Imagine a beaming hot day and the school break stretching before you during a time when 10 weeks felt like an eternity. What else did a ’90s kid need for the perfect time besides friends, sunshine, and snacks? Water is the answer! Those who were there will tell you that a 1990s pool day was unlike any other. Here are some iconic poolside summer sounds that will shoot a beam of nostalgia straight into your ‘90s heart (via a Super Soaker).

1. Slip ‘N Slide
2. Super Soaker
3. Ice Cream Trucks
4. Yard Sprinklers
5. Capri Sun
6. Cherry Coke
7. Summer Tunes Via Portable CD Player
8. Handheld Video Games
9. Slap Bracelets

Slip ‘N Slide

This proved that water and a slippery surface are all you need to have fun. The Slip ‘N Slide was invented by Robert Carrier and first appeared in the early 1960s. It basically amounted to a rolled plastic sheet designed to become extra treacherous underfoot when wet. The sound of pounding feet, followed by skin shooting across plastic and wild yelps, was familiar to many a summer garden across the 1990s.

Super Soaker

Invented in 1989 by Lonnie Johnson, the Super Soaker built upon the premise of the water pistol and turbo charged things to a new level. Manually operated piston pumps allowed the Soaker to squirt water with greater range and accuracy than its forebears, making it the perfect tool for any poolside battle. If you heard the phzz phzz of a Super Soaker being pumped up, you could be sure you’d experience a blast of water coming in your direction.

Ice Cream Trucks

What other vehicle’s sound has us leaping up and running towards it with joy? The loud melodic chime of an ice cream truck’s song never failed to send children scurrying and shouting with glee. Some of our favorites included the Choco Taco, Flintstones Push-ups, Screwballs with that delicious globe of bubble-gum at the bottom, Bomb Pops, Twisters, Rockets, Bubble Play, Great Whites, and Fat Frogs. There really was a form and flavor for every taste.

Yard Sprinklers

I’m sure you can imagine the sound in your head— that rhythmic hissing and splashing. Yard or lawn sprinklers were a must-have for every garden-owning household during the 1990s, proving to be an essential time-saving tool to keep the grass in its best condition. They were also, of course, immense fun for any pool party, with kids lining up to run through the cool water spray.

Capri Sun

These drinks, which come in distinctive laminated foil vacuum packs, were first invented in 1969 in what was then West Germany, by Rudolf Wild. Capri-Sonne, as it was known back then, became so popular that it came to be sold far outside its native land, being rebranded in the US as Capri Sun. No ‘90s pool party was complete without the sound of kids sucking the last contents of a pouch of Capri Sun up through a straw.

Cherry Coke

The sound of a ring pull being bent back and pushed down, accompanied by the resultant fizz, was a staple of ‘90s summer get-togethers. First marketed in 1985, Coca-Cola Cherry, to give the drink its official name, became the company’s first ever flavored Coke drink. A diet variety followed in 1986, and during the ‘90s, Cherry Coke was still the go-to drink for many a child and teenager.

Summer Tunes Via Portable CD Player

Remember those compact, round CD players that resembled a ball having been squashed a bit flat? They seemed to be everywhere during the 1990s. Lightweight, inexpensive, portable, and often able to run on batteries, CD players were the perfect accompaniment to a ‘90s pool party. Back then you’d likely have been listening to: TLC, Ace of Base, New Kids on the Block… Remember Hanson’s “MMMBop”?

Handheld Video Games

All manner of electronic bleeps and bloops could be heard in many a back yard when the weather was good. ‘90s kids didn’t have mobile phones, but they did have handheld video games. Bandai’s all-conquering virtual pet game, Tamagotchi, which launched mid-way through the decade, was certainly the best known, but the Super Mario Bros. 3 Game Watch, Nintendo Pokemon Pikachu, and many more kept many a poolside kid entertained.

Slap Bracelets

Sound was a key element behind the popularity of these incredibly popular wristbands. You took a stiff band, slapped it moderately hard against your writs, and it would magically bend right round, snapping into place with a satisfying slap. Slap bracelets were invented by Stuart Anders, a teacher from Wisconsin, in 1983. They came in numerous colors and designs, and were incredibly popular among teenagers and children during the 1990s.

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