The 9 90s Toys That Kept You Alive During Long Road Trips
Parents these days have it easy. All they have to do is hand their kids an iPad and they're promised a quiet car ride. How did pre-touchscreen '90s parents keep their kids entertained during road trips?
These childhood distractions from the '90s assured parents would hear fewer instances of "Are we there yet?" from their little passengers in the backseat.
1. Tamagotchi
This toy not only kept kids busy for hours, it also taught them to be responsible for a "living" thing.
2. Crocodile Dentist
A travel version of the popular toy was released in 1993 and car rides were never the same. Younger sibs grew to hate this game as they dreaded landing on the sore tooth. Ouch!
3. Fetch Armstrong
Inspired by the successful '70s toy Stretch Armstrong, the canine version was produced in the '90s.
This was the perfect toy for cranky kids — the pulling and stretching helped them vent their frustration from being kept inside a moving box for hours.
4. Game Boy
This was the ultimate boredom killer. Kids didn't care about the hours-long ride with one of these in their hands. Some kids even dreaded reaching their destination because that would mean they would have to put down their prized toy.
5. Tiger Games
Not as cool as Game Boy, but Tiger Games got the job done.
6. Talkboy
This device allowed you to record and listen to your voice. The Talkboy model used in "Home Alone 2" sold like hotcakes; later versions came with a "Slow Playback" feature which allowed users to alter their voices in the same way Kevin did when he posed as his father on the phone.
7. Etch A Sketch
Bumpy rides were no problem because you could easily erase mistakes with the knobs on either side of the contraption.
8. Disney Read Along
Utilizing the cassette deck, the only in-car entertainment system back in the day, the Read Along series was a hit among parents.
9. HitClips
This teensy player produced one-minute renditions of *NSYNC, Britney Spears and other pop artists songs in the late '90s.
You could call this toy the grandfather of the iPod.