15 Toys That Required Endless Batteries
Here's a playful look at the childhood toys that chewed through batteries faster than kids could enjoy them.
- Chris Graciano
- 4 min read
Some toys were unforgettable fun, but only if you had a steady supply of AA or AAA batteries. From talking dolls to buzzing games, these gadgets drained power so quickly that parents dreaded the extra cost. Here are 15 toys that practically lived on new batteries.
1. Furby
Vickie Intili on Pexels
This furry, blinking creature was both adorable and slightly unsettling. Its chattering, blinking, and “learning” features made it seem alive, but all that personality came with a heavy battery toll. Parents quickly realized the true cost of owning a Furby wasn’t the toy itself, but keeping it powered.
2. Tickle Me Elmo
Mike Mozart on Flickr
The red, giggling Sesame Street icon caused mayhem in toy aisles everywhere. Elmo’s endless laughter and vibrations made him a hit with kids but a nightmare for battery life. Within days, many fell silent, reduced to plush dolls without the tickles.
3. Bop It
Larry D. Moore on Wikimedia Commons
“Bop it! Twist it! Pull it!” became the soundtrack of many late-’90s bedrooms. The rapid-fire commands and sound effects made it addictive, but also power-hungry. Long sessions often ended not in defeat, but in fading beeps as the batteries gave out.
4. Game Boy Color
Denise Jans on Unsplash
Nintendo’s handheld revolutionized portable gaming and consumed batteries with equal enthusiasm. Four AAs could vanish after just a few hours of Pokémon or Tetris. Without a power adapter or light accessory, kids were stranded mid-level.
5. Talkboy
Onetwo1 on Wikimedia Commons
Made famous by Home Alone 2, the Talkboy let kids record messages and play them back in hilarious slow or fast motion. The catch? Every recording session seemed to drain its batteries. Between rewinds, playbacks, and experimenting with silly voices, power ran out faster than creativity.
6. RoboSapien
PickPik
This walking, dancing robot looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. Kids loved programming its movements and sound effects, but RoboSapien’s energy appetite was legendary. After a few hours of robotic fun, the poor bot often froze mid-dance.
7. Laser Tag Sets
Laserblast Laser Tag Equipment on Pexels
Laser Tag brought the thrill of futuristic battles to backyards and basements. However, all those blinking sensors and infrared blasters were battery vampires. Halfway through the fun, someone’s gear always died, leading to premature ceasefires.
8. Giga Pets
Zeitblick on Wikimedia Commons
Digital pets required constant care and constant battery life. Every beep, animation, and feeding drained their tiny power source faster than expected. More than one “pet” met an early digital death when the screen faded to black.
9. Yak Bak
Jaysin Trevino on Flickr
The pocket-sized voice recorder that repeated your phrases in funny tones was an instant hit. Recess was filled with kids making each other laugh with warped playback. However, all that hilarity came at a price: dead batteries.
10. Dancing Flowers
PxHere
These cheerful, music-reactive toys were hypnotic to watch as they swayed and clapped. Hook one up near a radio, and you had an instant party trick. Unfortunately, their battery life was notoriously short-lived. Most ended up stationary decorations once their endless energy appetite kicked in.
11. Operation
Steve Berry on Flickr
This buzzy board game tested your nerves and your battery stash. Every failed “surgery” triggered lights, sounds, and vibrations that ate through power cells. Families often discovered mid-game that the patient had “flatlined” from low power.
12. RC Cars
PxHere
Every kid’s dream gift, remote-controlled cars delivered pure excitement — until they slowed to a crawl. Their motors, lights, and controllers chewed through batteries like candy. Serious racers always carried a box of spares, just to finish a track.
13. Simon
Shritwod on Wikimedia Commons
This classic memory game lit up in colorful patterns that challenged reflexes and memory. However, as those lights blinked in sequence, the batteries blinked out of life. Nothing ruined a winning streak faster than a dim “beep.”
14. Electronic Battleship
Studio Alijn on Wikimedia Commons
This talking, flashing version of the board game made naval warfare come alive. Its sound effects and dramatic voices were thrilling, but short-lived. Once the batteries ran low, the “enemy ships” went silent. Games often ended not with victory, but with a quiet, powerless grid.
15. Baby Alive (Talking Versions)
Bruce Szalwinski on Flickr
The talking and crying versions of Baby Alive were marvels of interactive play. They cooed, ate, and spoke, but each feature drained power fast. The fun usually ended with the doll going quiet mid-sentence. Eventually, many kids preferred their dolls to be silent over constantly replacing batteries.