15 Toys We Thought Were High Tech at the Time
Here's a nostalgic roundup of 15 toys that once felt cutting‑edge and high‑tech.
- Daisy Montero
- 4 min read
These toys once captivated our imaginations with blinking lights, electronic sounds, or early digital interfaces. Today, they feel charmingly dated, but they defined play in their era. This collection revisits those classics with fun facts and a touch of nostalgia.
1. Game & Watch by Nintendo
Artistosteles on Wikimedia Commons
These slim handheld games introduced many of us to portable screens and digital gameplay. Each device featured a single game, with addictive mechanics and charming visuals. Before Game Boy came along, this was the future of gaming in your pocket.
2. Furby
Furby on Wikimedia Commons
Furby felt like a living creature the moment it opened its eyes and mumbled its first words. It responded to touch, learned phrases, and even seemed to develop a personality. Kids believed it had a mind of its own, which made it both magical and a little creepy.
3. Calculator Watch
Chive Cream Cheese on Wikimedia Commons
Wearing a calculator on your wrist was the ultimate status symbol for tech‑savvy kids. You could crunch numbers during math class without pulling out a full calculator. It felt sleek and futuristic, even if it just helped you cheat on a pop quiz.
4. Laser Tag Sets
Lasertagger on Wikimedia Commons
Laser tag made kids feel like action heroes on a sci‑fi mission. The guns lit up, made blasting sounds, and registered hits on sensor vests. For a while, every basement or backyard felt like a space arena.
5. Talking Dolls
National Park Service on Wikimedia Commons
Pull the string, and suddenly your doll spoke in a robotic but friendly voice. Even if it only had a handful of phrases, it felt like magic to hear a toy “talk” back. It was one of the first glimpses of artificial interaction in toys.
6. Speak & Spell
Loz Pycock from London, UK on Wikimedia Commons
This iconic orange device turned spelling into something high‑tech and oddly fun. It used a robotic voice to teach you how to spell words correctly, letter by letter. At the time, it felt like you were holding a mini computer built just for kids.
7. Tamagotchi
Tgsflash on Wikimedia Commons
Caring for a Tamagotchi was serious business — it beeped for food, attention, and even bathroom breaks. Its pixelated screen and tiny buttons kept kids glued to it for weeks. It was like having a pet in your pocket, minus the fur and mess.
8. Microwave Jumping Toy
Mike Bird on Pexels
Some plush toys were designed to leap or wiggle after being heated in the microwave. The idea felt cutting‑edge, even if the execution was a little odd. Kids loved the surprise movement, though parents probably questioned the safety.
9. BASIC Stamp Microcontroller Kits
Marcin1988 on Wikimedia Commons
These kits were an early intro to coding for curious kids and teens. You could program lights, sounds, or small robotic movements and actually see your code come to life. It felt like building a robot from scratch — even if it only rolled forward.
10. Interactive Plush Toys
Hansmuller on Wikimedia Commons
These were the cuddly toys that could laugh, blink, or wiggle their ears when you touched them. They used basic motion sensors to respond like they had a personality. Hugging a teddy bear that giggled back felt like playing with something from the future.
11. Golden Tee Arcade Game
George Hotelling on Wikimedia Commons
This arcade favorite made golfing exciting with its trackball controller and vivid graphics. You could spin the ball with your palm and feel the “swing” on screen. It was a big deal in sports gaming before home consoles became standard.
12. Boombox with Cassette Recording
Sharpoff at Russian Wikipedia on Wikimedia Commons
A boombox that could play, record, and rewind was a game‑changer in its time. Kids made mixtapes by holding them near the radio or a TV. It was your personal music studio, even if every recording had a little background noise.
13. Light‑up Fidget Spinners
Yves Sorge on Wikimedia Commons
These spinners added LEDs to an already addictive toy, making them mesmerizing in the dark. They looked futuristic and hypnotizing when spun at full speed. For a while, they were the coolest tech accessory kids could bring to class.
14. Early Motion‑Sensing Consoles
Digital Game Museum on Wikimedia Commons
Before modern virtual reality, there were systems that let you bowl, dance, or swing a bat with just your arms. Moving in front of your TV and seeing your avatar mimic your motion felt groundbreaking. It brought physical activity into video games in a way that felt like a leap forward.
15. Kids’ First Digital Cameras
Shardayyy Photography on Wikimedia Commons
These chunky cameras let kids snap photos and see them instantly, which was a novelty before smartphones. Most pictures turned out blurry or off‑center, but the thrill was real. It was a whole new way for kids to capture their world, one pixel at a time.