Classic Toys for Building Things

Build a castle. Build a tower and knock it down. Build a spaceship. Just add imagination and it’s all possible with these fun building sets. Sure, you probably have blocks and Lego sets, but if your kids don't have bristle blocks or a marble run yet, they're in for some old-school fun!

1. Blocks

2. Tinkertoy Construction Sets

Lego play never gets old. Photo by Jody Mercier

3. Legos 

4. Lincoln Logs

5. Bristle Blocks

6. Marble Run

7. Duplo Blocks

8. Cardboard Bricks

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Remember Fisher-Price Little People? They still enchant kids. Photo by Telstar Logistics, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Classic Toys to Inspire Pretend Play

These are the toys you could play with for hours—imagining other worlds, recreating unconscious family patterns, deciding who will be the dog—the opportunities are endless. Maybe one will bring back precious memories or help foster some adorable moments between your little ones.

9. Fisher-Price Little People

10. Doctor Kit

11. Pretend Play Dress-Up Shoes

12. Play Kitchen

13. Tea Set 

14. Drink and Wet Baby Doll

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This will entertain a baby the way an iPhone entertains a tween. Photo courtesy of the manufacturer

15. Fisher-Price Classics Retro Chatter Phone

16. Paper Dolls

17. Magnetic Dolls

18. Classic Barbie and Ken

19. Playmobil

20. Army Men

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Remember these guys? Photo by REL Waldman, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Classic Toys That Make You Say, "They Still Make That?!"

Ah, the favorite toys you remember so well—maybe it's the details, like the way your Cabbage Patch Kid smelled like baby powder or the timer dinging on your Easy Bake Oven. Now they're back and eerily similar to the originals. 

21. Transformers

22. G.I. Joe

23. Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots

24. Polly Pocket

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With My Little Pony's resurgence, it's time to dig out your old toys. Photo by Sandra Lee

25. My Little Pony 

26. Lite Brite 

27. Simon 

28. Easy Bake Oven

29. Cabbage Patch Kids 

30. Strawberry Shortcake

31. Snoopy Snow Cone Machine

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The hours you can spend designing your dream wardrobe! Photo by the manufacturer

Classic Toys for Arts and Crafts

Kids love creating, and these crafty toys will get them coloring, sculpting, and Shrinky Dinking up to their eyeballs. 

32. Fashion Plates

33. Play-Doh

34. Spinning Wheel Painting

35. Shrinky Dinks

36. Window Paint Sun Catchers

37. Velvet Poster Coloring

Classic Toys for Toddlers

Repetitive play. Repetitive play. (See what we did there?) Toddlers can't get enough of it. With these toys, they can pull strings, push noisy stuff down hallways, and spin in circles over and over. And then do it again.  

38. Fisher-Price See 'n Say

39. Fisher-Price Corn Popper Push Toy 

40. Playskool Sit 'n Spin 

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Can you hear the commercial in your head? "Operation ... you're the doctor!" Photo by the manufacturer

Classic Board Games

When the kids are bored, break out some board games! From Candy Land for preschoolers to Mall Madness for preteens, there is a classic board game for every age kid.  

41. Operation

42. Hungry Hungry Hippos

43. Candy Land

44. Monopoly

45. Chutes and Ladders

46. Connect 4 

47. The Game of Life

48. Dominoes

49. UNO

50. Guess Who?

51. Sorry!

52. Mall Madness

53. Clue

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Teaching life skills from a young age. Photo by prb, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Classic Toys for Outdoor Fun

For those long summer days, grab some Kool-Aid or Crystal Light and have fun in the backyard (drop-in neighbor kids encouraged).   

54. Bubble Lawn Mower

55. Velcro Toss and Catch

56. Scoop and Toss

57. Riding Stick Horse

58. Big Wheels

59. Kickball or 4-Square Ball

60. Sidewalk Chalk

61. Ribbon Wand 

62. Frisbee

63. Radio Flyer Wagon

64. Wham-O Slip 'N Slide

65. Jump Rope

66. Skip It

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Ok, but can you solve it blindfolded? Photo by Miguel a Padrinan via Pexels

No Batteries Required for These Vintage Toys

These toys are so amazing your kids will think they run on batteries. What sort of magic powers these toys? Pure child wonder. 

67. Rubik's Cube

68. Jack in the Box

69. Yo-Yo

70. Slinky

71. Etch A Sketch

72. Mini Bouncy Ball

73. Spinning Top

74. View-Master

75. Magic 8 Ball

76. Kaleidoscope

77. Silly Putty

78. Fingerboard Skateboards

79. Magna Doodle

80. Slap Bracelets

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This classic goes from cradle to college with your kids. Photo by Denisse Leon via Unsplash

Classic Stuffed Animals

Because every kid needs something to cuddle. 

81. Sock Monkey

82. Glo Worm

83. Troll Dolls

84. Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy

85. Pound Puppies

86. Dressy Kids Doll, the Original Zipper and Button Doll

87. Rainbow Brite

88. Ty Beanie Babies

While these hurt to step on almost as much as Legos, they're loads of fun. Photo by Ben Grant via Unsplash

Wheely Fun Retro Toys

Get some speed with these throwbacks that don't ever get old.  

89. Hot Wheels

90. Tonka Trucks

91. Remote Control Truck

Classic Toys for Playing Pranks

One of the pleasures of childhood—playing a trick on your parents. But who is really fooling who?  

92. Whoopee Cushion

93. Snake in a Can

94. Magic Trick Kit

More fun than a barrel of, well, you know! Photo by Mick Haupt via Unsplash

Classic Toys That Refine Motor Skills

These toys get those little fingers working!

95. Jacks

96. Pick Up Sticks

97. Spirograph

98. Barrel of Monkeys

99. Pog Kaps

Anyone else who can't look at Mr. Potato Head without hearing Don Rickles? Photo by Caleb Mays via Unsplash

And Last, But Not Least...

100.  Mr. Potato Head and Mrs. Potato Head

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