I was talking to my stepson (he's in town visiting) the other evening and he mentioned that he had done an interview with a baby boomer for one of his college classes and that the subject of how our generation spent our free time when we were younger came up. Like so many other baby boomers, I remember summer days filled with imaginative play... not the video game imaginative play that permeates society these day... I mean those afternoons spent playing "school" and dressing up in old cast off adult clothes when we were the teachers, or building forts out of tree branches and rocks in an empty field, or even throwing old sheets over a picnic bench and pretending it was a fairy princess castle under siege by the armies of the warring neighbors (aka my friends little brothers!). When we weren't making believe we were taking in the world around us - on bike rides, fishing in the nearby lakes and streams, doing acrobatics and tumbling in the dandelion filled grass. It was bliss - and something that so many kids today are missing out on.
Anyway... I took off in search of some things that will hopefully bring back some fond summer memories of your childhood and maybe make you more than a bit nostalgic for the good old days!
What do you remember best about
your summers as a child? Please take a moment and share!
xo,
8 comments:
It is sad that children miss today miss out on a lot of those memories. I was always outside in the summer riding my bike. There was a homemade ice cream shop the next town over and although it was about a 20 minute ride, my friends and I went regularly! I also loved winters playing in the snow and sledding. My parents' house is on a hill so we had tons of fun!!! ~Val
Wonderful memories, Val! I agree that many kids miss out on the fun we had, but in all fairness, it's not just things like video games that take it away. It was just a lot safer then too. You knew your neighbhors and they'd look out for everyone's kids.
I don't know who remembers the block watch and friendly home signs that were around back in the late 60's and early 70's, but I know we knew we could trust the people that kept them in their front door or windows - even if they weren't people we knew well. No using them to lure kids, and even though we were taught to be cautious in our dealings with strangers, it seems like fewer people were strangers because we had at least know of them most of our lives.
Bad things could happen back then, and maybe it's true that we're just more aware of such incidents nowadays because of the quickness of news reporting, but to me, it sure seems like I worry much more nowadays simply because life has gotten so mobile and changeable. I think, also, that the stranger with candy from our youth has such a greater reach nowadays, and kids are more easily lured for some reason.
Ack... don't want to think negatively here, but I do want to encourage everyone to show the wee ones in your life to use their imagination as much as you can in as many safe settings as you can!
I'll have to try to remember to post a similar article in each season here so we can enjoy more memories!
I remember playing outside, either hopskotch, walking, baseball or throwing and catching a ball in front on the house or in the alley.
Summers, my family and our Boxer used to vacation in So. Tom's River, NJ with my aunt and uncle. For a few years, they had a built in pool - fun!
I'm a cat mom only, but it seems kids need to be entertained now and aren't as socially active with neighbor kids or classmates; I could be wrong.
Dress up and paper dolls; just the thought makes me feel kind of a lump in my throat. A simpler time, less stress .... playing hide and go seek in our safe neighborhood. Thanks for the memories...
Aw, thank you for including my painting in your blog post! I totally agree, kids aren't really encouraged to use their imaginations enough these days. The toys seem to do everything for them. I would play with the simplest things, even make families out of rocks and buttons. My mom was the same way and really encouraged our imaginations when we were little. Lovely blog post! :)
YMCA Camp, Youth Chorus, Smores, PBJ sandwiches, Swimming at the camp, Fenway park, Fire hydrant showers, street ball, picking (and thinking) dandelions were the greatest flower on earth, friends sleeping over out under the stars, lemonaide stand, building sand castles.....
The little things!
Now that we are into summer I remember going to the beach, collecting rocks, and whatever else I could find. I loved to explore! Now I can't wait to take my own kids to the beach. Wonderful blog! Tracy
Oh goodness, how could I forget lemonade stands! (and the city didn't even come after you to see your business license! Shame on you, you big ol' bullies!) Sand castles in the sandbox here, and oh yes, collecting rocks by the train tracks and shells down by the river. So many great summer memories! Looks like we all survived too! Yay for us!
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