The coolest things to a ‘70s kid

If you love Baby Yoda or Cookie Monster today, you probably would have loved the 1970s.

The decade birthed lots of characters and cinematic universes that are still popular. Some are iconic to almost all kids, like Sesame Street’s Count von Count, the vampire who taught generations of us to count. Others are downright ridiculous, like the smooth gray stone your parents or grandparents might have called their pet.

Here are a few things kids were wild for 50 years ago.

Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?

Premiering a few weeks before the dawn of the decade, Sesame Street gained popularity throughout the 1970s. It eventually became “the most widely viewed children’s program in the world,” according to The History Channel.

Creators Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett wanted to create a show that would help young kids get ready for kindergarten, so they worked with Jim Henson to create the show’s iconic cast of Muppets.

Just like kids today can watch new episodes with Big Bird, Grover and Oscar the Grouch on HBO Max, 70s kids watched the same characters on PBS.

The easiest pet ever

In 1975, one of the most popular toys on the market was the Pet Rock, “the only pet you’ll own that you’ll never need to feed, walk, bathe, groom or neuter!” For about $4, kids could get a small, gray rock — and more than a million were sold, according to NPR.

The idea for the Pet Rock came from Gary Dahl, who sold Pet Rocks — pre-trained to sit and stay! — in a crate with breathing holes and a silly booklet with instructions for taking care of your new pet.

The fad fizzled relatively quickly, but the Pet Rock still is well-known. It was even featured in Minions: The Rise of Gru this summer.

In a galaxy far, far away …

The first Star Wars movie, later dubbed Episode IV — A New Hope, premiered in 1977. For many kids, it was the event of the summer.

“What a ride!” Christine Salo told The Seattle Times, recalling how the movie audience would cheer out loud during the movie. “My mom thought I was nuts, but I went to see it two or three times a month through the spring and summer until school started.”

Almost everyone was surprised Star Wars had new fans lining up outside movie theaters to see it. Since then, a huge franchise has grown around that first movie, and new spin offs, like The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi, are still being made.