# Kid's fads, past & present **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 9, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490 "2010-06-09T01:33:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/1 "2010-06-09T01:33:19Z")
Perhaps some that you yourself participated in. Right now, I have tons of students who are wearing little rubber bracelets which, when taken off your wrist, form the shape of animals and various other objects. One walked in today with like 2 dozen on his arm. I guess they can be traded around for extra fun. In my youth, every 18 months my school would have a yoyo craze, and every boy had to have one. Then after a couple of months that got old, and they vanished from the playground, only to come back to life again later. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/2 "2010-06-09T02:02:57Z")
We used to have [slap bracelets](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slap_bracelet). Wildly popular, banned at school for being dangerous, quickly out of everyone’s mind. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/3 "2010-06-09T02:21:33Z")
I’m 23 now. I remember us going through in elementary school in early-mid/late 90s: slap bracelets friendship bracelets WWJD bracelets (not even for religious reasons though?) pogs Tamagotchis yo-yos toggles on our Adidas jackets IOU sweatshirts No Fear flannel peace signs/smiley face/yin yang stuff shoelace hair ties and side ponytails Umbro And I most definitely participated in all of the above except No Fear which boys generally wore. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/4 "2010-06-09T02:28:17Z")
I have no doubt that there were ones that pre-dated the Teddy Bear of 1904-1907. It was a craze. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/5 "2010-06-09T02:32:22Z")
I was in elementary/middle school in the late 70s/80s. We used to make “friendship pins” - safety pins with beads on them - that we traded and attached to our Keds. My kids are all about the Silly Bandz. I bought them a few packs and now they have a hundred and something little rubber bracelets. They fought so much over the four purple dogs that I took them all away and now I dole them out 10 at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/6 "2010-06-09T02:35:02Z")
Swatch watches, jelly shoes or beaded safety pins worn on the tennis shoe laces. And those bead necklaces you wore like ten of all twisted together. I used to wear them as belts. I think those were pre-teen or just into to the teen years. That’s when neon everything hit, and I thought I was Cyndi Lauper for the next four years. Child of the eighties, I was. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/7 "2010-06-09T02:36:19Z")
> [@C3](#): > > I was in elementary/middle school in the late 70s/80s. We used to make “friendship pins” - safety pins with beads on them - that we traded and attached to our Keds. > > My kids are all about the Silly Bandz. I bought them a few packs and now they have a hundred and something little rubber bracelets. They fought so much over the four purple dogs that I took them all away and now I dole them out 10 at a time. Friendship pins! That’s what I was talking about! ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/8 "2010-06-09T02:37:15Z")
I was born in 1970 so I’m a true teen of the '80’s. Neon bandannas, bangles, rolling pant cuffs, high-tops, giant hair, tons of makeup, banana clips, jean jackets, Benetton… Hmm, all of mine are fashion stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/9 "2010-06-09T02:39:54Z")
Those rubber bracelets are a real phenomenon. One week ago I’d never heard of them; now they’re all over the place. In another week someone will realize they’re harmful to wildlife and a choking hazard, and the party will be over as soon as it started. They’ll go on the scrap heap with silly string and those gel snack cups. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/10 "2010-06-09T02:48:52Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > We used to have [slap bracelets](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slap_bracelet). Wildly popular, banned at school for being dangerous, quickly out of everyone’s mind. I’ve always said the quickest way for a school is not to ban the fad, but to have the teachers and principal join in. Dead in 24 hours. Guaranteed. ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/11 "2010-06-09T03:02:07Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > In my youth, every 18 months my school would have a yoyo craze, and every boy had to have one. Then after a couple of months that got old, and they vanished from the playground, only to come back to life again later. My elementary school days seem to go back quite a bit further than others who have posted here (late 50s/early 60s), so there were fewer mass-produced fads around then. But the yo-yo craze very definitely hit bigtime in about fourth grade for me. Everyone had them, myself included. As I recall, Duncan was the only brand around, and you could get the cheapo wooden model, the “butterfly,” or if you were well-heeled, the Duncan Imperial (translucent plastic) for a buck. An indelible childhood memory: for some reason my mom and I went to the local airport one day. Although she was almost always very kind and even-tempered, Mom must have been in a bad mood that day. As we walked from the parking lot toward the terminal, I was playing non-stop with my yo-yo (hmm…there must be a better way to say that!), and she told me to cut it out. I failed to comply, and shortly thereafter, upon seeing me still at it, she hissed at me “I told you to put that damn thing away!!” Whoa! Mom swore at me! I can’t honestly recall any other time she ever did that. Fifty years gone by, and I still remember. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/12 "2010-06-09T03:04:24Z")
