What Kids Wanted: Then vs Now – Mia P
As Monday marks the beginning of December and it is finally time to open our advent calendars in the countdown to Christmas (and my birthday), I thought this week would be a great time to delve into the most popular Christmas gifts over the last 40 years.
1980
The year Pac-Man was released, yet this wasn’t the gift of this year. In 1980, the Rubik’s Cube first became a sensation and was voted toy of the year with this complex puzzle game sweeping the world by storm. Christmas 1980 saw some of the highest ever sales for the Rubik’s Cube as people spanning all ages tried to complete the colour matching puzzle (which I still don’t think I have ever managed). This craze has continued for many years though, which competitions arising where people complete their cube in seconds and many guidebooks that detail how to solve the puzzle (I once sat and read a guidebook for just under an hour when I was younger, just for the last page to say “April Fools!” And I don’t think I have picked up my Rubik’s Cube ever since).
1990
1990 was a year with many highlights, from the release of the first Home Alone movie to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System Launch in Japan. However, December 1990 was a dramatic month for many as countless news articles highlighted an issue with the most popular Christmas present of this year, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (TMNT) action figures. Now seemingly this would be a difficult product to mess up, however the first TMNT film boosted the franchise’s pop-culture dominance and caused a shopping frenzy as parents everywhere attempted to buy their children the toy on the very top of their Christmas lists. The drama? Not nearly enough of these action figures were being produced due to the unexpected spike in popularity and many people missed out on their opportunity to purchase theirs.
2000
Ahh the beginning of the 2000s and notably the launch of the PlayStation 2 and for my fellow Sims fans, this was the year of the Sims launch too. This year we had rivalling products, with the Play Station 2 and the Teksta Robotic Puppy for the younger children. The PS2 was originally aimed at a slightly older audience of teens and young adults as opposed to its now broader audience that stretches down to littler kids and up to older adults. The Teksta Robotic Puppy filled in the interests of this younger age group explains why these products rivalled each other in this year.
2010
In 2010 a similar pattern can be seen as 2000 with two rivalling products aimed at different age groups, likely due to the improvements in technology. In this year, the Apple iPad and the Jet Pack Buzz Lightyear toy. The Apple iPad is one of the many technology products that rank on these lists due to technological advancements that people constantly want to try. The Buzz Lightyear toy trails off of the back of the release of Toy Story 3 (a cinematic masterpiece if I do say so myself) and if I’m honest I think my sister may have gotten the same toy this very year.
2020
This Christmas was only 5 years ago so I’m sure many of you will be able to remember what you got yourself this year, but I pose you the question: did you get a PlayStation 5 or a Nintendo Switch? If so you, much like I, received one of the topmost purchased presents of Christmas that year. After a global pandemic I am honestly very unsurprised that two technology items ranked highest as it was one of the main and most popular forms of entertainment during those times.
So now we’re all caught up to Christmas 2025, only 22 days away now. I hope everyone is very excited for the Christmas holidays and has an amazing time with their friends and family!
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