Some of our fondest childhood memories consist of playing outdoors in the summertime, giving our parents some solitude while we terrorized the neighborhood. Children growing up in the ’80s had no shortage of fun, wacky and potentially dangerous outdoor toys to cause a ruckus with, and some favorites are highlighted here.

Slip ’n Slide

This lawn “water slide” was introduced by Wham-O, Inc., in 1961, and is composed of what is essentially a long slippery tarp (the slide) which one runs water down to create a water slide. Slip ’n Slides gained widespread popularity in the 1980s, and are still available today. Fortunately, they have improved since the days when grass burns and a face full of mud were common, unplanned elements of this game. There are now over 10 varieties of Slip ’n Slides available for purchase, from the simple 16-foot Wave Rider to the Super Splash Tunnel, an inflatable 22-by-10.5-foot slide over a 20-foot tunnel, both leading to a splash pool at the end.

Source: wham-o.com

Pogo Ball

As if athletically-challenged kids needed something to look even more awkward, kids of the 1980s just couldn’t resist flailing about on Pogo Balls. These hands-free versions of pogo sticks were shaped like the planet Saturn. A basketball-sized rubber ball surrounded a platform which one would stand on, firmly gripping the ball between one’s feet while bouncing around like an awkward kangaroo. Pogo Balls came out in the mid-1980s and Hasbro stopped making them less than a decade later, probably because after about a year, most would pop or the platform would crack. Other manufacturers still produce different versions of the Pogo ball, used mostly for physical fitness purposes. Dare you to use one as a new method of getting to class.

Sources: hasbro.com/common/instruct/PogoBall.pdf and doyouremember.co.uk/memory.asp?memID=3372

Big Wheel

This low-riding plastic children’s bike has a 16-inch wheel — also made of plastic — and comes in gendered colors and names. The standard boy’s bike, the Original Big Wheel, is red, blue and yellow with black wheels, and the girl’s pink and purple version is called the Princess Big Wheel. The first Big Wheel was manufactured in 1969 by Louis Marx Toys and was discontinued in 2001; however, Alpha International, Inc., reintroduced the Big Wheel in 2003 along with a 9-inch version for younger children. Before your nostalgia gets the best of you and you decide to catapult yourself down a hill on a Big Wheel, keep in mind that the weight limit is 70 pounds.

Sources: playthingspast.com/em701.html, pedalcarsandretro.com/TheBigWheelreg-p-1-c-56.html and retropedalcars.com/bigwheelhistory.htm

Power Wheels

The lazy kid’s version of a Big Wheel, Power Wheels are small motorized vehicles for kids who want to drive around on their lawns or attempt to run things over without getting any exercise. Fisher Price introduced the first Power Wheels in 1971 and they’re still sold today. They come in versions for two age groups: versions for kids ages 1-2 travel up to 2 mph and only go forward, and versions for kids ages 2-6 can reach 3.5 mph and some go in reverse. Quite an impressive ride for picking up a date.

Source: fisher-price.com/us/powerwheels/

Super Soaker

Aerospace engineer Lonnie Johnson made a breakthrough in water gun history when he invented the Super Soaker in 1982. His invention took form in the Power Drencher which came out in 1988 and later went by the name Super Soaker 100. These water guns allowed children to run around and drench each other from across the yard; nowadays, they are used for everything from wet t-shirt contests to non-traditional baptisms. Super Soakers have caused some controversy, as they have been used for driving-by “shootings” and some of the versions have been powerful enough to cause injury with water pressures stronger than a garden hose nozzle.

Sources: sscentral.org/articles/history.php and bergen.org/AAST/Projects/EngineeringGraphics/2003/SuperSoaker/History.htm

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