The click of a View-Master reel. The glow of a Lite-Brite board. The scratchy swirl of a Spirograph pen.

Which toy did you beg for?

Interest in 1970s toys is climbing. Trend reports point to nostalgia as a strong pull for Boomers, and more people are searching online for the toys they grew up with.

Many of those toys are back on shelves, and I’ll sort out which ones. The reason children stay with them has nothing to do with being old-fashioned.

Why Simple Toys Still Win a Child’s Attention

Here’s the reveal: these toys hold attention because the child is the one doing the creating.

That’s what people mean by open-ended play. The toy doesn’t tell a child what to do next. A screen shows something. A peg board, a set of logs or a drawing pad asks the child to make something.

No Batteries, No Setup, No Fuss

Toys without batteries for kids are easy to pack for a visit. They’re also quiet enough for a long afternoon, and nobody goes hunting for a charger.

They work best with two people, one board and one story. In my 20+ years working with older adults and families, I’ve seen how much easier a visit goes when there’s a shared activity on the table.

You don’t need to compete with a tablet. You need something that gives the two of you something to do side by side. That’s what screen-free activities for grandkids are really about.

Three Questions Before You Buy

• Can they start without help? If you have to read a manual first, the moment passes.
• Can two people play at once? Turn-taking is half the fun.
• Does it work without a charger? Then it works at the kitchen table, in the car or on the porch.

An Etch A Sketch passes all three. You turn the two knobs to draw a line, hand it over for the next turn, and shake it to start again. The catch is that drawings can’t be saved, so take a photo if you want to keep one.

Which Classics Are Still Made (and Which You’ll Only Find Secondhand)

Dominoes never left the store shelves, and a Mexican Train set with curved tiles puts a fresh twist on a game you already know how to play.

Knowing the difference saves money and avoids safety surprises. So let’s sort the toy box.

Still Sold New

Lite-Brite, Spirograph, View-Master, Lincoln Logs, Etch A Sketch and Simon are all still sold new. If you’re asking which vintage toys are still made, that’s the short answer.

Lite-Brite is a glowing peg board. A child pushes colored pegs through a pattern to make a picture that lights up. The catch is all those tiny pegs: it’s not for the youngest children, and pegs have a way of disappearing under the couch.

Spirograph uses gears and a pen to draw looping geometric patterns. If you have an engineer’s curiosity, watching how the gears work is half the pleasure. It does take a steady hand and a little patience at first.

View-Master is a viewer that shows 3D pictures from reels. I like it for sharing stories about places you’ve been, because every picture is an invitation to say “I stood right there.”

Usually Found Secondhand

Some retro toys only turn up used: older tin and metal toys, original painted wooden pieces, and early editions of classic board games with their original boxes. Estate sales, thrift stores, flea markets and online resale sites are the usual places to look.

Check every find for chipped paint, loose or missing pieces and worn parts. A game with half its pieces missing is a nice shelf piece, but it won’t be much fun to play.

You’re not hunting for a museum piece. You’re picking what you can actually play with this weekend.

How to Share Them (and Let Your Grandchild Teach You)

The toy opens the door. Your story is what makes it a memory.

Picture two grandparents. One hands over the box and sits back. The other sits down on the floor and says, “Let me show you what I made with this when I was your age.” The second one gets the memory.

How to Start the Conversation

1. “Where I grew up, we played with this on the porch. Want to see what we made?”
2. “My brother and I broke one of these once. Can you guess how?”
3. “This one looks different from mine. Can you show me what changed?”

That last one matters. Reissues sometimes differ from the originals, and a child explaining the changes is a gift for both of you. If you want more ideas for getting a conversation going, I like the 3-Question Bridge Technique.

Play side by side instead of showing how it’s “supposed” to be done. Lincoln Logs are a good example. They’re notched wooden logs for building cabins, and they’re good for building together and for telling stories about the house you grew up in. They do best on a hard, flat surface, and the small pieces mean little ones need supervision.

You don’t have to be an expert at the toy. You only have to be the person who shows up to play. Music can open the same door, and I’ve gathered songs from your era that today’s kids actually love.

Safety for Little Ones: Small Parts, Old Paint, and Why Reissues Are the Safer Buy

It’s a little sad to hear that your childhood toy may not be right for a toddler. But the toy that was fine in 1972 may not be the right pick today.

The good news is that the fix is simple.

Small Parts and Old Paint

For children under 3, small parts are a choking hazard, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission bans them in toys made for that age. That rules out many pegs, small blocks and game pieces.

It’s the heart of toys with small parts safety.

Older painted toys may also contain lead paint, since the Consumer Product Safety Commission didn’t ban lead paint on toys until 1978. A reissue made to current safety standards is the safer buy for little ones.

For recall questions and testing guidance, I’d go to the toy maker and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. They can answer what I can’t.

A Quick Checklist

• Check the age label on the package.
• Check for small parts that could fit in a mouth.
• Check for worn or chipped paint, cracks and loose pieces.
• When in doubt, buy new.

Reissued wooden building sets are a good example. If you’re shopping for a younger child, I’d buy a new set and read the age label on the package. Keep your vintage originals as display pieces or for older children.

Matching Toys to Ages, and Keeping a “Grandma’s Toy Box” at Your House

A few well-chosen toys, kept at your house, turn every visit into something to look forward to.

Classic Toys by Age Group

Follow the age label on each package. Within that, here’s where I’d start:

• Little ones: Etch A Sketch once the age label says they’re ready, and any building set labeled for their age.
• Early elementary: Lincoln Logs for building, and Lite-Brite with a grown-up nearby.
• Tweens: Spirograph and View-Master, both good for curious hands.
• Teens: Spirograph again, or a round of Simon. A toy with a story and no screen can feel refreshingly different.

Simon is the light-and-sound memory game that works for a group. The catch is the noise, which may or may not suit a quiet house, and the sequences get hard quickly.

Start a Toy Box This Week

Pick a basket or trunk that stays at your house, just for visits. Put in a few toys and rotate them every so often.

The box is a standing invitation. It tells your grandchildren that your house is a place where they get to play. I have more ideas in my guide to the best toys for a grandparent’s house.

If you’re shopping for Christmas, a toy and a story make a gift that stands out. Unique gifts for grandkids has more ideas that go beyond presents.

Pick One Toy and Tell Its Story

The toys you grew up with are still out there. They’re still simple, and they still do what a screen can’t: get two generations sitting on the same floor.

You don’t have to buy much. Pick one toy, tell its story, and let your grandchild take it from there.

If your grandchildren live far away, you can still share the story. Gifts for grandchildren who live far away can help the two of you feel close. Time together also matters for you, as I explain in the Grandmother Effect.

Which toy from your childhood would you put in the box first?

Share it in the comments. And tag a grandparent who needs a gift idea this Christmas.