Posted on 08/31/2025 12:38:07 PM PDT by nickcarraway
If you grew up in the '70s and '80s, there's a good chance that you had at least one Fisher-Price toy sitting on the living room floor, waiting to trip your dad. But these weren't just toys. Fisher-Price had a knack for shrinking the world down to kid size.
A ringing doorbell on the Play Family House, an incredibly realistic "mooo" from the toy barn doors, or the oddly loud bell on the parking garage elevator, these sounds all played an important part in the soundtrack of our childhoods.
FISHER-PRICE FARM
Part of what made Fisher-Price toys so special (and one of the reasons they still come back as nostalgic top-sellers and reissues) is how they turned everyday life into big adventures, not too different from what your mom and dad and grandparents might have been having inside and outside the home.
Everyday Adventures Made Epic
The Play Family Camper made the backyard feel like a cross-country trip, while the A-Frame House was a lakeside adventure that folded up into a neat carry-all — and probably why you are such a fan of mid-century design. And it's worth noting that none of these toys seem to cater to boys or girls — they were for boys and girls.
FISHER-PRICE ADVENTURE PEOPLE
Particularly in the 1970s, toy companies pushed superheroes and flashy laser battles, but Fisher-Price went in a different direction and offered up Adventure People, who embraced the adventures of normal life, allowing kids to pretend they were everything from farmers to park rangers, or even on-the-scene TV news journalists.
Remember These? The Fisher-Price Toys That Bring Back Instant Memories?
Whether the farm life was your thing or you were more into castles and airports, these iconic Fisher-Price toys are guaranteed to bring back a flood of childhood memories.
The Fisher-Price Phonograph
This bad boy spun real records, which meant there was no reason you couldn’t drop on your dad’s Richard Pryor comedy albums.
The Fisher-Price Record Player
Not to be confused with the real phonograph, this “younger” setup only played those chunky plastic records it came with — think timeless bangers like Mary Had a Little Lamb and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Let’s be honest, it was basically just a music box in disguise.
Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone
Before kids had smartphones, we had a rotary phone with googly eyes. Almost every kid dragged this thing all over the house — kind of like you do with your phone now, isn’t it? Oh darn!
Fisher Price 'Play Family School'
This multi-tasking beast of a toy — chalkboard, magnetic letters, the works — actually made school fun, but only when you played it at home. That iconic bell on top? It meant class was in session, and it drove your parents absolutely nuts.
Fisher-Price Two Tune TV
Kids today laugh at the idea of not having a screen in their room, but this was our only option. Two stories — London Bridge and Row, Row, Row Your Boat — “scrolled” past the screen, and it felt like we were watching Carson in our very own apartment.
Watch it in action below:
Vintage 1966 Fisher Price Two Tune TV Music Box TV no. 114
Fisher-Price A-Frame House
For kids who didn’t always get the chance to take a vacation, this iconic Fisher-Price A-Frame made it feel like you were off at a ski lodge or tucked away at a lakeside getaway.
Fisher-Price Play Family Castle
This castle gave you a chance to go medieval during playtime. With a working drawbridge, a secret trap door, and a hidden dungeon with a real working door, this castle was the perfect backdrop for epic battles and daring rescues.
Fisher-Price Play Family Airport
The Fisher-Price Play Family Airport brought big-world travel to kid-sized playtime. With its working baggage carousel and that unforgettable red plane, takeoffs and landings felt epic — even if the trips were only between the kitchen and the living room.
Fisher-Price Play Family Camper
The Fisher-Price Play Family Camper made every kid feel like they were hitting the open road. With the genius canoe that acted as a camper roof, it turned the backyard into a family vacation, even during a gas crisis.
Fisher-Price Parking Garage
With its spiral ramp ("Watch out below!"), working elevator complete with a bell, and a tiny service station, your Matchbox cars always had the perfect place to park — and race right back out again.
Fisher-Price Farm
Was there any sound more iconic from childhood than the “Moo!” when you opened the doors to this toy barn? From a silo that looked like a Thermos to a hayloft with sliding doors and all the farm animals you could want, every day was a day on the farm — without the manure.
Fisher-Price Play Family House
This little starter home might be the reason you love browsing houses on Zillow today. With its ringing front doorbell, pint-sized furniture, and swing-open design, it was the coziest place on the block.
Fisher-Price Adventure People
The Fisher-Price Adventure People were action figures that celebrated everyday heroes instead of caped crusaders.
Fisher-Price Adventure People
From pilots to investigative journalists to park rangers, these figures turned backyard adventures into something cooler than ever.
Tonka toys built tough enough to survive getting hit by a car.fischer price toys tough enough tó beat someone to death.
I had the airport, schoolhouse (which I converted to a barn, lol) and the parking garage (which often accommodated toads and frogs in addition to the included cars and surplus Matchbox vehicles). All received heavy use until they completely faded. But none of them ever broke.
They made tough toys back then.
Fisher-Price Farm was the bomb - I loved when my daughter wanted to play with it, so I could too.
I had the houseboat. I also seem to remember having a white airplane where the top folded open?
My friend had that, I wasn’t allowed to have a lot of toys which probably explains why I just paid over $300 for an upscaled Cobra Rattler....
Jarts were cool.
Johnny Seven One Man Army gun
Do not let the Little President try to walk up the stairs.
I want to get an original one of those and replace the little record which makes the sounds with quotes from people at work.
Best toy ever. I notice someone has started making them again. Their promo videos have started popping up on YouTube.
Oh, btw.. The science classes should have used them to show how centrifugal force works..
I remember that it was strong with that motorcycle.
I’d place FP at the beginning of the end of simple toys—and kids using their imaginations.
Good old Tonka trucks!
Wore out three of those.
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