Here’s a list of 23 things from the past that kids today don’t experience. This doesn’t mean that we liked them all, but we do miss them all nonetheless…

1. We Did Absolutely Crazy Things on the Swings.

And no one told us to stop. And you know what? We survived.

2. Sunday Afternoons Weren’t for Rest and Relaxation.

It’s when you hopped in the car and drove around on your “Sunday Drive”. Most days we didn’t even have plans, but we always had fun.

3. Picnic Anywhere.

You could have a picnic anywhere — and often did.

4. It Took Some Muscle to Find Get to Your Favorite Radio Show.

 

That’s right – it wasn’t a dainty little button or digital touch — you actually had to push in big buttons to make the machine move!

5. You Had to De-Frost the Freezer.

Some of us still have to do this, too! There were no automatic ice-makers back then — nothing fancy that kept the moisture out. As such, you’d have to open the door and let it de-frost every so often or the entire freezer would turn to ice!

6. Listening to the Night’s Radio Programs.

Sitting around listening to the night’s radio programs was sometimes the highlight of the day.

7. Baths in Metal Tubs.

 

Sometimes you took baths in metal tubs.

8. Before There Was Target or Wal-Mart.

There was A&P, Woolworths, and the Ben Franklin 5-10. We have such fond memories of going down to the Ben Franklin and getting candy, toys, just about everything! They had it all!

9. Sewing.

When you got a hole in your clothes or shoes or hat, you’d get out your needle and thread and patch it up!

10. Merry-Go-Rounds Were Spiraling Injury Machines – and We Loved Them!

We’re not sure if you’re playground was like this, but ours had one like in this picture. It weighed a ton, was a mixture of iron, steel, and wood, and went way faster than you’d expect. Sometimes we flew off. Sometimes we got trapped under it. But most days we just had the time of our lives.

11. When You Run Out of Money, You Make Clothes from What You Have.

In the Great Depression, women made dresses and shirts out of flour sacks. No fancy brands back then!

12. Television Stopped at Midnight.

Remember this? In the 1950s and early 1960s, most stations went dark after midnight and put up a test card signal like the one above. Later on, they would add in the Star Spangled Banner just before going offline for the evening. Back then the stations didn’t have enough content to go 24/7, and even if they did, no one would be up that late!

13. Home Economics Class.

In some schools, the “Home Ec” department had its own “cottage” like the one above. Here girls learned proper manners, how to cook and host parties, and sew. We think all kids could still use this – boys and girls!

14. Sometimes Your Food Came on Skates.

That’s right, kids – we’d park our cars at the local diner, and a girl would bring our food out on skates and we’d eat in the car!

15. Christmas Started When the Sears Catalog Came.

Remember this? It’s how we thought through our Christmas list. And even if we couldn’t afford much that year, it was the sign that the season had arrived!

16. Finding Your Friends’ Phone Number in a Book.

No iPhone contact lists back then! If you needed to get in touch with a buddy or classmate, you’d pull out the white pages and dial ’em up!

17. The Local Fair Was a BIG Deal!

This late 1940s photo shows a perfect picture of what it was like at the local fair. We’d get as dressed up as we could afford and prepare to be marveled by the rides and games and food! Sometimes we couldn’t afford much, but just going was fun!

18. Not Everyone Had a Car – Some Just Had Horses!

As seen in this picture above from a high school graduation in 1943, not only did lots of families have horses, they also used them to get to wherever they needed to go!

19. You WERE the Remote Control!

Back in the day, if you wanted to change the channel, you had to walk up and push the up and down button. Sometimes it worked, some days it didn’t. And on the days it didn’t, you’d figure it’d probably work tomorrow.

20. Christmas Displays Downtown.

Remember going downtown to do your window shopping before Christmas? We remember when the whole town would be lit up and there’d be a big tree! Lots of people would come downtown and just walk from store to store looking at the displays.

21. You Needed Two Keys for Each Car.

One unlocked the doors, and the other one made the car turn on. Nothing beeped or honked back then, and none of this “warm your car up before you get in it” stuff either!

22. Shoes for Easter.

If you got new clothes or shoes, it was either for Back to School or Easter.

23. Passing Notes in Class.

We were very good at folding the notes so small that the teacher could barely notice. Well, we did occasionally get caught, but that was part of the fun. No text messaging back then!