The Most Asked-For 1990s Christmas Toys, Year by Year
What To Know
- The 1990s saw a series of iconic Christmas toy crazes, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Super Soaker, and Super NES.
- These toys reflected the era’s love for bright colors, pop culture tie-ins, and fad-driven collectibles.
- Many of these toys became cultural phenomena, shaping childhood experiences and inspiring nostalgia.
Back in the day, the ’90s were a more innocent era of gift-giving. Bright neon colors, see-through electronics, and batteries-not-included surprises defined the holiday season.
Action figures centered on sewer-dwelling reptiles, children adored T-rexes in a very specific shade of violet, and moms went ga-ga for beanbag-stuffed collectible flamingos and puppies. It was a more innocent time, one marked by fun, fad-driven delight, and the kind of joy we now look back on with warm nostalgia.
Here is a look at the most popular toys, year by year, according to the Strong Museum of Play (via Wired Magazine) that made every kid’s wish list in the ’90s. Did these ever make it to your list?
1990: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
What began as a gritty, tongue-in-cheek parody of Daredevil by creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird evolved into a multi-million-dollar sensation as the satirical edge gave way to four pizza-loving, mean green teens who just happened to live in a sewer. With a hit cartoon series, action figures and accessories galore, and one incredibly catchy theme song, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became full-blown icons of the ’90s. “Turtle Power” didn’t just catch on — it swept the nation.
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1991: The Super Soaker
Nothing says Christmas and peace on Earth quite like giving small children the power to blast their siblings in the face with a high-pressure stream of water strong enough to knock them off their feet. Inventor Lonnie Johnson originally developed the device while working with NASA, designing it as part of a cooling system before realizing he was holding the blueprint for the ultimate neighborhood plaything. The result became one of the most iconic toys of the decade as it turned backyards into battlegrounds.
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1992: Super NES
The 16-bit system blew minds as now-iconic games such as Super Mario Kart, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Contra III: The Alien Wars, and Street Fighter II: The World Warrior made their debut. The console war was heating up, and this was Nintendo’s latest entry.
1993: Anything Barney
In 1993, parents and disgruntled older siblings couldn’t escape the giant purple dinosaur. He was everywhere — on TV, in toy aisles, on lunchboxes, in bookstores, and even blaring from radios. Barney became a full-fledged cultural takeover, charming preschoolers with his nonstop sunny songs and endless optimism while leaving everyone else wondering how one dinosaur could become so inescapably popular.
1994: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Another hit TV series that spawned an equally successful toy line, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers delivered colorful gear, unforgettable catchphrases, and a delightfully bizarre backstory that kids embraced wholeheartedly. With martial-arts action, giant Zords, and heroes who morphed at a moment’s notice, the series became a playground obsession and one of the defining toy crazes of the ’90s.
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1995: Beanie Babies
A truly strange phenomenon that deserves to be studied by later generations, the craze swept up kids, teens, and even frenzied adults. Fans hoarded the little fuzzy characters, snapping up tag protectors and glass cases to keep their collectibles pristine.
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1996: Tickle Me Elmo
When squeezed, Sesame Street’s Elmo would vibrate, talk, and giggle, an interactive feature that felt advanced and delightful compared to many toys of the era. His appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show sent demand skyrocketing, transforming an already popular toy into a full-blown phenomenon. Shoppers soon went into a frenzy, clamoring to get their hands on an Elmo and even trampling others in the process, ironically ignoring the very lessons of sharing and kindness that Elmo was meant to teach.
1997: Tamagotchi
Nothing says Christmas like giving children the gift of responsibility, even if it was virtual. The Tamagotchi was a tiny, egg-shaped digital pet that demanded constant care. It needed to be fed, played with, loved, and cleaned, and if neglected, it offered kids a surprisingly blunt lesson in death. Its constant beeping taught children about accountability and the consequences of letting their little pixelated buddies down.
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1998: Furby
Created by Tiger Electronics, the little interactive critter spoke in a gibberish “language” as it explored its surroundings and responded to kids. Introduced on The Today Show before it even hit store shelves, Furbys instantly became the must-have gift of 1998, sparking a nationwide rush as parents scrambled to find the wide-eyed, chattering monsters.
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1999: Pokémon Cards
Based on the creatures, battles, and mechanics of the original 1996 Pokémon video games, Pokémon cards were played and collected with equal enthusiasm as kids chased rare holographics, battled friends on playgrounds, and traded for their favorite pocket monsters.
(Fun fact: If kids held on to their collections today in pristine condition, they would be quite wealthy.)
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