17 Old-School Chores Kids Did in the ’90s That Are Obsolete
These now-obsolete chores were once routine tasks that taught kids patience, responsibility, and the occasional creative workaround.
- Alyana Aguja
- 6 min read
In the ’90s, childhood chores weren’t just about helping around the house — they were part of a world that demanded more manual effort and analog thinking. From rewinding tapes to dodging dial-up disasters, these tasks were teaching moments hidden in daily life. As technology advanced, many of these small but memorable duties quietly vanished, making room for newer habits and challenges.
1. Rewinding VHS Tapes Before Returning Them
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Back when Blockbuster ruled Friday nights, kids had to remember to rewind tapes before dropping them in the return slot. Some stores even charged a small fee if you forgot — “Be Kind, Rewind” wasn’t just a slogan, it was a rule. Now, with streaming and digital rentals, that little plastic spool and its winding hum are long gone.
2. Cleaning the Mouse Ball
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Before the sleek optical mouse, the ‘90s version had a rubber ball inside that picked up every crumb and speck of dust. Kids were often tasked with popping it out, wiping it clean, and scraping off the gunk on the rollers. If you used a family PC, this chore was non-negotiable for getting your daily dose of Minesweeper.
3. Printing MapQuest Directions
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Going anywhere unfamiliar meant sitting down at the computer, typing in your destination, and printing pages of turn-by-turn directions. Parents handed these to their kids like sacred scrolls — “Don’t lose them!” Today, that bulky stack of paper has been replaced by a calm voice from a smartphone GPS.
4. Dusting the Family CD Rack
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Every home had that towering shrine of jewel cases alphabetized (or not) on a spinning CD rack. Kids were expected to dust each one while resisting the urge to put on Now That’s What I Call Music Vol. 4. With Spotify and digital libraries, those plastic cases are now collecting dust in storage — or gone entirely.
5. Refilling the Ice Tray
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Ice makers weren’t common in every household, so if you emptied the tray, you had to refill it — no excuses. Kids quickly learned to carry the wobbly tray back to the freezer with surgeon-level steadiness. Automatic ice machines have now made this balancing act obsolete.
6. Taping Songs Off the Radio
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Recording your favorite songs on cassette meant waiting by the boombox with your finger on the “Record” button. Kids had to sit through hours of DJ chatter just to capture one clean song, usually cutting off the last few seconds. With streaming and digital downloads, the thrill — and frustration — of the perfect mixtape is a lost art.
7. Adjusting the Rabbit Ears on the TV
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Before cable or smart TVs, getting a clear picture involved fidgeting with metal antennas until someone shouted, “Stop! That’s good!” Kids became human tuning forks, holding them at weird angles to keep the static away. Today’s kids will never know the struggle of standing on one foot for better reception.
8. Organizing the Photo Albums
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After a trip to Kodak or Fuji Film to develop rolls, families would dump stacks of glossy prints onto the table. Kids were recruited to stuff them into plastic sleeves, in vague chronological order, and not mess up grandma’s birthday pictures. Cloud storage now quietly organizes everything for us — no double prints or fingerprints required.
9. Emptying the Pencil Sharpener
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Before everything went digital, mechanical pencil sharpeners were a classroom fixture — and a home desk chore. Kids had to unscrew the bottom, carefully dump out the shavings (usually all over the floor), and screw it back on without slicing a finger. Today, with styluses and laptops in every backpack, pencil shavings are practically a relic.
10. Waiting on Dial-Up and Telling Others Not to Use the Phone
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Kids had to yell, “I’m using the internet! Don’t pick up the phone!” as the modem screeched to life. Holding that fragile connection long enough to finish homework or chat on AIM was a skill. With high-speed Wi-Fi everywhere, that daily turf war over the landline is a thing of the past.
11. Polishing the Wood Furniture
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It wasn’t just wiping it down — there were specific sprays and rags involved, and strict instructions not to leave streaks. Kids would polish the entertainment center, coffee tables, and sometimes even the big wooden console TV. Minimalist homes and microfiber furniture make this chore a rare request today.
12. Changing Out Vacuum Bags
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Old vacuums didn’t have sleek canisters — you had to open a clunky hatch and pull out a full, dusty bag like a bomb tech. Kids doing chores had to wrestle with the clips and not rip the bag (which would unleash a mini dust storm). Most modern vacuums use easy, bagless systems with just the push of a button.
13. Recording TV Shows on VHS
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If you were going to miss your favorite show, you had to set the VCR’s timer and pray it worked. Kids were assigned to monitor the red “REC” light and make sure no one changed the channel mid-recording. Streaming and DVRs have made this ritual — and the missed episodes — disappear.
14. Taking the Film to Get Developed
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After a birthday party or vacation, kids were often sent to the local photo lab with a little envelope of undeveloped film. The wait was agonizing — sometimes days — before you could see what shots turned out. Now, everything’s instant, filtered, and uploaded before the event is even over.
15. Manually Washing the Car with a Hose and Sponge
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Weekend chores often meant scrubbing the family car in the driveway, armed with a bucket and a rag. Water fights broke out, sponges were dropped, and soap dried in streaks if you didn’t move fast. Drive-thru car washes have mostly replaced this sudsy bonding experience.
16. Burning CDs for School Projects or Mixes
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Kids had to open Windows Media Player, create a playlist, and slowly burn tracks onto a CD, often redoing it if it skipped. The process took forever and required blank discs that you had to beg your parents to buy. Cloud drives and streaming links have made CD burners museum-worthy.
17. Typing Reports on a Typewriter (or WordPad Without Auto-Correct)
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Some households didn’t get up-to-date PCs right away, so typing assignments on a clunky typewriter or early word processors was normal. One typo meant starting the page over or fumbling with correction tape. Today’s kids draft essays on apps that correct grammar in real-time — typo anxiety no longer required.