If keeping up with your homework wasn't enough, spare a thought for 90s schoolchildren, who also had to contend with keeping their electronic pets alive. Tamagotchis, meaning 'egg watch' in Japanese, burst onto the scene in 1996 and they were soon in the pockets of children around the globe. Youngsters had to care for their 'pets' by feeding them, often with a hamburger or piece of cake, playing games with them, disciplining them and cleaning up after them. The fact that earlier versions couldn't be paused meant they were often taken to school, where pupils could compare how their creatures were getting on.placeholder image
If keeping up with your homework wasn't enough, spare a thought for 90s schoolchildren, who also had to contend with keeping their electronic pets alive. Tamagotchis, meaning 'egg watch' in Japanese, burst onto the scene in 1996 and they were soon in the pockets of children around the globe. Youngsters had to care for their 'pets' by feeding them, often with a hamburger or piece of cake, playing games with them, disciplining them and cleaning up after them. The fact that earlier versions couldn't be paused meant they were often taken to school, where pupils could compare how their creatures were getting on. | JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images

9 playground crazes and toys of the 1990s you'll remember if you went to school back then

Robert Cumber
By Robert Cumber

Property and retro writer

Published 3rd May 2025, 08:00 BST

If you went to school in the 1990s, this retro photo gallery is bound to bring memories flooding back.

Those were the days before mobile phones were commonplace, when children had to find their entertainment away from social media.

Luckily there were plenty of different playground crazes, fashions and fads to keep youngsters amused back then.

These pictures show some of the most popular toys, trading cards, games and more, which were all the rage at schools around the UK during the 90s.

How many of these do you remember, and what would you add to the list?

Do you have retro pictures or nostalgic memories to share with us? Send them online via YourWorld at www.yourworld.net/submit. It's free to use and, once checked, your story or picture will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.

Polly Pocket toys first hit the shelves in 1989 but the character and her miniature world really began enchanting children in the 90s. This Polly Pocket Fun School Kit Starburst Eraser Case from the late 90s was particularly popular.

9. Polly Pocket

Polly Pocket toys first hit the shelves in 1989 but the character and her miniature world really began enchanting children in the 90s. This Polly Pocket Fun School Kit Starburst Eraser Case from the late 90s was particularly popular. | Submitted Photo: Submitted

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