50+ Simple Ways to Bring Back a 90s Childhood
If you’ve been feeling that pull toward a simpler time lately, you’re not alone.
So many of us are craving the way life felt in the 90s. We want less noise and a slower life instead of being constantly entertained. And as moms, I think we feel it even more, because we are trying to raise our kids in a world that feels very different from the one we grew up in.
As much as I would love to jump on a time machine and parent in another decade, we clearly can’t do that. We can take the parts of the 90s that we loved and really worked for a family, think less noise, more imagination, and intentionally bring them into our homes today.
This is not something that needs perfection (actually, the aim is quite the opposite, we didn’t have everything all perfectly curated in the 90s!), we are ditching the social media aesthetic, and shifting the rhythm of our everyday living (and lower our mom overstimulation/stress in the process!)
Below are simple, realistic ways to bring back that 90s childhood feel, while still living in the modern world we are in.
Tech Boundaries That Actually Work
Put phones in another room during meals
Turn off non-essential notifications
Remove social media apps from your phone
Use a computer instead of your phone for scrolling or work
Set a daily “offline hour” for the whole family
Keep TVs off (or very low-stim media) during most of the day
Charge phones outside the bedroom at night
Use tech for communication (landlines, anyone!?), not constant entertainment
Delay giving kids personal devices as long as possible
Consider a smartwatch for safety instead of a full phone
Let Kids Be Kids Again
Let your kids be bored every day
Keep art supplies easily accessible
Encourage drawing, building, and creating without instructions
Let them make up their own games (remember ~ the action figures and retro toys we had that encouraged that imagination!)
Limit highly stimulating shows and fast-paced media
Allow unstructured playtime without stepping in
Say no to over-scheduling activities
Encourage imaginative outdoor play (mud-kitchens, chalk paint, etc)
Give them time to solve their own problems
Go retro with toys for indoor and outdoor play (fewer screens, fewer tech toys)
How to Live a 90s Lifestyle in a Modern World
If you’ve been craving a simpler, quieter life lately, I wrote a deeper post on why so many of us are feeling this way and how to actually bring that 90s feeling back into our homes in a realistic way.
Slow Down Your Home Life
Let your home feel lived in, not perfectly curated
Stop trying to optimize every routine
Focus on what actually matters instead of doing everything
Leave some space in your day (as a mom!) unscheduled
Do one thing at a time instead of multitasking everything
Let chores be simple and realistic for kids (and yourself!)
Lower the pressure to “do it all”
Accept that not everything needs to be perfect, messes happen in real life…
Create a home that feels calm, not constantly busy
Bring Back Simple Family Rhythms
Have regular family dinners without screens (Skip TV & phones)
Create a simple weekly rhythm instead of a packed schedule
Set aside one night during the school week for family time
Play board games or work on puzzles together
Watch a movie together without multitasking (put the phone away…)
Let evenings be slower and less structured (think ~ rhythms over routines)
Keep weekends simple ~ fewer plans and more family time at home (i.e. Family Sunday’s)
Prioritize connection over constant activity
Build small family traditions that don’t require a lot of effort (think ~ Friday pizza nights, Saturday morning cartoons + pancakes)
Make time for conversations with your husband and kids without distractions
Choose Simpler Entertainment
Pick a few favorite shows, and favorite them, instead of endless scrolling
Choose slower, more positive shows for your little ones (think~ Curious George, Arthur, Franklin)
Do a family rewatch of something nostalgic **some favorites below**
Visit the library for new books every couple of weeks
Bring back kids' magazines (Highlights, NatGeo Kids, etc.), mom, you would enjoy this too (think ~ fun home & lifestyle mag’s from 90s)
Listen to music without doing anything else
Try older video games that are less overstimulating (90s Mario is always a fun family game night!)
Turn off background noise when it’s not needed
Be more intentional about what is always playing in your home
We can add so much more to this list!
Leave some of your favorites in the comments!!
Make Life Feel Tangible Again
Write notes or cards to loved ones
Use a paper calendar that the whole family can see
Print photos and put them in albums
Bonus: Use a camera with film (or disposable or Polaroid for kids)! It feels like a surprise to get the photos back & look at them together!
Let kids create things with their hands regularly (Legos, crafts with recyclables, etc.)
Rent DVDs from the library for movie night
Keep books around the house within reach
Let kids look through old photo albums and/or put an album (or scrapbook!) together as a family
Display meaningful items instead of constantly updating decor — hang more kids crafts & DIYs!
Keep a family notebook or journal
Try to choose physical over digital whenever you can
Don’t Forget to Grab Your 90s Freebie
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