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:

1. Tamagotchi
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

2. Match Attax cards/Panini football stickers
Match Attax and Panini are football-based collectible cards and stickers, and with football being such a big deal in the UK, it’s no wonder they were popular. Featuring different players, they were banned at many schools for the playground rows they caused - particularly around trading. Some schools, however, reportedly found them too similar to gambling, while others saw children stick their Panini stickers to their desks or in other inappropriate places. | kittyfly - stock.adobe.com

3. Pokémon cards
When it comes to card-based drama, Pokémon cards - based on the hit cartoon and video game franchise - had more than their fair share. In the late 90s and early 2000s almost everyone seemed to have a few, and the lunchtime battling and trading scene could be fierce - with fake cards, fights, stealing, post-trade regret and the inevitable upset that came with it all causing woe at school. | Adobe Stock/Joaquin Corbalan

4. Slap bands
Slap bands were bracelets that came in all sorts of fun colours and patterns, popular for the novel technique involved in putting them on. While they could take the form of a rigid strip, if ‘slapped’ onto your wrist with a bit of force, they would spring into a bracelet shape. Inside slap bands, however, was a big piece of metal, and there were reports of poorly made or modified slap bands injuring children - with many schools banning them as a result. | Adobe Stock