Remember these?
Last night, my husband and I started talking about the things we did for fun when we were kids growing up in the 1930's and '40's. Our conversation stemmed from a piece of writing a woman in my Memories Writing Group had done. She listed so many forgotten toys and games and I know it triggered memories for many others in the group of seniors. She ended by saying that though she grew up in the depression years and times of great drought here in Kansas, she and her friends were oblivious to all of that. They grew up having fun with what little they had. She learned much later how difficult it had been for her parents and other adults in those years.
For those who write memoir or family stories, here's the list Ken and I put together last night. Hopefully, some of what is there will trigger memories and inspire you to write. For the younger readers, it may be of interest to you to see how we entertained ourselves with the simplest things.
For all my readers--your family would appreciate your memories of what you did for fun, the games you played, the toys you had as a child. They're sure to be different from what the kids of today have, whether you grew up 7 or 2 decades ago.
The List
- roller skates that clamped onto shoes, skate key to tighten, then wear around your neck on a shoelace
- jacks
- marbles
- jumping rope
- simple homemade kites, a tail made from Mom's rags
- spinning tops
- sledding
- ice skating (if you were lucky enough to have skates)
- dodge ball
- baseball on a school playground or in a park--no special field provided
- football in the park or someone's back yard
- outdoor games like Red Rover, Hide and Seek, Tag and Statue
- croquet
- ping pong
- badminton
- paper dolls
- coloring books
- indoor games like Monopoly and Checkers
- cap guns
- dress-ups (using Mom's old clothes, hats and shoes)
Let us know if you have any others to add.
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