Top 33+ Once-Popular Toys That Would Never Pass Today
- #1: Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kids
- #3: Slip ‘N Slide
- #4: Clackers
- #6: Moon Shoes
- #7: Garbage Pail Kids
- #9: Skip-It
- #10: My Little Pony – Long Haired
- #12: Aquanet Hairspray
- #13: Bubble Lights
- #15: Jelly Shoes
- #16: Lite-Brite
- #18: Lawn Pool Slides
- #19: Pogo Balls
- #21: Big Wheels
- #22: Slap Bracelets
- #24: Hang 10 Mini Hammocks
- #25: Jarts
- #27: Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper
- #28: Water Wiggle
- #30: Rambo Toy Machine Gun
- #31: Smoking Monkey Toy
- #33: Sky Dancers

There is no denying that the 1980s were a revolutionary time for kids’ toys. Kids were playing with technologically advanced toys for the first time, many with built-in mechanisms never seen before. However, as great and exciting as these toys were, they seemed just as hazardous. And let’s be honest; we all know that kids’ toys must meet a certain safety standard. While you might not see these toys on the shelves anymore, these dangerous toys were once all the rage in the 1980s… What’s life without a few scrapes and bruises?
#1: Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kids

No matter what year you were born, chances are you have played with a Cabbage Patch doll before. Cabbage Patch dolls were some of the greatest toys; however, when they released their “Snacktime” version of their beloved dolls, things quickly became pear-shaped.
This exclusive range of dolls had a mechanical jaw where they could “eat” plastic food. Sounds incredible, right? Well, the only thing was that these dolls, while as impressive as they were, couldn’t always distinguish between plastic and, I don’t know, children’s fingers and hair. These dolls quickly became more of a hazard than a help.
#3: Slip ‘N Slide

Is there anything quite as reminiscent of the summer months as the Slip ‘N Slide? Unlike other games, the Slip ‘N Slide was among the most humble of childhood toys. Disperse the plastic runway in your backyard, add water, and get to it!
The only thing is that if you hit a rock, a ditch, or anything else that could hurt you, you would likely experience considerable pain… For children, this wasn’t too much of an issue; it was more when adults would join in on the fun and end up leaving the premises with a sprained ankle.
#4: Clackers

Some toys, while they might seem harmless fun, will inevitably hurt someone. Essentially two hard acrylic balls tied to a string, Clackers were the toy of many kids’ childhoods. Clackers are proof that sometimes it is best to keep things simple when it comes to kids’ games…
Where they do well in aesthetics, they lack in safety… The thing about having two acrylic balls tied to a string is that eventually, they are bound to “clack” things other than the balls themselves. Kids would walk away with bruises to their knuckles, hands, arms, and legs, but that never stopped them from playing with them.
#6: Moon Shoes

As children, there was always something enticing about the idea of being able to do something other-worldly. Whether that meant changing your appearance or some physiological aspect of your being, kids were drawn to things that promised such things.
Moon Shoes were the perfect way for kids to achieve their desperately sought-after feelings. But there was just one catch: These mini trampolines would ultimately lead to many, many falls, sprained ankles, and countless other injuries.
#7: Garbage Pail Kids

Nowadays, there is no denying that parents tend to shelter their children from the bad and scary things in the world. But back in the 1980s, kids were exposed to far more intense and slightly concerning things than kids are exposed to today.
You might remember the Garbage Pail Kids if you were a kid in the 1980s. While trying to be somewhat helpful and educational, these cards just ended up scaring the bejeebers out of every single kid.
#9: Skip-It

When buying toys and activities for children, parents tend to consider certain factors, such as the potential impact on physical and mental health. While some parents might initially have their best intentions at heart, their choices don’t always seem aligned.
Skip-It was a kid’s toy that would attach to your ankle and had a small plastic hoop and ball that spun round and round in a circle. Many parents thought they were buying a toy to help their children exercise, but in reality, their children would end up batted, bruised, and in pain from using it.
#10: My Little Pony – Long Haired

The thing about kids’ toys is that often, their hazards don’t become evident until they have experienced life in a household. Because honestly, what would seem so harmful about a little pony figurine with long hair?
Well, as it turns out, the hair on these little toys was constantly getting caught in household items such as hairdryers and vacuums. With children leaving these things all around the house, they became more of a nuisance than anything else.
#12: Aquanet Hairspray

It might seem somewhat redundant today, but once upon a time, hairspray was necessary for styling hair. Many brands competed for a top position on the hairspray ladder, but nothing came close to Aquanets’ ability to hold a hairdo.
We now know the detrimental effects of aerosol cans on the environment, but at the time, people were not too concerned with Aquanet’s impact on the ozone layer. Not only that, but the amount of hairspray we breathe in probably still affects our bodies today.
#13: Bubble Lights

In the 1980s, Christmas always seemed a little bit brighter… Perhaps it was the feeling that everywhere you looked, there were Christmas lights, or maybe it was the fact that almost every Christmas tree was adorned with bubble lights.
As beautiful as these ornaments were, they got really, and we mean, really hot. If you were to touch one of these guys accidentally, it was the same as putting your hand on the stovetop. And don’t even start on the mess one of these caused when broken…
#15: Jelly Shoes

