Nostalgic Photos That Will Take 90s Kids Back 30 Years

Parties In The 90s

The Tangled Phone Wire

You know you’re a 90’s kid if seeing this tangled phone wire bothers you. Do you remember walking around your house, landline in hand, only to feel frustrated when the cord got tangled? You’re not alone! Imagine if we had to deal with that nowadays, with our mobile phones? When the landline was tangled, we’d have to try to untangle it as best we could, otherwise, it’d stay like that forever. It always seemed like the phone cord would tangle easily, but never untangle easily. Most of you probably just left it like that forever (Cheezburger).

The Ice Cream Truck

Back in the 90s, the ice cream truck was the symbol of summer. There was nothing better than running around in the streets, only to hear that merry tune of the ice cream truck on its way. But the hardest part about seeing the ice cream truck was having to choose the best ice cream! It almost felt too difficult to pick just one. Most of you probably had two or three, depending on your chore allowance for the week. Some Reddit user shared their fondest memories of the ice cream truck, saying, “I remember begging my parents for a couple of bucks and then running to intercept the truck before it left…it was intense. It truly was heartbreaking when I got there too late.” The pain of missing the ice cream truck was unbearable (Reddit).

90s Fashion

Thirty years ago, fashion had an entirely different meaning. People rocked the emo look, dyed hair, long socks, flannel shirts, and large hoodies. There wasn’t an emphasis on how sophisticated you looked. According to Good Housekeeping, “It seemed like everyone was wearing plaid flannel shirts in the ’90s. These days, it’s easy to find flannels at clothing stores and vintage shops if you’re itching to recreate the casual, cozy style.” On the flip side, it seems like 90s fashion is slowly making a comeback, as we see more overalls and ripped jeans than ever before (Reddit).

The Sticker Book Collection

If you didn’t have a sticker book for your sticker collection, you weren’t a proper 90s kid! The best way to bond with your friends is to compare stickers and see how many you’ve piled on the pages of your book. This 90s kid shares her experience collecting stickers, saying, “I have been collecting stickers for as long as I can remember but only started organizing them properly when I was 8 years old. My mum’s a music teacher and she had plenty of leftover sticker rewards to share with me. I attended music classes and built a rather sizable collection of my own as well.” It’s likely you filled all those pages with stickers separated by theme, color, or animal, depending on your mood. Where did all those books end up, anyway? (Reddit)

The Fisher-Price Parking Ramp Service Center

There was nothing better than hanging out on the floor of your living room in the 90s, playing with the Fisher-Price parking ramp play set, where you probably just raced the car down. Hours would pass and you sat there, putting your cars on the ramp and watching them zoom down to the ground. It came out in the 1960s and was popular until the 1990s, when it slowly went out of style as more popular games came out, like Nintendo (Buzzfeed).

Dentyne Gum

Do you remember ripping the pack open and chewing on this vintage gum? It was a staple of the 90s. If you’re too young to remember, chances are, your mother had a pack of Dentyne in her purse. Some people from Reddit believed it was the gum of choice for smoking moms, saying, “I’m learning from this thread that this was the gum of choice for smoking moms, because same.” Whether that’s true or not doesn’t matter, what does matter are the memories of chewing that delicious, cinnamon gum (Reddit).

Simpsons Everything

Because The Simpsons was so popular during the 90s, this 14-year-old couldn’t help but wear a Simpsons sweater. It was a Christmas gift that he couldn’t help but put on straight away. Back in the 90s, gift-giving involved more clothes and toys than phones and laptops, like we have nowadays. People had to be more creative with their gifts and in a way, it was more meaningful (Reddit).

Pulling Meat Apart

Nothing screams the 90s more than this photograph. Who remembers pulling the rack of frozen meat apart from the parchment paper? Then, you’d either roll it into a giant loaf or little meatballs and cook it. The leftover meat would go back in the freezer, waiting for you to pull it again (Reddit).

