17 Things We Used To Have In School That Today's Kids Won't Get

    Whoever invented the cat and mouse school parachute game needs an award immediately.

    Jessica Brunt
    by Jessica Brunt

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Going to school in the '90s and '00s felt like a chore at the time, but looking back there were actually some iconic things that made it not so bad after all.

    The Fox Broadcasting Company

    We've rounded up our favourite school memories from years gone by, and let's just say that kids these days don't know what they're missing out on...

    1. There was always someone that the teacher volunteered to fetch the TV on a trolley.

    Benne Ochs / Getty Images/fStop

    Bonus points if it was so the class could watch the end of term movie.

    2. Kids today will never know the joys of swapping POGs in the playground.

    Time for a comeback?!

    3. Break time was also time for Pokémon cards!

    Gotta catch 'em all!

    4. Everyone who was anyone had scented gel pens in their pencil case.

    Iryna Tolmachova / Getty Images

    The purple one was underrated IMO.

    5. The class tea towels were iconic.

    I won't hear anything else about it.

    6. Schools always had tons of tired-looking gymnastics equipment that no-one really knew how to use.

    golero via Getty Images

    How many times did you 'accidentally' forget your PE kit?

    7. It was a good day when this parachute was brought out for PE...

    Bet you didn't forget your PE kit that day, did you?

    8. The '90s and '00s were a peak pencil case era.

    90s pencil case pic.twitter.com/821bSBgdRQ

    — The 90s Were Amazing (@90sdecade) August 6, 2016
    Twitter: @90sdecade
    Bonus points if you also had the FRIENDS milkshake drinking one or the 'funky friends' design.

    9. The coolest PE bag on earth was the Jane Norman carrier bag.

    Buying the cheapest possible thing just to get one of these badboys was the best way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

    10. The primary school cake was an elite dessert for everyone who had school dinners.

    Semolina can get in the bin though.

    11. If they also had turkey dinosaurs on the menu, it was a REALLY good day.

    Gingagi / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Unbelievable scenes.

    12. IT lessons involved jabbing away at the keys on one of these.

    David Sailors / Getty Images

    Laptops? Sorry never heard of them.

    13. Hands up if you still remember the lyrics to 'give me oil in my lamp?'

    @jamesbpartridge

    Reply to @_.megsj00 I don’t think I really need to put the lyrics on this one do I? SING HOSANNAAAA 🙌 #schoolassembly

    ♬ Give me oil in my lamp sung by James B Partridge - James B Partridge
    Extra points if your music teacher was mouthing the words rather emphatically throughout.

    14. If you fancied going all high-tech and designing something for a school project, then say hello to WordArt.

    Truly, I am an artist.

    15. Do the kids of today play 'stuck in the mud?'. Because if they don't, they jolly well should.

    Who invented it though?!

    16. Bringing lunch into school in one of these lunchboxes genuinely made the food taste better, I'm convinced of it.

    Frufoo yogurt and a Milky Way wafer, anyone?

    17. Finally, every lesson would end in someone being covered in ink from a leaky fountain pen.

    Philippe Lissac / Getty Images

    Not sure what was wrong with a humble Biro TBH.

    Is there anything we've missed? Tell us your best nostalgic school memories in the comments below!

    Additional thumbnail credits: The Fox Broadcasting Company, The Disney Channel.