TOYS

As technology boomed and advanced by great strides in the 1980s, computerized toys became more advanced and simple robots became highly popular. Marketing geared towards children became more and more common too, as companies developed new cartoons in order to specifically market towards the young viewers. Video games also became more popular and more advanced as the decade progressed and more manufacturers threw their hats into the ring like Nintendo and Sega. Many popular toys were also very expensive as the economy boomed during the decade and excess became the name of the game.

In the 80s, new toys, activities, and games created a craze for Americans, especially during the Christmas season which led to parents raiding and tackling others in stores. For example, in 1984, when Cabbage Patch Dolls were released to stores, parents tackled each other to get these new dolls for their children. This caused chaos throughout malls across the country.

Young children in the 80s made playing arcade games one of the most popular things to do. Arcades became popular because they were an easy and cheap way to waste time and still have fun. The most popular video game that could be found in an arcade was Pacman. The game was released in the early 80s by Namco, and it was such a success because the game was able to appeal to both young girls and boys.

The most popular board game in the 80s, was Trivial Pursuit. The game was released in The concept of the game is to answer multiple questions on general knowledge and pop culture while you move along the board. In the 80s, 20 million games of Trivial Pursuit were sold across the country.

In the 80s, many people believed that they needed to stay fit by doing various activities and exercising. Teens during the summer went out- side and engaged in roller skating, skateboarding, and riding their bike. There was an exercise craze throughout the 80s, and it was encouraged by the government to stay fit and eat healthy. During this exercise craze, McDonald's suffered economically from Americans turning to healthier foods. Teens in the 80s were more active than teens today which explains the higher rate of teen obesity in the 21st century.

Cabbage Patch Kids Care Bears Micro Machines Masters of the Universe

My Little Pony Rainbow Brite Pound Puppies

Star Wars Toys Teddy Ruxpin She-Ra Rubik’s Cube

Garbage Pail Kids

Rubik’s Cube “If you are curious, you’ll find the puzzles around you. If you are determined, you will solve them.” Rubik

Rubik’s Cube Created by Erno Rubik in 1974 in Hungary Rubik was interested in the way the cube turned in different directions. Rubik was a college professor who wanted his students to think in new ways about three dimensional geometry. The first multi-colored cube appeared in Hungarian stores in 1977.

The first Rubik’s Cube hit Western stores in 1980 and became an international sensation. Entertained kids and adults for HOURS! About the CUBE: * 6 sides * each side 9 squares different colors (blue, green, orange, red white, and yellow) * 3x3 grid pattern *54 squares on the cube, 48 moved ( the center square on each side were stationary).

Rubik’s Cube was a simple cube but difficult to solve. By 1982, more than 100 million Rubik’s Cubes had been sold, BUT not solved There are 43,252,003,274,489,856,0 00 possible configurations. Several books were published on how to solve the Cube.

In 1982, the first annual International Rubik’s Cube Championships were held in Hungary. The record for solving the Cube is 8.72 seconds, held by Yu Nakajima of Japan. To date more than 300 million Rubik’s Cubes have been sold making it one of the most popular toys of the 20 th Century.