Jumanji

If one of your favorite movies in the 90s was Jumanji, you’re not alone. There was something so magical and special about this movie, which portrayed a board game that came into reality. Back in 1995, people spent hours and hours rewatching Jumanji. You probably wished it was an actual game. Imagine we could bring animals from the jungle into the streets of our neighborhood with the drop of die? The world would be a different place (Reddit).

Training Bras

Seeing this photo probably brought back tons of memories about the gifts you received in the 90s. Before all the gadgets we have nowadays, gift-giving took on a different meaning. This 90s photograph encapsulates the pure joy this teenager felt when she received a training bra for her birthday. But the most 90s thing about this photograph has to be the little boy in the background holding a reusable film camera (Reddit).

An Actual Pay Phone

If you were wandering the streets of a city in the 90s, when you suddenly had to get in touch with a friend, you couldn’t take your phone out of your pocket and make a quick phone call. You needed to find a pay phone, slip in a quarter, and use the phone book to find a number if you didn’t have it memorized (Reddit).

Skip It

You probably spent countless hours with this ball wrapped around your ankle as you skipped it around and around. Not only was it a workout, but it was a fun game of who could skip it the longest. Kids from the 90s didn’t have TikTok or other social media to distract them back, then, instead they had to rely on physical games. As Mashable puts it, “You jumped over it as much as you could, while the counter on the ball at the end recorded your score. But step wrong, and that giant, wrecking ball of an anchor would wrap around and peg you right in the shin — which felt like a metaphor for never exercising again.” It forced you off the couch and into physical activity, even if you risked bruises on your shin for at least a week (Reddit).

Bonkers Candy

Originally owned by Nabisco, this candy ruled the shelves of grocery stores, into Halloween baskets, and into the hands of late-night snackers. Compared to other candy on the shelves, they were short-lived, though that doesn’t mean they weren’t popular. According to Snack History, “Bonkers candy was known for the saying that they would “bonk you out”. There was also another saying that was “it makes a big hit”. They were fun and they were simple.” What more could you want in a 90s candy? (Reddit)

Dinner Off Of Hercules Plates

There was nothing better than sitting down for dinner and having your mom serve you a Hercules plate full of meatloaf and steamed vegetables. It made eating food easy since getting to the bottom of the plate meant you were able to see the entire cartoon. According to users on Reddit, “I think I ate Eggo waffles on the Hercules plate twice a week in elementary school. Nostalgia feels good, and “I had a whole set of these at one point, but Hercules was my favorite one. I would eat off of it all the time and wouldn’t accept any second-rate Meg or Pegasus.” Dinner was way more fun thirty years ago. All we have now is boring white plates (Reddit).

The PJs

Back in 1999, plopping down on the couch and turning on The PJs was a ritual that most families did in the 90s. This adult show was humorous and starred Eddie Murphy, who was a big hit during the 90s (Reddit).

The Sports Illustrated Sneaker Phone

Seeing this Sports Illustrated sneaker phone on the front of a magazine probably made you pick up your boring landline, dial the number, and order one straight away. Besides, who wouldn’t want to have a long phone call on a sneaker phone? One of the best parts about the sneaker phone was the ridiculous commercial that took you by surprise, just as it took the customers on the commercial by surprise. Store clerks went around handing the phone to interested customers who were looking for a regular pair of sneakers. One customer said, “You won’t believe where I’m calling from!” Strange, right? The 90s was a whole different world (YouTube).

Goose Glasses

Did you grow up in the 90s if you didn’t have these glasses? There was nothing better than coming home after a sweaty summer day, running around the streets, to a large jar of ice water and lemon sitting on the kitchen counter. You’d pour yourself a glass of water in a matching goose glass and sip away (Etsy).

Nickelodeon Magazine

Nickelodeon was one of the most popular TV shows during the 90s. That’s why this 90s magazine probably brought back all the nostalgia you could ever hope for. According to the Nickelodeon website, “Almost every magazine consisted of comics and activities based on Nicktoons, both new and reprinted from the regular magazine, and often included a two-sided poster. These magazines were usually published as tie-ins with special Nicktoon episodes or movies that were premiering at the time.” If you have one lying around, it’s time to grab it and take a trip down memory lane (Reddit).

