Kids Toys of the 1980s
Word Search Puzzle 33
This word search is themed. It hides the names of 20 kids toysCare Bear, Charmkins, Garfield, Glo Worm, Gobots,
Gremlins, Knight Rider, Littles, My Little Pony, Poochie,
See 'N Say, Simon, Smurfs, Snorks, Speak & Spell,
Talking Robot, Teddy Ruxpin, Transformer, Star Rider, Wuzzles from the decade of the 1980s, like SIMON and TEDDY RUXPIN. Our personal favorite were SMURFS. But note that only 18 of these 20 names are actually listed. So you're on your own to find the 2 unlisted names. A full solution is provided if you get stuck.
By the way, we designed this puzzle to be easily read. Both the puzzle grid and word list are in large 17-point font size. And the puzzle grid, which is 22×20 letters, spans the entire width of the page. This way you won't have to squint.
Fun Facts About Kids Toys from the 1980s
- The Rubik's Cube was first invented in 1974 and was originally called "Magic Cube". It exploded in popularity in 1980 and became the best-selling toy ever, with over 350 million units sold worldwide. It was so addictive that support groups were eventually formed.
- Care Bears were a popular line of plush bears launched in 1982. Each bear was distinguished by a unique belly symbol representing emotions. For instance, Cheer Bear had a rainbow on her belly, while Grumpy Bear featured a rain cloud.
- My Little Pony had a unique "cutie mark" on its colorful flank, making each one special and highly collectible. Starting in 1982, the line included unicorns and sea ponies with brushable manes, inspiring outfits, playsets, and a long-running cartoon empire.
- Cabbage Patch Kids caused store chaos in 1983. Parents fought over limited stock, with some shop owners even wielding baseball bats to control crowds. These dolls came with "adoption papers" and birth certificates, and no two were exactly alike, generating massive sales (over $2 billion) during the 1980s.
- Transformers began as rebranded Japanese toys in 1984, allowing kids to turn robots into vehicles (and vice versa). The toy line spawned cartoons and comics complete with backstory, and eventually a multibillion-dollar movie franchise.
- Teddy Ruxpin was the animatronic talking bear from 1985 which used cassette tapes to "read" stories while synchronizing its mouth and eye movements to the audio. Kids sometimes substituted standard music cassette tapes to see if the mouth would move in sync with the singer. This, of course, never worked out very well.
- Lawn Darts (or Jarts) were oversized metal-tipped darts tossed at ground targets, like horseshoes. They were popular for decades in the U.S., but were banned in 1988 because they led to thousands of injuries and sadly, some fatalities.
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