13 Childhood Items That Smelled Weird but We Loved Anyway
Here's a list of nostalgic childhood items that had strange, sometimes unpleasant smells — but we loved them just the same.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
Childhood was full of strange sensory experiences, and smell was a big part of it. From Play-Doh to Halloween masks, many beloved toys and items had scents that were oddly comforting despite being weird or synthetic. These aromas are burned into memory, proving that sometimes a strange smell can still smell like home.
1. Play-Doh
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This squishy modeling compound had a salty, doughy scent that was oddly addictive. The smell clung to your fingers long after you’d finished making weird food shapes or dinosaurs. Somehow, it became part of the charm, and cracking open a fresh tub felt like opening a jar of memories.
2. Mr. Sketch Scented Markers
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These colorful markers came in fruity scents that were supposed to smell good but often teetered on the edge of chemical overload. The grape and cherry ones were especially intense, and some kids couldn’t resist sniffing the entire set. Despite their slightly off-putting sweetness, they made coloring twice as fun.
3. Strawberry Shortcake Dolls
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These dolls were famous for their baked-in scents that were meant to match their dessert-inspired names. The smell was a weird mix of perfume and plastic fruit that lingered even after years in a toy box. Kids didn’t mind though — it was part of the experience.
4. Rubber Pencil Erasers
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Novelty erasers in the shapes of animals or food had a rubbery, factory-fresh smell that was both odd and comforting. Some even had a faintly sweet scent that didn’t quite match anything in nature. Even when they didn’t erase well, we kept sniffing and collecting them.
5. Old Library Books
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That musty, inky aroma of aged paper was unmistakable and oddly soothing. Even children who hated reading would admit to loving the way the library smelled. The scent became part of the ritual of choosing a new adventure.
6. Crayola Crayons
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Crayons had that unmistakable waxy scent that signaled creativity and childhood. The smell intensified when left in the sun or used heavily during art time. It wasn’t exactly pleasant, but it became deeply associated with fun.
7. Balloons
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Whether they were latex or rubber, balloons gave off a sharp, chemical smell that hit you the second you opened the bag. Blowing one up meant a whiff of that synthetic scent right in your face. It wasn’t good, but it meant a party or something fun was about to happen.
8. Barbie Doll Hair
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Barbie hair had a plasticky, almost shampoo-like scent that clung to your hands after hours of styling. It didn’t smell natural, yet it was part of what made Barbies feel fresh out of the box. The scent faded over time, but the memory stuck around.
9. Scratch-and-Sniff Stickers
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These stickers promised fun scents like pizza or bubblegum but often delivered weird, artificial smells that barely resembled the real thing. Still, kids would scratch them obsessively just to relive the sensory experience. Collecting them became a hobby despite the strange scents.
10. Silly Putty
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Housed in a red plastic egg, Silly Putty had a rubbery, slightly metallic odor. The more you stretched and bounced it, the more it warmed up and released that weird scent. It was half the fun of playing with it.
11. Lunchboxes (Especially Metal Ones)
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Metal lunchboxes always seemed to trap a mixture of sandwich, thermos soup, and vinyl lining that was oddly unforgettable. Opening it meant getting hit with a weird stew of smells that reminded you it was lunchtime. Somehow, that smell became its own form of nostalgia.
12. Plastic Halloween Masks
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Cheap, costume-store masks reeked of plastic and sweat the second you put them on. They fogged up instantly, trapping that rubbery odor around your face. It was gross, but it meant trick-or-treating was in full swing.
13. Pogs and Pog Tubes
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The cardboard Pogs themselves had a faint, dusty-paper scent, while the plastic tubes they came in gave off that old vinyl aroma. Digging through your collection meant getting a noseful of childhood. It was a strange smell, but it was unmistakably tied to recess and bragging rights.