Magazines Dedicated To Beanie Babies

You, like many other kids in the 90s, probably fell asleep snuggled up to your plethora of beanie babies. Back then, they also had magazines dedicated solely to beanie babies. They filled these pages with photos of different beanie babies you could buy. The choices felt endless, and everyone reached a consensus that Ty Warner hit gold. Since the beanie babies era, people have sought the rare collectibles that were once so easily attainable. The New York Times reported, “I had one customer who told me her car was broken into because she had a retired Beanie Baby sitting on the dashboard …The thieves didn’t touch the radio.” At least your beanie babies were safely tucked away in your bedroom (Mental Floss).

Goosebumps

Nestling up in bed and opening a Goosebumps book was something you probably did daily. The Goosebumps book series was one of the most popular book series in the world, full of creepy horror stories that kept many people up at night. His book taglines like “It will just kill you” and the terrifying stories that followed probably ruined your 90s childhood (Independent).

This 90s Scene

Nothing screams the 90s more than this photo, which showcases two girls sitting on a bed, wearing typical 90s outfits, playing the recorder, with large posters and a brick television set. Get ready for the memories to flood in! Instead of spending our evenings on our phones, we had to use our imagination and play with each other. Tales with Tash describes her Saturday nights in the 90s, saying, “We rarely had takeaways in my house – I’m talking chippy chips maybe once every three months, or perhaps a slice of pizza from Pizza Box which the parents always made us cycle for. Usually, our weekend treat was oven chips instead of boiled potatoes and a barrel of fun in front of the box.” Some would argue that evenings in the 90s were a lot better than they are now (Reddit).

MySpace

Did you have MySpace in the 90s? This photograph encapsulates a typical photo seen on MySpace. This was the original social media page, where you were free to share your thoughts and feelings and connect with other people on the World Wide Web. Originally, “The site had 25 million users and was the fifth most popular site in the US when it sold to NewsCorp. And that was the start of its decline from ultra-trendy to ultra-tacky.” It all felt like a mystery back then (Reddit).

Troll Dolls

Like Beanie Babies, troll dolls were a big hit that made their way onto the bedroom shelves of many children of the 90s. What better way to spend an evening after school than looking at your troll dolls? The users of Reddit have their own opinions, saying, “I loved them! I kind of forgot about them until recently, maybe because I don’t see them around anywhere. I don’t remember where we used to buy them. And I think you could get the miniature ones from quarter machines.” They’ve disappeared as quickly as they had appeared (Reddit).

Chunky Lunchboxes

Going to school was fun in the 90s, all because of those chunky lunchboxes with matching thermoses. What better way to spend an entire lunch break than breaking open that lunch box and taking out its mysterious contents? The people of Reddit shared their experience with those chunky lunchboxes, saying, “I had the Jurassic Park one, the thermos had a biohazard warning symbol…I thought that was so awesome.” Others didn’t like it, saying, “I had one of these, milk never tasted right out of the thermos. I hated bringing lunch to school, especially since we lived a couple blocks away.” Either way, it wasn’t a 90s lunch without a chunky lunchbox (Reddit).

Dunkaroos 90s Snack

Every chunky lunchbox needed a Dunkaroos snack to complete their sandwich and bag of apples. Other junk snacks included Flavorice, Fun Dip, Lunchables, and delicious cheese balls. Snacks in the 90s felt a lot more exciting than the snacks we have now (Dunkaroos).

The Rug Map

No classroom was complete without the famous rug map! It was probably the first road map you ever looked at in your life, and in the 90s, it made a lot of sense. There was no better way to explore a neighborhood than pretending you were on the road, going between the chapel, school, and hospital, with mini toy cars on the rug. As some Reddit users say, “The newer generations will never understand.” They certainly will not! (Reddit).

