Tamagotchi are tiny virtual pets in a distinctively egg-shaped case, which allows you to carry them around with you. You would raise your pet from egg to adult, taking care of their needs to keep them happy and healthy. Originally from Japan, Tamagotchi became a sensation across the world in the late 90s and early 2000s. However, they ended up being banned in quite a number of schools. This was in large part because of how distracting they were, with pets frequently becoming hungry, unhappy, or even sick if you didn’t clean up their droppings. No kid wanted their Tamagotchi to die, and that - combined with their constant beeps when they needed attention - didn’t exactly make them a good fit for the classroom.Tamagotchi are tiny virtual pets in a distinctively egg-shaped case, which allows you to carry them around with you. You would raise your pet from egg to adult, taking care of their needs to keep them happy and healthy. Originally from Japan, Tamagotchi became a sensation across the world in the late 90s and early 2000s. However, they ended up being banned in quite a number of schools. This was in large part because of how distracting they were, with pets frequently becoming hungry, unhappy, or even sick if you didn’t clean up their droppings. No kid wanted their Tamagotchi to die, and that - combined with their constant beeps when they needed attention - didn’t exactly make them a good fit for the classroom.
Tamagotchi are tiny virtual pets in a distinctively egg-shaped case, which allows you to carry them around with you. You would raise your pet from egg to adult, taking care of their needs to keep them happy and healthy. Originally from Japan, Tamagotchi became a sensation across the world in the late 90s and early 2000s. However, they ended up being banned in quite a number of schools. This was in large part because of how distracting they were, with pets frequently becoming hungry, unhappy, or even sick if you didn’t clean up their droppings. No kid wanted their Tamagotchi to die, and that - combined with their constant beeps when they needed attention - didn’t exactly make them a good fit for the classroom. | Adobe Stock/Ana Belen Garcia

Banned from the playground: 11 toys commonly forbidden in UK schools in the 2000s

Amber Allott
By Amber Allott

Education writer

Published 29th Jan 2025, 13:56 BST

Some of these nostalgic favourites left some children with injuries đŸ¤•

Almost every year, a new toy craze will sweep the nation’s children.

And not long after, some primary schools will inevitably ban them from the classroom and playground alike. This can be for all sorts of reasons, from causing injuries, to starting schoolyard fights, to supposedly encouraging violence, gambling, or other potentially harmful behaviours.

Even the most innocent-seeming playthings will sometimes face bans. Maybe they caused arguments, or distracted children during class. Others have been deemed choking hazards, or simply annoying to teachers.

We picked the brains of some of our reporters who went to school in the UK in the 2000s, to see what they remember being banned. Here are some of the top nostalgic toys they had to leave at home:

Yoyos have seemingly been around forever, but every now and then they come back into fashion for a while. The late 90s and early 2000s both saw spikes in popularity, coupled with bans at some schools. These were primarily for safety reasons, especially as children started doing tricks which saw them fired off in all directions. However in 2003, a new type of yoyo (described as a squidgy ball of liquid with plastic attached to it, was banned in the whole Middlesbrough Borough Council area after two girls got them wrapped around their necks.

5. Yoyos

Yoyos have seemingly been around forever, but every now and then they come back into fashion for a while. The late 90s and early 2000s both saw spikes in popularity, coupled with bans at some schools. These were primarily for safety reasons, especially as children started doing tricks which saw them fired off in all directions. However in 2003, a new type of yoyo (described as a squidgy ball of liquid with plastic attached to it, was banned in the whole Middlesbrough Borough Council area after two girls got them wrapped around their necks. | Adobe Stock/Angelika Bentin

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Heelys are sneakers with a wheel in the sole, which allow kids to glide around by rocking back onto their heels. They were also banned from many schools and even shops during the height of their 2000s popularity, again for safety reasons. The UK’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) issued official advice that Heelys should not be worn on roads or near the edge of pavements after a serious accident where a child wearing the shoes was hit by a car, while head teachers raised concerns about them being used near stairwells in school buildings.

6. Heelys

Heelys are sneakers with a wheel in the sole, which allow kids to glide around by rocking back onto their heels. They were also banned from many schools and even shops during the height of their 2000s popularity, again for safety reasons. The UK’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) issued official advice that Heelys should not be worn on roads or near the edge of pavements after a serious accident where a child wearing the shoes was hit by a car, while head teachers raised concerns about them being used near stairwells in school buildings. | Adobe Stock/Jammy Jean

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These popular handheld gaming consoles have gone through many iterations since their inception in the late 80s, from the Gameboy Colour in 1998, to the modern Nintendo Switch. Game Boys were banned in many schools for being distracting, or the risk of the (quite expensive at the time) devices or game cartridges being stolen. But the head teacher of one Worcestershire middle school that banned them in their very early days slammed them as antisocial and violent, saying children playing war or fighting games were imitating that behaviour on the playground.

7. Game Boys

These popular handheld gaming consoles have gone through many iterations since their inception in the late 80s, from the Gameboy Colour in 1998, to the modern Nintendo Switch. Game Boys were banned in many schools for being distracting, or the risk of the (quite expensive at the time) devices or game cartridges being stolen. But the head teacher of one Worcestershire middle school that banned them in their very early days slammed them as antisocial and violent, saying children playing war or fighting games were imitating that behaviour on the playground. | Adobe Stock

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These were miniature skateboards replicas which you could ‘ride’ with your fingers, even doing tricks and using nearby objects as ramps. Though relatively innocuous, they too ended up being banned in some schools. This was reportedly often due to them being a distraction when kids used them in class. After all, with a bit of imagination your whole desk can be a skatepark.

8. Tech Decks/fingerboards

These were miniature skateboards replicas which you could ‘ride’ with your fingers, even doing tricks and using nearby objects as ramps. Though relatively innocuous, they too ended up being banned in some schools. This was reportedly often due to them being a distraction when kids used them in class. After all, with a bit of imagination your whole desk can be a skatepark. | Adobe Stock

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