You know you were a kid in the ‘70s and ‘80s if you remember these 6 things.

If you were a kid who lived through the ’70s and ’80s, then you, my friend, really LIVED.

In hindsight, they were glorious, illuminating decades. They had moved on from the free lovin’ ’60s but still weren’t quite ready for the power suits and much more serious time of the ‘90s.

And it didn’t seem to matter where in the world we grew up, we all pretty much had the same experiences.

Here are 11 things that will transport you right back to your ’70s and ’80s childhood.

1. Teledex.

Sure, now we’ve got all our contacts on our smartphones – but I can still almost feel my heart beat in my chest when scrolling down to my crush’s number on this baby.

2. Your phone was a rotary dial model attached to wall.

And if you wanted to call long distance, you had to wait until after 7pm, when it was cheaper.

3. Cabbage Patch Dolls.

Kaylene May. That was the name of my Cabbage Patch Doll. Her name was determined by her birth certificate signed by the one and only Xavier Roberts. And we accepted no substitutes.

4. Tupperware.

Your family owned Tupperware that either were or looked like these ones below. And if you left it behind or lost it, life basically wasn’t worth living.

5. Camera flashes.

If you show this picture to your child, they’ll probably have no idea what it even is. Once the only way to take a photo at night was to attach one of these babies to your camera. And then more often than not, your mum would cut your head out of the picture anyway – but you wouldn’t realise until you picked up the photos from the developing shop, three weeks later.

6. Iron-on Transfers.

Every ‘70s and ‘80s kid worth their salt had one of these on their t-shirt growing up. It might have been your favourite movie or TV show, or like me, my favourite cartoon, The Smurfs.

Although growing up in these decades was brilliant, I am envious of our children and the opportunities they have growing up today. I love that they might be able to come up with the next flash bulb or Cabbage Patch Dolls. The sky is literally, the limit.

If you think your kid can come up with an awesome invention, you should encourage them to enter Origin’s littleBIGidea competition? They could win a trip to the US to visit the NASA Kennedy Space Centre. The competition is for students in Years 3 to 8. To enter, they just need to write about an invention or a clever idea that could make the world a better place. But hurry, time is running out.

Entries close on August 21, so head to www.littlebigidea.com.au to find out more today.

Alright, what did we miss? What do you remember from your ’70s and ’80s childhood? 

Want more? How about:

These 1970s LEGO instructions are real and they’re AMAZING.

KATE: 41 things we got away with in the 70s.