80s Toys You Definitely Had

Before tablets and smartphones, the toys of the 1980s captured our imaginations and filled living rooms across Southern England with joy, noise, and the occasional plastic missile. Here’s a trip back to the toybox of an 80s childhood.

Big Trak

Image: Big Trak (photo by Binarysequence, based on work by MartinLing) – CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

This futuristic programmable tank had one job: roll forward, fire lasers (well, lights), and blow your mind. Whether you had the original grey version or the later white UK release, Big Trak was pure space-age magic.

Action Man

Image credit: Palitoy / Action Man Official Site

Complete with eagle eyes, gripping hands and a thousand uniforms, Action Man was the hero every kid needed. From SAS missions in the garden to arctic survival in the airing cupboard, he did it all, badly stitched parachute and all.

Sylvanian Families

Image: Sylvanian Families France, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tiny woodland creatures in tiny outfits with tiny furniture. Enough said. Sylvanian Families were a quieter hit but incredibly popular, especially among collectors and kids building idyllic countryside villages in their bedrooms.

Fisher Price Tape Recorder

Long before podcasts, the iconic beige classic let us record dodgy cover versions of chart hits from the Radio and create “radio shows” in our bedrooms. Many future DJs probably started out pressing the big red record button on this toy.

At 80s Rhythm, we celebrate the memories that shaped us. Whether you’re reminiscing about toys, telly, or tunes, we’re the soundtrack to your retro life. Tune in live across the South Coast on DAB or stream online anytime.