I recently came across the tail-end of a documentary titled The ’90s: The Last Great Decade and I found myself reminiscing about all the amazing things that I couldn’t live without almost (cough, cough) years ago. From Beanie Babies and the Macarena to Tamagotchis and AOL, that ten-year stretch of time could. not. be. beat. Honestly, I think we took for granted how good we had it!
While many of the fads have faded, the best parts of the ’90s (in my not-so-humble opinion) have been captured on tape and live on for us to binge-watch until the end of time. Over the past year or so, we’ve been playing some of our favorite “old” shows and movies for our kids (now seven and five) and have been virtually transported back to our childhoods right along with Buckwheat, Michelle Tanner and Kevin McAllister.
Our top five list consists of:
1. Full House
Both kids know the theme song, they think “baby Michelle” is hands-down adorable and they have (in all seriousness) marveled aloud at Uncle Jesse’s ever-evolving hairstyles. My only complaint is that the rate at which we are making our way through the seasons has the kids on the show maturing a little too fast (and therefore getting themselves into “older” situations); I think we’ll have to press pause until my kids get a little bigger.
2. Jumanji
We just watched this one (again, for the millionth time) this past weekend. I love a good Bonnie Hunt movie and baby-faced Kirsten Dunst is such a blast from the past. I’m a sucker for a good Robin Williams film and of course my kids can’t get enough of the absolutely insane damage done to the house (and, spoiler alert, rest of the town!).
3. The Sandlot
Legends never die. Neither does my kids’ desire to watch this movie! My son is a big baseball fan and I think he’s secretly jealous that we don’t live next to an empty lot where he can meet up with his friends and try not to be eaten by the monster on the other side of the fence. Even though she wants nothing to do with the “boy movies” (aka superhero action flicks) that her brother loves, my daughter loves this one, too!
4. Home Alone (both One and Two)
I credit this film with my seven-year-old’s desire to visit New York City. I think he thinks it’s always snowy and Christmassy and festive. He loves the Rube Goldberg-style tricks and traps, and always gets a kick out of the face-slapping aftershave scene.
5. EVERY Disney movie made during the ’90s
Without exaggeration, the ’90s produced, hands-down, the best run of animated Disney movies EVER. Like, EVER. I mean, seriously. Lion King, Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame…should I go on?
