Nostalgia has a powerful grip on our collective consciousness, and toy manufacturers know it. From the playground favorites of the ’80s and ’90s to timeless classics that have entertained generations, many beloved toys are experiencing a renaissance in 2025. Whether you’re looking to relive your childhood or introduce your kids to the games that defined your youth, these 10 iconic toys are back and better than ever.
Hasbro SKIP IT
The ultimate ankle-swinging challenge of the ’90s is back, but this time it’s got lights, it’s got sound, and it’s more competitive than ever. A revamped version of the original Skip It, the toy comes with a digital counter display that can track your high score and lifetime count up to a million skips. It even congratulates you with phrases like “New record set!” when you outdo yourself.
Available in both blue and pink versions, this 31-inch-long retro toy is perfect for friendly competitions and can be easily packed for on-the-go fun. If you’ve obsessed over your Skip It high scores back in the day, this version may just rekindle your love for this nostalgic toy while introducing the kids of today to its ankle-swinging fun.
Invisible Ink Puzzles (Yes & Know Books)
Remember those magical books where answers appeared when you rubbed them with a special marker? After a 20-year hiatus, they’re officially being relaunched! Tree Town Toys is reviving the beloved Yes & Know Books with their signature invisible ink puzzles, this time with updated invisible ink technology called “Surprize Ink” for a new demographic of sleuths.
These puzzle books, which combine the tactile satisfaction of revealing hidden answers with brain-teasing challenges that encourage critical thinking, offer hours of engaging entertainment that’ll have kids (and adults) feeling like secret agents as they reveal hidden answers.
The classic book series featuring six new titles, including “Awesome Animals” and “Mythical Creatures,” is going to be made available come summer.
Hasbro SIMON Jump Game Mat
SIMON says… jump! The iconic memory game that has challenged players since 1978 has been given an active makeover with the new SIMON Jump Game Mat, thanks to a collaboration between Hasbro and Just Play. This innovative twist on the classic electronic game transforms the traditional button-pressing memory game into a full-body experience.
Instead of using your fingers to repeat color sequences, it has players hopping and dancing to match light and sound patterns on a responsive floor mat. The game keeps the iconic red, green, yellow, and blue color scheme but scales everything up for physical play.
To play, you turn on the console, press start, memorize the sequence of colored light patterns and sounds, then repeat them with your feet on the mat. Multiple mats can be combined for multiplayer tournaments, though each is sold separately. This game is a perfect blend of nostalgia and active play that’ll have the whole family up and moving.
LITE-BRITE Touch Mini
The intriguing light-up creativity toy that delighted kids for decades has been reimagined for the modern era. The Lite-Brite Touch Mini eliminates the need for those tiny pegs that inevitably end up lost in the carpet or painfully embedded in your foot.
This compact version of the classic toy brings the fidgety fun of the original Lite-Brite into a palm-sized package. The toy features 25 buttons that light up in seven different colors as you play through three built-in games or create colorful, light, and artwork with just a tap. In Create mode, you just need to press any button to cycle through the seven colors until you reach the one you want.
The Play mode includes three games: Lite Tac Toe (playable against a second player or the Touch Mini itself), Lite Remember (a memory game where you match color patterns), and Lite Dot to Dot (where you connect same-colored dots along a continuous path through 30 levels). With batteries included, this travel-friendly toy is perfect for keeping you entertained in waiting rooms, on road trips, or anywhere else boredom might strike.
View-Master 3-D
The stereoscopic wonder that transported us to faraway lands through circular reels of 3D images has been reimagined for today’s visually sophisticated kids. The new View-Masters maintain their classic, retro style while offering enhanced visual experiences that make you feel like you’re really there.
Basic Fun’s revival preserves the satisfying click-and-view mechanics with bigger and brighter images while offering reels featuring beloved characters like Mickey Mouse alongside enduring subjects like Endangered Species and Wildlife. Despite living in an age of virtual reality headsets, this magically simplistic View-Master, where you can walk with giraffes, leap with frogs, and roar with tigers, may just about captivate young imaginations.
