15 Unintentionally Weird and Unique Kids Toys

Everybody loved toys when they were young, and many of us still have a soft spot for them now. The toy industry has grown and evolved along with society. At times it’s inspiring, other times controversial, and sometimes just plain weird.

It’s this last category that intrigues us most. As a species, humanity seems to be fascinated by what’s different. With that in mind, we’ve made a list of 15 of the most accidentally unique kids toys ever created.

1. Cymbal Monkeys

Okay, so they’re not technically called cymbal monkeys, but we all know what toy somebody’s talking about when the words cymbal and monkey come up in the same sentence.

What somebody was thinking when they created these things is anybody’s guess, and it raises so many questions. Why cymbals? Why a monkey? What was the point of making its eyes and mouth jut out like some kind of demon?

Regardless, this strange toy has horrified kids for generations and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

2. Oreo Barbie

This one is more just a bad idea than a unique one. Making an African-American Barbie? Very progressive.

Making an African-American Barbie that wears clothes and carries a purse that all advertise Oreo cookies? Now it’s offensive. Way to take things a step too far, Mattel.

3. Pregnant Barbie w/ Baby

This next one may be a bit more controversial, but it’s hard to call it offensive. The premise is basically a Barbie doll with a baby bump.

Take the bump off and, somehow, there’s a little plastic baby inside. It could be reasonably argued that since all the information presented is accurate — women do get baby bumps and there is an infant growing inside them — there’s nothing wrong with the toy.

Regardless of which side you’re on, you have to admit it’s an unconventional toy, to say the least.

4. Breast Milk Baby

Similar to the pregnant Barbie, you could argue that there’s nothing wrong with pretending to breastfeed a baby doll since it’s a perfectly natural process. However, putting on a bra-like garment with plastic ‘nipple’ flowers and having the baby make sucking noises when you hold its head to said flowers is potentially more troubling.

Either way, this Spanish toy did not sell well and was tossed into the dustbin of history.

5. E.T. Finger Light

Sold to help promote the E.T. movie, this toy was supposed to mimic the title character’s finger and work like a flashlight. The problem? It doesn’t exactly look like a finger.

Realizing their mistake, the makers did start creating E.T.’s full hand, which… still looks pretty unsettling, to be honest. Still, there are weirder things people have tried to sell to children, like weird books.

6. A Wolverine Blow-Up Hammer

In theory, this wasn’t a bad idea. It was a simple comic-themed toy that would allow kids to play with one of their favorite heroes.

Unfortunately, some genius in manufacturing decided to put the blow-up valve on Wolverine’s crotch, and awkward hilarity ensued.

7. Face Bank

This toy is designed to be an interactive coin bank. The question is why a face of all things?

There’s nothing offensive, controversial, or poorly-designed about it. It’s just a weird idea. Even so, this toy has become pretty famous, so the company seems to have done its job.

8. Plush Microbes

Are you looking for a cuddly toy for your child? Why not buy them a plush version of a disease-causing microbe?

The whole premise of these toys is to take a bacteria or virus, put it under a microscope, and make a stuffed animal out of what you see.

It’s a cool way to teach kids about medicine and germs, and it’s not like they’re going to actually see any of these things. Plus, if you have a kid who is interested in microbiology, or even a doctor in the family, these would make a great gift.

9. Juguear

Have you ever wanted to go back to the days of wooden toys? Now, you can with Juguear. Juguear is a company founded on the belief that simpler, wooden toys stimulate a child’s senses and imagination.

They believe that the freedom to explore these things allow us to learn more efficiently.

Wooden toys aren’t necessarily that weird in general, but they aren’t nearly as common these days.

10. Kaba-Kick

Guns are currently a controversial topic in the media, and many would argue that gun-shaped toys are part of that. Whether you agree that toy guns set a bad example or not, we can all probably agree that the Kaba-Kick toy is a bad idea.

This gun fires comically-oversized plastic shells out of a pink pistol. The problem is that the toy is marketed as a kids’ version of Russian Roulette. Why, just why?

11. Fugglers

Probably the most weirdly charming creatures ever created, fugglers are basically stuffed animals with teeth. Originally created as a joke, fugglers have since become a hit among fans of stuffed animals.

Their name stands for funny, ugly, monster, and you can follow the link to get one.

12. Stretch Armstrong

The original, and wildly popular, stretchy doll toy Stretch Armstrong looks kind of like a blonde-haired Ken doll, except everything below the neck has been slightly melted. 

Regardless, it was a great little toy that kids could pull, fling, and tie into any number of different shapes. It was a great imaginative toy and will go down in history for it.

13. Pogs

Pogs were toys from the ’90s that were basically fake coins with things painted on them, and yet they sold like hotcakes. Unfortunately, people seemed to get bored with them very quickly, and now they’re virtually worthless.

14. Shape Shifter Punisher

Based on the comic book anti-hero the Punisher, this was a toy that was meant to bring all the edgy awesomeness of the comics into a toy. The toy didn’t actually shape-change much, just enough to turn an otherwise normal action figure into an action figure with a gun.

The toy didn’t sell very well, likely because the gun was placed in a very awkward place.

15. Roadkill Cat

Arguably one of the worst ideas ever, this pure white toy cat has tire treads on its body and some of its internal organs hanging out. Now you can experience all the joy of… running over an animal crossing the street? The best part is that there’s no car required.

Seriously, what aspiring serial killer actually bought this? If your child wants one of these for their birthday, it’s probably time to send them to counseling.

Unique Kids Toys

The world is full of weird and unique kids toys, ranging from the charming and unconventional to things that make you want to ask ‘what were you thinking?’

We’ve assembled just a few of these toys in this list, but there are plenty more out there. Feel free to do a little more exploring on your own if you’re interested.

If, however, you’re just the type of person who enjoys strange facts, you’ve come to the right place. We can tell you about some of the strangest things ever to be left in storage.

Weirdomatic is the place where all weird things come to life through the amazing world of photographs – a corner of our wild imagination or the whimsical face of the reality?