We probably all have a favourite present that we’ve received lately, or there’s a gift on your list that you can’t wait to receive this year. Christmas is the best time of year for many reasons, one of which is being able to treat each other and spend time together. After seeing Varta’s Christmas advert, we thought we’d take a trip down memory lane and remember some of the nation’s favourite gifts over the decades! From the simplest of gifts to the most extravagant, and even some ridiculous presents thrown in for good measure, here are just a few of the most wanted Christmas presents through the years.

Popular presents over the years

It sometimes feels like kids’ presents are getting more advanced and even more expensive too! Don’t forget that more often than not, Christmas presents don’t come with batteries so that’s another thing to add to your list. If only we knew somewhere you could buy all the batteries you could ever need… Some of the most popular Christmas presents from over the years are still seen and bought for children today; some went out of fashion and came back. See if you can spot some of your own presents, or ones that you really wanted when you were a kid! Here are the best Christmas toys from 1980 to the present day.

Presents from 1980s

The Rubik’s Cube has 43 quintillion combinations, making it one of the most puzzling and exciting games to beat in the 1980s. It can still be seen today, baffling even the cleverest of kids. It was an easy gift to give back in the 80s and became a huge trend over the next few years.
rubik's cube
The BMX bike was a very popular gift in the 1980s, and one of the easiest ways to encourage kids to play outside. What started as a kids’ activity soon grew into a huge sport. Cabbage patch kids were also highly sought after in the 80s. They were designed by an art student, and have since sold 115 million units across the world. You can find vintage ones online and they’ve even become collector’s items. The 1980s was the home of Care Bears. With around 40 million sold worldwide, they have been relaunched several times through the years including 2002 and 2007. The franchise included a TV series, movies and other merchandise as well as the bears themselves. At the very end of the 1980s, Nintendo launched its Game Boy which became an incredibly popular gift for a long time! The Pokémon series became a staple of the Game Boy, and the console has appeared in popular culture like episodes of The Simpsons.
nintendo game boy

Presents from the 1990s

The 90s was the home to many popular gifts that you will probably all remember very well! One of the most popular games in the 1990s was ‘pogs’; small discs that sold over 350 million. The point was to flip your opponent’s pog, with many players playing ‘for keeps’ and collecting as many as they could. The funny history behind pogs is they actually started out as milk bottle caps, before a company decided to cash in on its popularity. The Tamagotchi was a prevalent toy through the 90s; keeping it alive was a real challenge, especially if your children’s school didn’t allow them to be taken in! The Tamagotchi actually made a comeback in recent years too.
tamagotchi
One of the most popular but also scariest toys of the 1990s was the Furby. Many stores have emerged of people taking out the Furby’s batteries, only for the toy to carry on making noises! It was a furry companion for kids throughout the late 1990s; it remained a must-have toy until the 2000s. This was another retro toy that has made a recent comeback.

Presents from the 2000s

In recent years, Christmas presents for kids have continued to come and go in waves, with some memorable gifts in the mix. Beyblades were a playground favourite and were seen everywhere, but only for a short period of time before everyone moved on to the next big thing. Presents become more electronic and centred around video consoles and games; the Dance Mat was hugely popular amongst boys and girls alike the 2000s, while the Nintendo DS was also launched as the 2000s version of the Game Boy. The Nerf Gun also became a popular gift a few years ago, with bigger and better versions being released through the years.