21 nostalgic things from the 90s and 00s that kids today would never understand

How many do you remember?

Author: Charlotte RoszkoPublished 6th Dec 2023

If you grew up during the 1990s or 2000s, then there will be plenty of things you will remember fondly from your childhood that kids growing up today just wouldn't understand. With a technological boom in the 90s and 00s, many of us enjoyed childhood memories which featured computers, TV shows and mobile phones.

From playing iconic games such as Snake and Club Penguin, to creating your Christmas list by circling the presents you wanted in the Argos catalogue, there's no shortage of nostalgic things which are sure to evoke special memories. What's more, if you enjoy nostalgia, then you are sure to love KISSTORY All Stars, which sees an array of famous faces look back at the music which shaped them.

To help you take a trip down memory lane, we've put together a list of 21 iconic things that kids today wouldn't understand, but 90s and 00s babies most definitely will. How many can you remember?

Take a look at some of the things kids today wouldn't understand:

Circling your Christmas presents in the Argos catalogue

Who could forget the excitement of putting your Christmas list together by circling presents in the Argos catalogue? After going straight to the toy section, of course.

Winding the windows down in the car

No such thing as electric windows, we used to have to wind them down.

Shopping at Woolworths

A real iconic high street store that is definitely missed, we used to love taking a trip to Woolworths. Who could forget getting a treat from the pick n mix, buying our favourite CDs or simply just having a browse?

Scoubidou bracelets

We loved scoubidou bracelets, which were better known as scoobies. These brightly coloured, plastic bracelets were notoriously difficult to make, but that definitely didn't put us off.
Of course, there was always one of our friends who always had to start them off as nobody else in the group knew how.

Snake

There was plenty of fun to be had playing games on our phones - who could forget Snake?

Sending our friends songs via Bluetooth

Before iPods and way before streaming platforms, our friends used to send us songs via Bluetooth, so we had them on our phones. However, it's safe to say that the quality wasn't too great, and usually sounded even worse coming out of the phone speakers.

Playing Club Penguin

Club Penguin was the source of hours of fun as you'd come home from school and play on your computer. Because you could interact with your friends in the game, we always used to come home from school and immediately go on it at the same time.

Chatting to your friends on MSN

Who could forget logging onto MSN to talk to our friends, even though we'd spent all day with them at school? Plus, if we had a crush, we often used to change our online statuses in a bid to get them to notice us.

Dance mats

Dance mats were the best game, and perfect for playing with friends at parties. Even though the developments in technology have gifted us with some more advanced dance games, nothing beats plugging your crinkly dance mat into the TV and dancing to your heart's content.

Renting movies

Choosing a video to rent was so much fun. This iconic store is very much missed, having paved the way for the streaming platforms such as Netflix that we know and love today.

Cassette tapes

The struggle of winding a cassette tape with a pencil is something we can all remember. Especially when the tape would get too stuck and you'd just have to admit defeat and throw the cassette away.

Heelys

Heelys were at the top of our Christmas lists for good reason, these trainers were the most fun way of getting around.

The OG Nintendo DS

We all loved playing our Nintendo DS consoles, especially looking after our adorable Nintendogs. You couldn't beat the excitement of taking care of, walking and even entering competitions with them.
There were so many amazing games to choose from, including Mario Kart, Cooking Mama and Dr Kawashima's Brain Training.

How iconic kids TV shows were

Whether it was the likes of Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow, Raven or Tracy Beaker, we were spoiled for choice when it came to children's TV shows.

Tamagotchis

Another must-have toy, we loved playing with the Tamagotchi, a virtual pet that we could look after.

Charity wristbands

Many of us used to wear rubber charity wristbands to school, which were sold to raise money for a good cause.

MySpace

The OG social media site, who could forget MySpace?

Bebo

Another nostalgic social media platform, Bebo was the source of hours of fun for teenagers.

Flip phones

Flip phones were the must-have phone. Who could forget the Motorola Razr, which you could get in a range of colours?

Listening to music on an iPod

iPods were a Christmas list staple and the perfect way to listen to all of your favourite songs.

Nostalgic computers

Kids today would never understand what it was like to have to get off the Internet so your mum could use the phone.

Now read:

12 of the best nineties shows we used to love

6 of Fatboy Slim's biggest tracks and 6 you might not know were his

15 huge songs that never actually reached Number 1

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