Many parents have spent time during the holiday season on endless quests for the perfect gift for their children. Many gifts have earned “must-have” status over the years, and although many of these gifts are forgotten by the time the next holiday season comes around, certain products have remained timeless.

Some of these more memorable products have even been resurrected into newer, modern-day versions of their previous selves. Here’s a look at some of the toys that have made their mark over the last several decades.

* Rubik’s Cube:

The Rubik’s Cube reached the height of its popularity during the 1980s, when the colorful game puzzle was mass-marketed to the public. Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Erno Rubik actually invented what he dubbed the “Magic Cube” a decade prior. Since the product’s inception, millions of Rubik’s Cubes have been sold across the globe, making it one of the top-selling puzzles and toys.

* Cabbage Patch Kids:

Adults stormed stores in the mid 1980s for Cabbage Patch Kids, which became one of the most popular toys of the decade. Designed by art student Xavier Roberts, Cabbage Patch Kids began as dolls called “Little People.” The dolls were marketed with a fantastical story about a cabbage patch in a magical valley, where dolls were born and awaited their adoption into loving homes. Cabbage Patch Kids have been produced by a number of different toy manufacturers through the years, and shoppers can still find new incarnations at stores today.

* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles started as a comic designed to parody established popular comics of the early 1980s. The concept of genetically mutated turtles who possessed ninja skills quickly caught on and the TMNT franchise expanded to television shows and scores of complementary merchandise.

* Beanie Babies:

Ty Inc. introduced a series of plush toys filled with tiny plastic pellets instead of traditional polyester stuffing in 1993. These pellets made the dolls flexible and cuddly, which played a role in their popularity. Throughout the 1990s, children collected as many of the Beanie Babies as they could, though some of the dolls were more coveted than others. Ty ceased production of Beanie Babies in 1999 with a bear called “The End,” but it wasn’t long before new Beanie Babies were manufactured for a new generation of children to collect.

* Tickle Me Elmo:

The hottest toy of the 1996 giving season was Tickle Me Elmo, a plush doll based on the beloved Sesame Street monster. When prompted, Elmo would laugh, giggle and gyrate to the delight of kids and adults alike. Tickle Me Elmo caused mass frenzy at stores during the 1996 holiday season, as shoppers swarmed toy stores to get their hands on the top toy of the year.

* Nintendo DS:

The Nintendo DS, first offered in 2004, was the first Nintendo console released in North America before it was released in Japan. With its dual screens (the lower being a touchscreen) and portability factor, the handheld device became one of the most popular gifts for young gamers.

* Zhu Zhu Pets:

Interactive, robotic hamsters, Zhu Zhu Pets first appeared on the scene in 2009. Their name was derived from Mandarin Chinese and translates to “little pig.” These small toys could be set to explore their environment or simply emit cooing sounds in the “nurturing mode.”

* Nintendo Wii: In addition to the Sony Playstation and Microsoft’s Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii became the latest in a history of must-have video game consoles in the early-21st century. Games on the Wii were interactive through the use of motion-sensing hand controllers and other gaming interfaces. The later release of the Wii Fit package made the Nintendo Wii even more popular.

* Monster High Dolls:

With their ghoulish good looks, Monster High action figures were one of the most popular gifts of 2012. The dolls are based on a series of young adult novels modeled after “Twilight,” though the Monster High dolls are targeted to younger children than items associated with the wildly popular “Twilight” series.

It remains to be seen which toy will become this season’s “must-have” item. 

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