These Pokemon Trading Cards

Recess was another world in the 90s. Back then, people didn’t open social media on their phones like kids do nowadays. They used to sit under the shade of a tree and trade Pokemon cards, to see which ones they could collect. Most kids tried to collect them all, and if you were one of the skilled lucky ones, you probably had them all (Pokeorder).

This Cassette Tape

In the 90s, no one had Spotify. You had to acquire a cassette tape, push it into a cassette player, and listen to music with a lot of patience. If you didn’t have the cassette tape for your favorite song, then you wouldn’t listen to it. At one point in time, they even surpassed vinyl as a popular way to listen to music (Pinterest).

This Phone

These flip phones look ancient compared to what we have nowadays. Those cell phone batteries lasted for days on end, you had a limited amount of phone credit, you were often butt-dialed depending on the first letter of your name, the phone’s antenna was on the outside, and the screens only had two colors, black and green (Apped Review).

First Day Of School

Do you remember your first day of school? This Reddit user posted their first day of school back in 1990, and it has all of us giggling. You probably have a similar picture laying around somewhere. The way we dressed in the 90s was a lot different than the way kids dressed now. This girl’s baggy pants, a big baggy shirt, and an eccentric necklace encapsulates the 90s style, as do the bright yellow carpet and rectangular television in the background (Reddit).

Sky Fairy

This sky fairy probably took over your living room. Do you have memories of coming home after school, pressing a button, and watching that fairy fly straight into the air, only to come back down and nearly knock you in the head? There was also a dragon-themed one for boys. These toys lasted as long as their wings did (Pinterest).

Kid Pix

This classic software was a staple of the 90s. It was the only form of digital art that existed back then. As one user, who recently played a replica of Kid Pix, said, “This version contains many of the old tools such as stamps, fun brushes to play with, shapes, colors, and letters. It also contains many of the sound effects from the original version. I haven’t heard these sound effects since I was a young child, so It was a trip to hear them again.” (Reddit).

Scholastic Book Fair Day

It felt like Christmas when it was Scholastic Book Fair day at school! It was the one day of the year when you could roam around your auditorium and purchase any brand-new book you wanted. Most of you probably used your allowance money to buy the most interesting books you could find. One user on Geeze Zone said, “It was a blessing to be a reader in the 90s internet age. I always look back at those days and remember with strong nostalgia my experience as a growing reader. It is amazing to see these things from an adult’s perspective, and it is for this reason, that I am not ready to live Bookstagram and the culture it promoted. The scholastic book fairs spurred my romanticism for reading books.” It was hard to concentrate on this day since you probably spent the whole day watching the clock tick until you could head to the book fair (Reddit).

Squeezeit

With tons of sugar, these Squeezeit drinks give you way more energy than you ever needed. If you had one during recess, it felt impossible to sit through those next few hours of class. One Reddit user said, “I also remember the little tablets you could drop in them that changed the color of the juice.” There was nothing better than pure sugar juice out of a fun, squeezable container. One other Reddit user remembers, “The color-changing pellets were mindblowing in the mid-90s. We were so bored as kids.” Back then, we had to entertain ourselves, and one of those ways was with Squeezeits (Reddit).

Playing Basketball

Instead of heading to an actual gym and playing basketball, most people played basketball in their very own room. If you remember trying to shoot the mini basketball into the basket, then this photograph will bring back plenty of memories from the 90s. These fun shots made nights entertaining, fun, and exciting (Reddit).

Animorphs Book Series

Just like the Goosebumps series, this book series was epic, wild, and astonishing. It defined the era of the 90s. Even though they’re underrated now, they were a popular part of any 90s kid’s bookshelf (Goodreads).

Blockbuster Popcorn

Saturday night wasn’t complete without Blockbuster popcorn. You placed this in your microwave, pressed the button, and waited for that buttery corn to pop into something salty and delicious. Putting on your favorite Blockbuster movie and sipping on a mug of hot Ovaltine made a Saturday night one you’d never want to forget (Reddit)