, and without it, they simply didn't work (making them safer).

If your parents thought that a trampoline wasn't safe, they bought you these. What are they?

Not very many children had these shoes, because of their incredibly dangerous design. However, suspending shoes from a bucket by rubber bands didn't seem like a bad idea at the time of conception.

These wooden toys were for babies of the '80s. What are they?

Wood blocks were a great way to teach children their ABCs and 123s. Not only could children learn from these blocks, they could also build exactly what they wanted (as long as it was square).

They were interesting, and all monochrome. What were they?

What do you get when you mash up green Army Men with wrestling action figures? Muscle Men. They were creative and each of them had a different ability that was clear by their design. It was like playing G.I. Joe with even more imagination.

It tried to mimic a vacuum cleaner. What is it?

Corn Poppers were fun toys that helped children learn how to walk and make noise at the same time. They were fun to play with (for the toddlers), but not fun to listen to. They weren't as loud as vacuums, but they were just as annoying.

Can you name these weird stuffed animals?

If you don't remember, D.J. Tanner had a Pillow Pal on "Full House." We never saw a close up of this thing, because Pillow Pals didn't necessarily have the best design out of all of the '80s stuffed animals.

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