Tamagotchi
The digital pet phenomenon that had ’90s kids frantically feeding, cleaning, and caring for pixelated creatures during school hours is experiencing its biggest revival yet. Since its 1996 debut in Japan, Bandai Namco’s virtual pocket pet, the Tamagotchi, has sold over 83 million units worldwide and continues to evolve with the times.
The latest models maintain the egg-shaped design but now feature color screens, connectivity options, and expanded gameplay that allow pets to interact with you through QR codes, NFC, or smartphone apps. The Tamagotchi Uni, released in July 2023, can even be worn on the wrist like a smartwatch. For those who prefer a less pocket-sized experience, Tamagotchi has expanded to gaming platforms and mobile apps, including the recent “Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom” for Apple Arcade.
Additionally, Bandai unveiled Tamagotchi Plaza, a shop simulation game coming to Nintendo Switch on June 27, 2025. This cozy title will let players manage 12 different shops in Tamahiko Town while interacting with over 100 Tamagotchi characters, including fan-favorites Mametchi, Kuchipatchi, and Memetchi. The virtual pet that taught a generation about responsibility now offers nostalgic adults a chance to share that experience with a new crowd.
Lincoln Logs
These interlocking wooden building pieces, invented by John Lloyd Wright (son of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright) in 1916, which have been inspiring young architects since their creation, are making a sustainable comeback. Basic Fun’s revival of Lincoln Logs emphasizes the toy’s timeless appeal—the satisfying tactile experience of notched logs fitting perfectly together to create miniature cabins and structures.
In an age of plastic predominance, these wooden toys offer an eco-friendly option that encourages spatial thinking and problem-solving while also exploring creativity through hands-on play. The classic red roof pieces and green base “grass” remain, but contemporary sets include new architectural possibilities while maintaining the nostalgic Americana aesthetic that has defined the brand for over a century.
Clue: Muppets Edition
The classic murder mystery board game gets a whimsical makeover with the Muppet gang stepping into the iconic roles released by The Op Games in collaboration with Disney. Players can join Kermit as Mayor Green, Fozzie as Colonel Mustard, and Miss Piggy as Miss Scarlet as they explore the Muppet Theatre to solve the mystery behind Uncle Deadly’s departure.
This delightful edition (along with many others, including Peanuts and Rupaul’s Drag Race Editions) transforms the game’s traditional locations into familiar Muppet settings like Muppet Labs and features thematic items such as the Zapper from “Pigs in Space” and Kermit’s sword from Muppet Treasure Island.
Released in late 2024 and designed for 2 to 6 players (for ages 8 and up), this colorful family-friendly twist on the classic whodunit combines the personalities, settings, and fun of The Muppets with the excitement and mystery of Clue which is a happy combination that any Clue enthusiast would enthusiastically embrace.
Tonka Steel Classics Assortment
The legendary Tonka trucks that have been a staple of sandbox play for generations are back with a steel classics assortment that includes their classic Dump Truck, Excavator, and Bulldozer models. Known for their durability and realistic details, these steel vehicles continue to embody the “Tonka tough” promise that has made them a childhood essential for decades.
The signature yellow bulldozer, excavator, and dump truck feature working parts that can handle serious play, just as they did when we were engineering backyard construction projects decades ago.
While many toy companies have cut corners with cheaper materials, Tonka’s commitment to robust construction ensures these vehicles will likely survive and become hand-me-downs to the next generation, just as many of us played with Tonka trucks passed down from older siblings or parents.
Playskool My Buddy Classic Plush
Playskool’s soft companion that was a fixture in many ’80s and ’90s childhoods is making a comeback in its classic form through The Loyal Subjects’ collaboration with Hasbro. For the uninitiated, My Buddy dolls (when they were first introduced in 1985) were designed to encourage nurturing play for all children, in order to break gender stereotypes around dolls.
This faithful recreation of the original My Buddy doll preserves the signature overalls, striped shirt, and friendly expression (well, sort of) that made him a nursery staple before becoming unintentionally infamous through a certain horror franchise.
Hasbro’s Playskool division has wisely leaned into nostalgia by keeping the design remarkably true to the original while ensuring modern safety standards are met. For parents who cherished their own My Buddy dolls (or coveted one from afar), this revival offers a chance to share an authentic piece of their childhood with their children, complete with the same tactile play features and hopefully comforting presence.