I was probably happiest at school when I was swapping shiny Pokémon cards and feeding my tamagotchi in the playground. Throughout the 90s there were also beanie babies, pogs and the Nintendo 64, with many evenings spent - still in school uniform - hunting down my brother in the depths of the bunker of Goldeneye.
In the 50s it was Mr Potato Head, in the 70s pet rock, and in the 80s the Rubik’s cube and transformers, with yo-yos yo-yoing in and out over time. More recently children were taken in by loom bands, which doctors suggested were dangerous, after reports of four cases of inhaling the rubber bands in just one week. Now teachers are banning fidget spinners from classrooms because they are proving to be a distraction.
Share your memories
We want to hear from readers about the fads they remember from childhood. How long did they last? Did they get you into trouble with teachers? How do they measure up to today’s must-have gadget?
Share your thoughts with us in the form below.
