Invoking a sense of nostalgia helps the recipient of a gift relive cherished memories. Give someone that warm sense of childhood delight with the best retro toys and gifts.
I certainly had one of these as a kid, and it may have planted the seed that led me to be the music lover I am today. Although I graduated to a proper record player, this makes a fun toy for kids and nostalgic adults. Inspire kids to learn to love changing the record and setting the needle instead of just listening to streaming media all the time.
I can still remember the satisfying tactile nature of this cash register. It’s a great teaching tool on its own, but is best when combined with a toy grocery set.
As someone who somewhat recently played a few rounds of marbles and pogs, I can confirm that these relatively simple games are still fun. This would make a good stocking stuffer for some easy-to-pickup (pun intended) fun.
View-Masters absolutely captured my imagination as a kid, much more so than kaleidoscopes (though that would also make a good retro toy gift). You can choose from this one, in the original retro styling with three reels, the View-Master Classic, which is what I had as a kid, or the new View-Master VR, which brings the concept into the 21st century. Don’t forget to grab some extra reels.
While I vivdly recall commercials for Electronic Battleship from my youth, this version from Hasbro’s Retro series is the one to go with. Play it as it was intended, without any digital help. If Battleship isn’t your game, you could go with the 1967 edition of Candyland or the 1958 edition of Sorry!
Listen, if a game of quarters was good enough for you in college, Tiddlywinks is good enough for you now. It’s an easy game to learn, but somewhat difficult to truly master. Excellent for playing with kids and the inevitable evolution where it turns into a distance contest.
As the wooden spiritual cousin of LEGOS, Lincoln Logs are every bit as fun as you remember. This special edition package includes 327 pieces with step-by-step instructions for three structures. Don’t feel limited by that, though; build the mini log cabin of your dreams.
A staple of vintage toys is the wooden toy car. I had several of them foraged from yard sales as a kid. This one is a modern take on the genre, combining beech wood with real rubber tires and fast-rolling metal axles. In addition to this wooden car, you can get a taco van, Pioneer Aspen, or a racecar, among many others that you can browse through here if this one happens to be out of stock.
Perfect for vintage-styled rooms or just to add a little throwback flair, this jukebox is actually fully modernized. It can play the standards like CDs and AM/FM radio, but also features an aux-in and Bluetooth for playing from modern devices. If you’re looking for a different sort of retro look, consider the Victrola Aviator Entertainment Center, which adds a record player, USB connectivity and a cassette player in addition to the other functions. It’s not brilliant as a record player, but it’ll do in a pinch.
For modern kids, computers are pretty much toys, anyway. This again combines retro in two senses. First is the typewriter styling and aluminum construction. Second, the keys are Cherry MX Blue mechanical keys, hearkening back to the golden age of keyboards. You can use this both wired and wirelessly and has an integrated tablet stand.
Etch a Sketch is a classic toy. Whether you use it just for silly doodles or to create amazing art, it’s just fun to mess around with. If you prefer, you might opt for the World’s Smallest Etch a Sketch as a stocking stuffer.
Speaking of art-making retro toys, the Lite-Brite is another classic. Originally appearing in stores in 1967, these allow you create glowing works of art. Equally good for their intended purpose as a toy or as a fun, custom lamp.
There was a time in my life when I had very many Little Golden Books. If someone you know is looking to rebuild their collection, start with this 75 year anniversary set. It includes the following 12 books: The Poky Little Puppy, I Can Fly, The Sailor Dog, Scuffy the Tugboat, Wonders of Nature, The Three Bears, A Day at the Seashore, The Blue Book of Fairy Tales, I’m a Truck, I Am a Bunny, The Whispering Rabbit, and Katie the Kitten. If you’re looking for a few of the classic titles missing from that list, you’ll want to look at the Classic Characters of Golden Books set, which includes The Poky Little Puppy, Tootle, The Saggy Baggy Elephant, Tawny Scrawny Lion, and Scuffy the Tugboat. They still make Little Golden Books, of course, as seen in this Moana book.
Tin robot toys are pretty retro of themselves, but this one is also modeled after a classic character from the 50s. This is a take on Robby the Robot, who originally appeared in the 1956 film Forbidden Planet. If Robby doesn’t cut it for you, maybe consider this 40s-style wind-up robot.
The Kit Cat clock is a retro American icon. It was originally created by Earl Arnault in 1932 before being updated to its current look in the 40s. These days, you can get the clock in a wide variety of colors, still made in the U.S. as it has always been.
Help someone celebrate the love of their city or their favorite travel destination with this retro-styled poster. There are a number of print size options, as well as coasters and tote bags. The price here is for a 16 by 24 inch Giclee print. Other cities are available, too, including New York, Portland, and Las Vegas.
Celebrate a wealth of midcentury domestic touches with this puzzle that illustrates a lot of the design aesthetics of the era. This 1000 piece puzzle measures 19.25 inches by 26.75 inches when complete.
Create your own retro space with this expert-level LEGO set. It allows you to buils a 50s-style American diner, complete with three levels that also include a gym and a recording studio. Naturally, a hot pink Cadillac is also included.
Okay, so modern video games are not at all retro, except in terms of content. The hallmark of the Fallout franchise is that all the design choices for objects, visuals and buildings in the game world are heavily influenced by retro, mid-century modern aesthetics. It’s a retro-furturistic exploration of the pitfalls of the Atomic Age. You can celebrate this with any of the Bethesda releases, including Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas. You could certainly give the latest addition, Fallout 76, a try, but you might want to wait until they’ve fixed a few more of the bugs.
