A Roundup of Kids Recess Trends from Over the Years

This is not so much a widespread trend, but a recess activity that becomes popular again from time to time. And it’s the best one of them all because it’s active and cheap.

And the plastic clothesline jump rope here.

Love when this trend comes back because there’s that essence of nostalgia. We all remember enjoying making lanyard as a kid. Keep these rolls put away in your house so there’s nothing to buy each time the trend returns.

While all you really need to have fun with this trend are some assorted color sticky notes, if it gets boring making Ninja stars, let them expand their origami repertoire with a book like this (and take the trend in new directions). There are also videos online with instructions and we have this post!

This one kept them very busy, albeit taking up way too much space in the backpack (and often causing a mess).

Doctor stickers are the types of stickers that kids receive after a doctor visit (also known as medical patient stickers). But lately, they’ve been a fun item for kids to collect and trade. There’s even a game kids play where the stickers are bet and won or lost (many schools do now allow doctor stickers for this reason). Doctor stickers come on a roll. There’s not such a great selection online; local stores usually carry a better (less character-based) selection.

Bouncing putty is the neatest of the those evil (according to this mom) slimes.

This is really a summer trend, but we’ll keep it here on this master list of trends.

It’s a trendy activity, albeit not one that is practical to be done in school. Sometimes kids bring in their finished diamond dot artwork.

pro tip! There are always extra diamonds. Use double sided tape (here too) and continue to create your own diamond dot artworks.

Puff Paint Window Art

Same with this activity. It was a trend even though not a very practical one. Kids would make their window art stickers at home and bring them in and stick them on their desks, loose-leaf, water bottles, windows of classroom, etc.

Perhaps the most widespread trend of them all, fidget gizmos never really went away. They just multiplied and multiplied. Now there’s all different types of fidget toys, like fidget cubes, etc.

Everyone must have four hundred gazillion poppers in their home by now. Though Poppers fall into the fidget category, they’re definitely the cuter cousin. At least with a fidget game, there’s something fun to actually do.

This was an expensive trend because no one wanted just one. Each one was just so cute and fun to hold and smoosh!

This one is popular with the boys and tends to come back, year after year, for generations and generations. Keep them away from young children (i.e. tell your son to keep them in school) as they’re dangerous for toddlers.

Kugelach usually cost about $1.50 at Judaica stores (they are not available online for a reasonable price). 

Our favorite trend! Rubik’s cubes work the brain, make them think, and are a one-time-purchase. Sure, after they master a 2×2 or 3×3 cube, they want a four or five cube (or maybe one of those fancy ones), but somehow, we don’t seem to mind because playing with Rubik’s Cubes is a productive way to spend time and…even better…they make no mess!

The most expensive trend of all is also the most nostalgic. We traded stickers as kids, so we were sort of more accepting when our children suddenly needed loads of stickers when their turn came around…but then breathed a sigh of relief when the one-time-purchase trends took over.

Remember when they all walked around with a whole armful??

This was a pricy trend, but at least it was educational!

Let’s see how many of you remember these “high tech” time wasters…

The more pieces they break apart into, the better!