Mood rings, and later Izod shirts, Member’s Only jackets ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/13 "2010-06-09T03:07:48Z")
> [@myskepticsight](#): > > I’m 23 now. I remember us going through in elementary school in early-mid/late 90s: > > slap bracelets > friendship bracelets > WWJD bracelets (not even for religious reasons though?) > pogs > Tamagotchis > yo-yos > toggles on our Adidas jackets > IOU sweatshirts > No Fear > flannel > peace signs/smiley face/yin yang stuff > shoelace hair ties and side ponytails > Umbro This. Most of 'em, anyway (I don’t think the toggles or the IOU sweatshirts were that popular in my school). I’m also 23. But…dude, you forgot beanie babies! My friends went NUTS over those, and my grandma sent me at least 3 per year for various holidays. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/14 "2010-06-09T03:12:20Z")
The teenager came home with some of those animal bracelets today, and a story about a neighboring school supposedly banning them because they were tied to gangs; which led to us discussing the colorful bracelets everyone her age was wearing a few years ago that were supposed to be a coded way to tell other kids which sex acts they’d performed, or were willing to perform, or something, according to the media. The LIVESTRONG style bracelets with different sayings were popular for a while, too. My middle school had a short fad where people wore their shirts backwards and inside out. Does anyone else remember the sweatshirts the girls were wearing around 93 or 94 that head cartoon heads saying things like “whatever” on the front? It’s unrelated, but a lot of girls were into carrying around pacifiers around that time period, too. Canvas sneakers covered in duct tape hacky sacks - Do kids still play that game? clackers ---
**Author:** ![Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nefarious_chipmunk/32/1045_2.png) [@Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefarious_Chipmunk)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/15 "2010-06-09T03:24:41Z")
Clackers were big Bubble necklaces Slap bracelets (I saw a girl wearing one the other day, so they are still around) Eating baby food for lunch (I never personally participated in this, but I remember it) Pogs Keychains on the backpack (10 or 20 hanging from one zipper) I am sure that there were more. Mostly, what I remember about fads was that my mom never bought us what was popular until long after it had faded away. Ah, the torment of youth. ---
**Author:** ![PeskiPiksi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@PeskiPiksi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeskiPiksi)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/16 "2010-06-09T03:30:58Z")
Lessee…another child of the 80’s here: Friendship pins Jelly shoes Vaurnet (sp?) Coca-Cola shirts Charm Necklaces Dangle Rings Tulip Rings Jammers Twisty Beads OP Lisa Frank stickers Trapper Keepers I feel like I’m forgetting some, there were so many… ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/17 "2010-06-09T03:47:02Z")
Man I remember a lot of these… If pressed I could probably still make friendship pins and bracelets (I still have a book on how to make the latter! Maybe I should make myself some of the thin flowered ones again… I loved those ones…). High school for me was Sailor Moon and Pokemon (seriously). Totally remember the soothers, I had a few even. ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/18 "2010-06-09T03:47:41Z")
Slap bracelets and friendship bracelets(but I never had enough patience to sit there and make my own.) But I loved the erasers and shit from San Rio we used to trade. I liked Keroppi the frog the best. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/19 "2010-06-09T04:07:37Z")
> [@myskepticsight](#): > > I’m 23 now. I remember us going through in elementary school in early-mid/late 90s: > > slap bracelets > friendship bracelets > WWJD bracelets (not even for religious reasons though?) > pogs > Tamagotchis > yo-yos > toggles on our Adidas jackets > IOU sweatshirts > No Fear > flannel > peace signs/smiley face/yin yang stuff > shoelace hair ties and side ponytails > Umbro > > And I most definitely participated in all of the above except No Fear which boys generally wore. I remember most of these. I still have a bunch of pogs and I have no idea what you’re supposed to do with them except put them in a container and occasionally look at them. There was also: Beanie Babies (I have a ton of those, too) Elmo stuff Jnco jeans with giant back pockets boys’ hair gelled flat on top with only the bangs sticking straight up putting 50 keychains on your backpack zippers Pokemon cards vests epic Spice Girls vs. Hanson and BSB vs. 'NSync battles Totally ridiculous looking back on it. My friend’s brothers got into a Pokemon-related fistfight because one of them accidentally threw a Charizard card into the community swimming pool and they “only” had 3 left after that. It was supposedly really valuable. Probably worth $0.07 today. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490/20 "2010-06-09T14:58:14Z")
Siamese rings. Troll dolls. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-fads-past-present/542490.md?page=2)