Life was filled with a lot of simple pleasures and different for children a few decades ago. And for a large part, the way kids entertained themselves back then would be unimaginable to today’s smartphone-distracted kids. To reminisce, here are some childhood joys of older generations that today’s kids just wouldn’t understand.
Listening to Radio Dramas
Before television was widespread, families gathered around the radio to listen to dramatic stories. For the kids of today, imagining entire worlds through sound alone would seem unusual when vivid, high-definition visuals are now the norm, but it was incredibly captivating at the time.
Building Model Airplanes
Another popular pastime of the older generation was constructing model airplanes from kits, sometimes from finely crafted parts and sometimes from matchsticks. Completing one demanded immense patience and the steadiest hands, which, unfortunately, the children of today can only demonstrate when playing video games.
Trading Cards
Baseball, comic book heroes, and monsters all had their own trading card range, and we’re not exaggerating when we say they were prized possessions. Kids would trade and collect them seriously, even fighting over cards during recess. Trading cards seem to be returning, but they’ll never be quite the same.
Writing Letters to Pen Pals
Decades ago, everyone had a pen pal; they were great ways to exchange cultures. It was so exciting to receive a response after weeks of anticipation, a feeling that’s now been lost due to the internet. Despite this, the BBC reports that some pen pals still stay in touch.
Playing Outside Until Dark
Before the internet came along, children spent entire days outside, returning only when the streetlights flickered on. The freedom and sense of adventure that this brought was simply unmatched, and sadly, today’s kids will probably never experience it as they’re too caught up in digital screens.
Collecting Stamps
It’s amusing to look back on, but collecting stamps was a passionate hobby for many children, with each stamp representing a tiny piece of history. This activity required immense patience and precision to get the stamps looking perfect, something the kids of today would probably struggle with.
Climbing Trees
The health and safety-obsessed society of today could never allow for the tree climbing we went through as kids. It was adventurous, physically challenging, and best of all, you could make tree houses. To be honest, it was pretty dangerous, so perhaps it’s for the best that tree-climbing is over.
Making and Flying Kites
The combination of creativity, art, and sports that kites provided was truly exhilarating, especially on a windy day. It provided hours of fun and even more hours fixing your kite, which would inevitably break. Sadly, it’s just not something that kids are interested in anymore.
Playing Board Games
Long before the endless entertainment of video games, board games were always the answer to rainy days of boredom. The whole family would get involved, leading to bonding, teamwork, strategic thinking, and plenty of social interaction. Tragically, most kids consider them ‘lame’ these days.
Riding Bikes Everywhere
Heading out on your bike for the day with nothing but a lunchbox of PB&J sandwiches was the epitome of independence and exploration. It felt like a real adventure, and it was good exercise, too, but nowadays, kids would much rather lay on the couch and explore online worlds.
Reading Physical Books
While reading is still popular, immersing oneself in a physical book was once a wonderfully cozy vibe, especially at the library. The tactile experience of turning pages and the distinct smell of books brings back immense nostalgia today, something kids will never experience with their audiobooks and e-readers.
Making Mud Pies
The ultimate boost to your immune system, creating mud pies in the backyard was a messy but delightful activity, one that every boomer enjoyed at some point. Tragically, this simple, unstructured playtime is much less common today, although this is partly due to parents being overprotective of germs.
Building Forts
It’s sad to think that kids don’t build forts these days, at least not in the real world. Instead of conquering 3D worlds, we used to use blankets, pillows, and furniture to build forts and castles at home, letting our imaginations run wild.
Picking Wildflowers
Back in the day, kids knew so much more about nature, as they were always gathering wildflowers from fields or gardens. They took pride in creating small bouquets, but with urbanization and the availability of store-bought flowers, this simple pleasure has become far less common.
Playing Marbles
When we were bored, and there were no board games available, there was always a kid who had marbles. There were no specific rules; we just experimented with creating our own games, playing with these shiny balls on any surface available. These days, they’re probably banned for being choking hazards.
Watching Saturday Morning Cartoons
These days, kids can watch any cartoon they want, whenever they want, but back in our day, Saturday mornings were when we truly indulged. We didn’t get to choose which cartoons we would watch, but that was OK as long as we had plenty of snacks to munch on throughout.
Making Friendship Bracelets
Another childhood joy of the older generation that kids just don’t have anymore was crafting our own friendship bracelets, usually from colorful threads. It required immense patience and skill, but the end result was always worth it. Hopefully, they’ll make a comeback someday soon.
Playing with Yo-Yos
Of all the pastimes we had as kids, yo-yo tricks were perhaps the most challenging. Not everyone had what it took, but those who did could perform truly impressive tricks that would blow the minds of kids today. Sadly, they’re just not around anymore; they’ve been replaced with fidget spinners.