The List: 21 Toys You Loved Too

Q: What’s the best way to get your kids excited about playing with their toys?
A: You play with them.
Q: How do you get excited about playing with your kids and their toys?
A: Buy them toys that you loved, too.

Toys don’t need a touch screen, bells and whistles or a lot of batteries to be great. We know, because we played with them in our day. Our list of 21 Toys You Loved Too proves that a little nostalgia goes a long way when having fun with your kids.

Remember those phones? We know you do. It’s no wonder our babes and toddlers develop an early affinity for the telephone. Since drool and digital touch screens don’t mix, keep them away from your modern devices and teach them some old-school style of dexterity with the original Chatter Dial Phone from Fisher-Price. It pulls along, rolling its eyes as they walk and talk. Wonder who taught them that? ($14.99, get the details)

This hot dog reached his peak in the 50’s, but then the Slinky Dog started to lose ground to more advanced and electronic toys for little tots. When Toy Story came along, this little pup got a whole new leash on life. The busy toddler will love having someone to pull (or, more accurately, drag) along as they make their repeated rounds of the house. It may look painful, but as we’ve all learned from the movies, toys don’t mind a little rough play—all they really want is to be well-loved. ($25.18, get the details)

What is it about the Easy-Bake Oven? One minute you’re a mature adult admiring your prohibitively expensive stainless-steel gas range, the next you’re willfully abandoning it to play with their plug-in, portable plastic range, making red velvet cupcakes with rainbow sugar frosting. If you remember yours, or once yearned for a mini-oven of your own, this classic cooker will thrill them just as much today. ($59.99, get the details)

We could explain the mechanics behind the original Etch A Sketch—that it involves line graphic images, aluminum powder, and polystyrene beads—but why dispel the magic by describing the methods? Gift a little wonder with a pocket size (great for travel) or regular sized Etch A Sketch model and let them whittle away to their hearts content. ($9.99, get the details)

And that’s only 4—we’ve got a lot more on the list of 21 Toys You Loved Too. Tested by Alison R., Toronto

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