Stupid Toy Day

Remember those ridiculous and stupid toys that everyone played with when they were little? Whether received as a birthday gift, offered as a hand-me-down from an older sibling, or simply seen on television advertisements, Stupid Toy Day is the time to reminisce and think about the fond memories related to not only silly toys, but just the general uniqueness and wonder of childhood.

History of Stupid Toy Day

First observed in 2017, Stupid Toy Day came about through the inspiration and nostalgia that often makes its way into the thoughts and hearts of adults around Christmas time. Parents who are buying toys for their kids, or adults who are just thinking back, can take Stupid Toy Day as an opportunity to have a little fun and remember the good times.

From Cabbage Patch Kids to Barbie Dolls, from G.I. Joe to Tickle Me Elmo, the ideas for toys have run the gamut over the years. And who really knows what kids will find fun, anyway?

Whether the day is spent thinking back to vintage stupid toys from childhood or perusing the ridiculous toys that are on the shelves in the stores today, Stupid Toy Day is just a crazy day that is virtually meaningless but also can be a fun time to celebrate!

How to Celebrate Stupid Toy Day

Looking for ways to observe and enjoy Stupid Toy Day? Consider some of these ideas:

Play Like a Kid

The whole point of Stupid Toy Day is to live in a little bit of nostalgia! Head over to the local playground and take a spin on the merry go round or get flying high on the swings. Or, get some friends together and enjoy a rousing game of some of those favorite childhood classic board games, like Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, Hi Ho! Cherry-O, or Hungry Hungry Hippos!

Some other fun games to play in celebration of Stupid Toy Day might be to play some flag football, get some friends together for “Kick the Can” or get some sidewalk chalk and draw out a Hopscotch board on the driveway. Try doing some Double Dutch jump-roping or play some Go Fish with a deck of cards. Whatever way the day is celebrated, be sure to enjoy it in a spirit of silliness!

Remember Some Stupid Childhood Toys

The whole point of Stupid Toy Day is for adults to dig back into their memories and consider what kinds of crazy things they played with (or wished they could have) when they were small. Perhaps some of the toys on this list will strike a memory chord, whether you had them personally or a friend had them:

• Teddy Ruxpin. This animatronic toy that acts like a talking teddy bear was first released in 1985 and Ruxpin was extremely popular. Renditions of this toy have been manufactured by a variety of different toy makers over the years, but there’s really nothing like the original.
• Stretch Armstrong. Talk about your stupid toys! This one literally did nothing but stretch. Appealing to the idea of strength and bodybuilding popular in the 1970s, Stretch Armstrong was a muscular character that was filled with a gelatinous substance that allowed him to be stretched and then return slowly to his original shape.
• Tamagotchi. One of the biggest toy fads of the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Tamagotchi was a Japanese phenomenon that every kid wanted. (Turns out, it was mostly just a lot of work for kids to take care of!) This digital “pet” came in the form of an “egg” shape that kids could keep in their pockets.
• Furby. Another ridiculous toy that was a fad in the late 90s and early 2000s, the Furby was like an updated version of the Teddy Ruxpin doll. Rather creepy and weird-looking, Furbies were dolls that could “learn” to talk in a sort of show of intelligence (which was not actually AI, but was a programming trick).

Go Shopping for Classic Stupid Toys

Some people have found that many of these stupid toys from childhood are now worth a whole lot of money. Especially if they have been well-cared-for and are in the original packaging. Estate sales, antique stores and other vintage sellers often make these available for collectors, as well as online sources such as eBay.

For those who are already collectors, Stupid Toy Day might be the right time to try to sell those collections and make a bit of money in honor of the day!

Tell Some Stupid Jokes

Since Stupid Toy Day is all about acting like a kid again, perhaps a fun way to do so would be to reach back into that mind to pull out some of those favorite jokes from childhood. Knock Knock jokes, puns and riddles can all be loads of fun. Get started with some of these:

• Knock, Knock. Who’s there? A little old lady. A little old lady who? Hey, I didn’t know you could yodel!
• Why was the baby in Egypt? It was looking for its mummy.
• Why did the tomato blush? Because it saw the salad dressing.
• Do you have holes in your underwear? No! So how do you put your legs through?

Enjoy Some Classic Video Games

While it might be hard to get that actual old Atari game console working again, some fun versions of classic video and computer games can be found through a quick online search in honor of Stupid Toy Day. Games like Pong, Asteroids, Pac-Man, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? might be loads of fun to reminisce over!

Find Some Stupid Toys Lying Around

People who are parents might not have to work very hard to dig into the bottom of their kids’ toy boxes to find a collection of stupid toys dwelling at the bottom. Or maybe there are some nostalgic silly toys in a storage box in your mom’s basement! Stupid Toy Day is just the right time to fish around in the back of the closet and figure out what some of those silly toys are and what to do with them.