With more and more classic '80s and '90s franchises getting reboots these days, it's hard not to look back and long for the original TV shows, movies, and toys. After all, millennials grew up with a treasure trove of memorable characters — from Jem and the Holograms to Rainbow Brite, He-Man to Rugrats. The good news is that as these reboots emerge, anyone who grew up in the '80s and '90s may be inspired to share the entertainment they loved with the next generation. And that's exactly what many parents these days are doing. Sure, kids these days have Paw Patrol, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and Frozen, but that doesn't mean they can't enjoy the same characters their parents grew up with and still harbor plenty of mushy feelings for.
Millennial moms and dads who are expecting their first child have plans to keep Mr. Roger's Neighborhood and Sesame Street on as background noise in their nursery. Others are introducing their big kids to slightly more advanced entertainment like Star Wars (which of course debuted in the late '70s but stretched into the early '80s and '90s) and Honey I Shrunk the Kids.
Here, 15 parents share the franchises they're sharing with their kids and hoping they grow to love as much as they did back in the day.
CARE BEARS
"Both my husband's and my parents kept a lot of our childhood toys. So, our 2 1/2 year old actually plays with my Care Bears!" — Christa N., South Bend, Indiana
CLASSIC COMEDY FILMS
"I've been having rainy movie screenings at home with my son. Adventures in Babysitting, Honey I Shrunk The Kids, The Sandlot, Ladybugs, The Great Outdoors, Parenthood. I love 'em! He loves 'em! It's really fun!" — Christine C., Riverdale, New Jersey
THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB & OTHERYA/TEEN BOOK SERIES
DOUBLE DARE
"We just started watching the Double Dare reboot with the boys. So much fun. They kept the nostalgia of the show and only updated it slightly. The kids love it!" — Kelly K., Los Angeles, California
THE PRINCESS BRIDE
"There are so many movies and books I love sharing with my girls. My favorite is The Princess Bride — we watched it on Mother’s Day!" — Amy A., Suffern, New York
CABBAGE PATCH BABY DOLLS
"I gave my daughter my childhood Cabbage Patch, and she said it’s weird and won’t play with it. I thought it would have been cute for her to play with what was one of my fave dolls!" — Helen M., New York, New York
MY LITTLE PONY
"My Little Pony. I spend my Saturdays now the same way I did at age 6 — surrounded by plastic horses, and it's fabulous!" — Megan Z., Danbury, Connecticut
MR. ROGERS AND SESAME STREET
"We both hope she loves Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street as much as we do. We plan on just keeping [both] on as background noise." — Brie D., West Long Branch, New Jersey
ARCHIE
"I read and collected Archie comics as a kid. Now both of my girls love them! They head to the newsstand each week for the newest one. I think the stories stand the test of time and well … the rise of Riverdale did not hurt." — Jill T., Los Angeles, California
SHE-RA, HE-MAN, AND JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS
"I love She-Ra and He-Man and Jem and the Holograms. I have been collecting the old movies and shows and have slowly been introducing Desi to them. He’s at the point now — he's 5 — where he likes to hear my stories about what it was like for me when I watched them. Where I was, what I liked, what scared me, who my favorite character was." — Samantha L., Boston, Massachusetts
RAINBOW BRITE
"My kids have seen Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer so many times that my toddler wakes up daddy by singing, 'Wake up flowers, I've been up for hours. There's work to do!'" — Liz N., Cary, North Carolina
CLASSIC ACTION MOVIES & SHOWS
"My oldest age 4 LOVES all things Ghostbusters, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, and now Captain Planet!" — Jeanetta G., Lincoln, Nebraska
POLLY POCKET
"Polly Pocket! My daughter was actually already introduced to it. Her pre-K teacher had them in a free choice station in the classroom. Now she wants her own!" — Samantha S., St. Louis, Missouri
STAR WARS
"My daughter has been added to our *Star Wars-*viewing team!" — Lisa B., Glencoe, Minnesota
RUGRATS
"We’re basically just re-living the best parts of our childhood with our kids. Our son still likes things like PJ Masks and Paw Patrol, so we’re not completely disconnecting him from today, but I think we all agree Rugrats is better!" — Mary Lynn W., Owensboro, Kentucky
