If you were anything like me, there was nothing you looked forward to as a kid in the '90s more than the weekend. And who can blame you? There were tons of awesome things to do on the weekend during the '90s. Whether you wanted to spend the afternoon playing board games, watch your favorite '90s TV shows, or pretend that you were every member of your favorite pop band (Spice Girls, anyone?) there was always something to do with your besties; and if you had the weekend all to yourself, there was still plenty to keep you occupied: You could read a number of awesome '90s books, rewatch your favorite Disney movie on VHS, or practice applying your favorite lipgloss in the mirror of your Caboodle. If you were really lucky, your parents would even take you to the mall.
Of course, kids today have plenty of things to keep themselves occupied on the weekends, too; they've got tons of technology at their fingertips, from iPads to fancy video game systems. But if you were a kid in the '90s, you knew how to have fun unplugged — even if it meant breaking all of your American Girl Dolls out of the closet for an elaborate beauty pageant set up in your bedroom. I mean, why not, right?
Jog your memory and see if any of these seem familiar:
1. Proposing To Your Neighbor With a Ring Pop
Who didn't propose to their neighbor with Ring Pop? You know, on those sunny Sunday afternoons when you were exhausted from playing on the hang bars and chasing each other around the park? Prime time for getting down on one scuffed knee and pulling out a Ring Pop. Problematic? Maybe. But also delicious.
2. Watching Saturday Morning Cartoons
Saturday mornings were the best for many reasons, but especially because you got to wake up early (you were used to waking up at the crack of dawn for school anyway, of course) and watch a few hours' worth of Saturday morning cartoons. The best was when your parents let you indulge in some Oreo O's or Resee's Puffs while you watched your favorite shows.
3. Occupying Yourself With Your Gameboy Until Your Friends Came Over
What better way to bide your time waiting for a friend to come over than by playing with your Gameboy? And sure, you could have helped your dad clean the kitchen, but Charizard was calling. Priorities, am I right?
4. Organizing Your Caboodles Meticulously
What was more fun than spreading all of your makeup, lotions, nail polishes, and temporary tattoos across your bedroom floor to reorganize them in your Caboodles case? I definitely did this at least once a week as a kid.
5. Practicing An Elaborate Dance Routine In Your Driveway
Was there anything more fun than making up elaborate dance routines to all of your favorite songs in the '90s? The more often it was a pop song played on the radio in your parent's car on the drive home from school, the better. Backstreet's back, all right.
6. Watching TGIF On Friday Nights
Thank goodness it's Friday — time for Family Matters, Full House, Step by Step, and Boy Meets World.
7. Playing Carmen Sandiego On The Computer
If your family had a computer in the '90s, one of your favorite things to do was to grab some Dunkaroos and snag the computer chair before anyone else could take your spot. And if you didn't have Carmen Sandiego? Not a problem. That's what Oregon Trail was for.
8. Blasting Your CDs With Parental Advisories On The Cover
Anyone else remember begging your parents to buy you a CD even though it had a parental advisory on the cover? Yeah, me too. Nothing was better than when your parents left you alone in the house, letting you blast your favorire risque CD with nobody else home.
9. Begging Your Parents To Take You To Chuck E. Cheese
What '90s kid didn't beg their parents to let them spend an entire Sunday afternoon eating pizza and running around their local Chuck E. Cheese? This was exciting enough in and of itself, but it only became truly euphoric if someone was celebrating their birthday there.
10. Stayed Up Late To Watch Nick At Nite
Who didn't love getting to stay up late on the weekend and watch episodes of retro TV? Something about staying up to watch vintage TV made me feel like a super classy 10 year old, especially if my parents let me fall asleep on the couch afterwards.
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