Top 10 Darkest Stories Behind 90s Children's Toys
#10: Truly Creepy Crawlers
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This gross-out bug maker definitely feels appropriate for an era of Garbage Pail Kids and green slime, but its origin actually dates back to the 1960s. The Thingmaker line of toys, which included Creepy Crawlers, allowed kids to create their own yucky, squirmy, wormy crafts out of “Plastigoop,” which they then placed into a small oven. As you could imagine, this wasn’t the safest toy for kids, because of, well, heat and fumes. ToyMax would release a safer version in 1992, but it just wasn’t the same. Nostalgic parents apparently missed the smell and heat.
#9: Scary Sky Dancers
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What’s cooler than a Barbie doll? A flying Barbie doll! This seems to have been the thought process of Galoob when they released Sky Dancers in 1994, and their boy toy equivalent, Dragon Flyz, shortly after. Each line of toys featured a figure that kids could attach to a base and send flying with the pull of a string. The only problem? No kid (or adult, for that matter) had any real control over where the toys landed. They were small enough to be thrown by the wind, but hard enough to cause some serious damage to anything or anyone they hit. The unpredictable toys caused numerous injuries.
#8: Tamagotchi Takeover
When the first Tamagotchi hatched in 1996, few could have guessed the extraordinary impact the virtual pets would have on consumers around the world. Housed in colorful egg-shaped keychains, the tiny digital creatures charmed their human owners with their cute designs and unique personalities. Many even thought of them as friends. Unfortunately, Tamagotchis could die from neglect and, when they did, the grief was real. Kids became consumed with keeping them alive, to the detriment of their learning and their social lives. At the peak of the toy’s popularity, an English pet cemetery even allowed owners to bury Tamagotchis in tiny wooden coffins. The unprecedented phenomenon inspired psychologists to study what they called the “Tamagotchi Effect” - human attachment to machines and artificial intelligence.
#7: Choke Point
Some people may have enjoyed them surreptitiously, but this food and toy combo became one of the most infamous banned products in the United States. The U.S. government takes safety very seriously, and banned Kinder Surprise because of the danger presented by the seemingly harmless treats. In 1997, the illegal import of Kinder Surprise Eggs led the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to really crack down on Kinder, imposing hefty fines for those who tried to cross the border with as little as one egg.
#6: Sparks Fly
Even an icon like Barbie has to change it up every once in a while! In the ‘90s, Mattel introduced several gimmick-fueled dolls to the market, including Western Stampin’ Barbie and Rollerblade Barbie, with skates made to “flicker ‘n flash.” Unfortunately, once children began playing with these new dolls, Rollerblade Barbie’s special effects were proven to be problematic. The small spark created by its skates was not as harmless as it appeared, particularly when combined with highly flammable substances like hairspray. The line was quietly canceled by Mattel and replaced with the ironically named “Hot” Skatin’ Barbie.
#5: Fake Guns, Real Tragedies
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Replicas of real life weaponry have understandably become a sensitive subject for many Americans. Following the death of a young boy in 1988, whose toy rifle was mistaken for a real one by police, several major retailers removed toys from their shelves that really resemble actual firearms. Gray and brown models were replaced by neon colors in the hopes of preventing another tragedy. Sadly, a similar death still occurred in 1994. This time, many stores not only removed realistic-looking guns, but anything that could be modified into one. Some insisted that this wasn’t enough. The debate continues to this day, with New York outright banning the sale of realistic toy guns in 2022.
#4: Slip ‘N Slide Mishaps
This popular summer toy is usually wholesome fun for kids, but can be dangerous for teens and adults. While Wham-O’s Slip ‘N Slide product is only safe for children, that hasn’t stopped everyone from older siblings to reckless college students from trying it out. Alas, many have found out the hard way that their weight and height were incompatible with the deceptively simple toy. By 1991, multiple serious injury reports caused the company to issue a warning via the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
#3: Trampled Me Elmo
He may have been the face of friendship and childlike wonder on “Sesame Street,” but in 1996, Elmo was unfortunately also the catalyst for major displays of greed. Tickle Me Elmo was that holiday season’s hot new toy and, by Black Friday, he was sold out everywhere. Second-hand sale prices were insanely high, so when the toy finally hit shelves again in limited numbers, it inspired a frenzy. This resulted in at least one case of trampling at a Canadian Wal-Mart, where an employee was mowed down by a crowd of hundreds of customers clamoring for the coveted plush. Although he survived the incident, the employee suffered several injuries.
#2: Snacktime Kids Snack on Kids
Mattel’s attempts to revive the Cabbage Patch kid doll line met a bump in the road in 1997, when their newest toy got a bit of a taste for human fingers and hair. The Snacktime Kid operated on a simple enough concept: children would “feed” it one of several plastic toys, it would appear to chew it, and then the snack would “magically” fall into its backpack. The only problem? Fake food wasn’t the only thing that landed in the dolls’ mouths. After one too many reports of trapped, munched-on hair and fingers, Mattel recalled the dolls.
#1: Beanie Baby Brouhaha
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While Tickle Me Elmo certainly made his mark on the decade, there really is no toy as strongly associated with the ‘90s as the Beanie Baby. The cuddly stuffed toys were beloved by kids and adults alike, but more than a few fans, particularly adults, went to extreme measures to obtain their favorites. The Beanie Baby fad led to crazy financial speculation based on anticipated secondary market resale value. The popularity of Beanie Babies also led to wild hoarding, counterfeiting, fraud, and much more bad behaviour. It was a leading example of a kid’s toy bringing not just happiness, but madness and mayhem. Did you own any of these controversial ‘90s toys? Let us know in the comments!
