S12 Old School Nostalgic Things You Miss from your 80s 90s Childhood

The 80’s and 90’s were the best days of our lives for many of us.  

As Singapore gears up to celebrate SG60, it’s the perfect time to revisit and cherish these shared moments that shaped our identity and brought us together. It was the era of cheap & yummy mama shop snacks, wholesome local TV dramas, and simple but fun games that we enjoy with our friends during school recesses. An era without the internet, Facebook, Instagram... can you imagine? :)

Even though these simple things may not be common in this day and age, our fond memories of the golden childhood years gone by will forever be etched in our minds and hearts. 

Here’s reliving top 12 nostalgic memories from our 80s - 90s childhood! Part 2 coming soon!

1. Country Flag Eraser Fight

If you used these as erasers for schoolwork, you were doing it wrong. These country flag erasers are prized possessions reserved for conquering your frenemies' countries. Check out this video for some interesting eraser fight strategies!
Source: 1, 2, 3

2. Classic Card Games

These colorful card games are so simple but oh so much fun! We can still hear our friends yelling "DONKEY!" "SNAP!" "OLD MAID!" in the back of our minds after all these years. Ahhh, the nostalgia...
Source: 1

3. Hopscotch

Whenever the recess bell rings, some of us will dash to the one & only hopscotch area to "chope" place for our friends who will then join us for a fun session of hopping on one foot while trying to balance and avoid the "obstacles". Who cares about lunch?
Source: 1, 2

4. Sweets

Magic Pops, Push Pop or Ring Pop? Which do you prefer? For us, we'll rather *sing* "Push a Push Pop.. Save some for later…" oh here’s the ad for Pushpop, you may be surprised you still remember the tunes. View youtube video here.
Source: 1, 2

5. Biscuits

"Do I eat the icing or the biscuit first?" The classic brightly-colored gem biscuits that we all love. So well-loved that one of our talented local crafter Thepigbakesclay created these amazing handmade wearable gem biscuits ear studs! :D Other memorable biscuits such as Pola snacks, Ding Dang and Tora are also top favorites at school recess.
Source: 1, 2

6. Icy Desserts

Ice Kachang is more than just a dessert. It is a memorable part of our childhood. We used to watch intently as the dessert stall uncle/aunty place a block of ice on the traditional ice grinder. The sound of the machine synchronized to the falling shave ice and then painting splashes of red, green and yellow on the snowy mountain! Other favorites include the equally colorful ice popsicles and Paddle Pop!
Source: 1, 2

7. Myojo Mee

The iconic Myojo Mee jingle that every 90s kid should know! The familiar tok tok noodle beats starts as the Myojo mascot flies around Singapore delivering noodles to the heartlanders. Both the jingle and the animation bring back so much fond memories. Hmm, now we are feeling hungry... time for some Myojo noodles!
View youtube video here.

8. Mcdonalds

This was the 1st Mcdonalds local TV ad in Singapore in 1991. We have so many memorable multi-racial characters from this very well directed Mcdonalds TV commercial. But the one that is forever etched in our minds is that of an old granny talking lovingly about her playful grandson.
View youtube video here

9. Scott's Emulsion

"衣服本来刚刚好, 怎么现在扣不上. My clothes were just right, not too tight. But now they don't fit me at all..."
Yes we ask ourselves the same question even as adults. But instead of growing up, we are growing old... Yes, we feel you too... We've managed to dig out 2 versions of this ad. Enjoy!

View Mandarin version video here | View English version video here

10. Glass Drink Bottles

Way back then, we use glass bottles instead of the plastic ones that are choking up our oceans today. Which is more environmentally friendly? Well, both are non-biodegradable so it's debatable. If you are interested in the design of drink bottles, head over to Singapore Food Packaging Story from the Early 20th Century exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore from now till 15th Sept 2019!

11. Kopi Metal Tin Cans

Way back then, instead of plastic drinks bag, we use these metal tin cans for our kopi and teh take-aways! You can actually still find these in some of the HDB coffeeshops today! Try asking for it and you may be surprised to get it!
Source: 1

12. Traditional Coffee Pot

Nothing screams "old school" like a cuppa traditional kopi made with traditional coffee pot with long sprout like this one. This vintage stainless steel coffee kettle bears traces of coffee stains, making it that much more authentic and nostalgic. You can rent this traditional coffee pot and more old school theme props and decor here at Dreamscaper.sg! Check them out below!