There aren’t many fashion items that transport you back to a completely different era with just a single look. However, that power lies within these transparent and colorful shoes that almost everyone owned in the 1980s.
At the height of their popularity, these shoes found their way on everyone’s foot, for better or worse. While they looked good, they certainly weren’t created with comfort in mind. These shoes were known to cause blisters and generate sweat.
#16: Lite-Brite

Like many games In the 1980s, Lite-Brite was one of those endearing and exciting activities that paid little regard to potential dangers. The fun, glowing pegs, small and hazardous in size, were not the most kid-friendly accessory.
Sure, these boards lit up any room with their unique messages, but the risks they posed to toddlers and children were far too high for some parents, leading them to throw this toy away or not even buy it in the first place.
#18: Lawn Pool Slides

Is there anything quite like hindsight? Whatever the case, we cannot know how something will turn out. And while common sense is available to us, not everyone can use it. Enter, lawn pool slides…
While it seems like a great idea in theory, these plastic pool slides posed so many risks that people stopped installing them after a while. Climbing and diving off them while wet was a recipe for disaster, especially without any lifeguard present.
#19: Pogo Balls

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that something like Pogo Balls would cause some serious injuries for some people. A cross between a pogo stick and a bouncy ball made kids feel invincible about how high they could jump.
However, jumping and bouncing can get kids into trouble if they aren’t balancing correctly. It might not seem like much, but balancing yourself on one of these things took serious skill. And one wrong move would send you flying across the room…
#21: Big Wheels

Many kids learn an essential skill when they are young: riding a bicycle. Whether they start on a full-blown bike or a tricycle, it is an important developmental step. While all bicycles and tricycles might look similar, they most certainly differentiate in build.
The Big Wheels tricycle was one of the greatest toys for kids in the 1980s. As many kids’ first mode of transport, it gave many children a sense of mobility and freedom. However, the flimsy plastic and lack of traction led to many cracks and brake accidents.
#22: Slap Bracelets

Whether or not you caused injuries with one of the accessories, chances are you have seen them before. Slap bracelets were a huge hit in the 1980s and beyond, with their unique ability to capture people simply by putting on an accessory.
As great as these were, many schools started to ban these bracelets due to prolonged wear revealing the metal band underneath, which would ultimately hurt children after repeated wear. While we miss the novelty of these bracelets, we can’t say we miss the pain…
#24: Hang 10 Mini Hammocks

Everyone fantasizes about lying on a hammock, whether or not you like to admit it. While hammocks look relaxed and comfortable, they are nothing short of annoying, long pieces of fabric that never fulfill their purpose and pose a serious threat to children.
Before the Hang 10 was recalled in 1996, this Mini Hammock caused 12 deaths in young people by asphyxiation. It is still as shocking now as it was back then… How did something like that possibly happen? How did this company not do hundreds of checks before releasing this?
#25: Jarts

Looking back on the 1980s, you must think, “What parent let their kid play with these toys?” But the mindset was so different back then that these questions weren’t even brought up. If something was marketed towards children, it was assumed to be safe for use.
What some people know as Lawn Darts, or Jarts, these sharp weapon-like giant darts were used outside. This activity was viral in the 1970s and 1980s, but with thousands of injuries and four reported deaths over eight years, this toy was swiftly banned in 1988 after a young girl fell into a coma after being hit.
#27: Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper

This toy may seem harmless enough, but it’s actually responsible for the mandatory choking hazard warming on kids’ toys today. The Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper was popular throughout the 70s until an incident in 1978 where a kid tragically choked to death on one of the tiny plastic missiles.
#28: Water Wiggle

The water wiggle was actually first released in the 60s, but it was popular throughout the 1970s. It consisted of a plastic bell-shaped smiling face with a seven-foot hose attached to it and an aluminum water-jet nozzle that would splash kids with water. While it sold over two million units throughout the sixties and seventies, it was taken off the shelves in 1978 after the tragic death of two children.
#30: Rambo Toy Machine Gun

We’re not entirely sure why any toy manufacturer thinks it’s a good idea to release weaponry, but we don’t live in a perfect world. After the film Rambo: First Blood Part II was released in 1985, toy companies were trying to capitalize on its popularity. This toy gun was much too similar in appearance to a real firearm, with no embellishment of any sort. These days, toy weaponry needs to follow certain color regulations so there is no confusion…
#31: Smoking Monkey Toy

There is nothing about this toy that makes any sense to us… Why would any parent want to buy this for their child? Usually, toys have some purpose to them, however, this toy isn’t interesting in any way and promotes bad habits. For some reason, this toy was very much glamorized in the 70s and 80s as it was deemed appealing and cool to children. But in the 2000s, cigarette-themed toys were finally taken off the shelves…
#33: Sky Dancers

Sky Dancers may seem like a totally innocent toy, but it turned out to be a major safety hazard when it was released in the 90s. The spinning (or dancing) dolls had unexpected flight paths and would often end up hitting kids in the eyes, which is why it was ultimately taken off the shelves.