Up North

We had a vacent lot on the next block where we played we raked the pine needles and leaves into rooms and played house nearly everyday. When my in laws moved back to town they built their home on that lot. I sure cried that day. I always said if we ended up with their house I would build a playground there. But there are no longer many children on those two blocks.

Mossie

I grew up here in Orlando, Fl and I can remember going outside barefooted in the rain and sitting on the curb of our brick paved street and watching the leaves stick to my feet as the water ran over them-wouldn't do that now, too dirty. There was a woods on our street with a clearing in the middle and a tree that had fallen down. My girlfriend and I would sit there on our way home from school and then gather wild flowers to take to our moms-wouldn't be safe to do that now, either. Building Christmas tree forts in the empty lot across the street with the other kids in the neighborhood;playing hide 'n seek until after dark waiting for my dad to whistle for me to come home;blocks of ice cream wrapped in waxed paper from the ice cream truck or maybe a fudgesicle or dreamsicle;pronto pups at the Central Florida Fair and the man that had a big paint brush full of mustard he would slather on the pups-yum! Sewing clothes for a plastic doll I had from bits of fabric leftover from anything my Mom had made;Pick up sticks, Jacks and roller skating with the skates that used a key and you had to have shoes with leather soles for them to grab on to. Skinned knees, sore tail bones, chicken pox and mumps. Such sweet memories. (LOL)

ptquilts

You know, if you watch any wildlife shows on TV, this kind of free-form playing/exploring/imagining is an IMPORTANT part of growing up for any higher species. I really worry about today's kids who can't play a game unless it is on a computer or some adults are telling them how to play. Always have to follow the rules, never get to make up their own rules. Five-year-olds in organized team sports. They are not learning any life skills.

We used to play kickball, we picked who would be the captains, they picked sides, we refereed our own games. No adults around. I was one of the ones usually picked last, but guess what? I survived with my self-esteem intact.

JoyjoyMarie

What a fun thread to read - and Oh the memories! The first thing I thought of was my tree house built in the Lambert Cherry tree in our back yard. My uncle built it for me, but really for himself, cause they always came around the 4th of July when the cherries were ripe, and it was perfect for getting those yummy treats! I enjoyed it for years, being such a tomboy that I was, and then I'm sure my little brothers had their times there too.

Dad also built us stilts that were meant to last, and tall ones at that. We had a great time on those in the driveway, and shot hoops in the driveway in the net he put up. I learned basic tennis strokes from my big brother, hitting on the side of our house from the driveway. Also bikes, pedal cars, wagons, parade floats, hopscotch, and making homemade ice cream were driveway activities, not to mention the cars!

We also had a little 10-12 foot square shed on the back of the property. Dad called it the tool shed, but it served so many purposes over the years. We had tools in it; we had rabbits in it; we had guinea pigs in it; we had banty chickens in a fenced area beside it; I had a great dollhouse in it one summer and my neighbor friend and I even put up wallpaper in it! My brothers had the urge to dig holes in the ground every spring, down in the toolshed area. They covered them with plywood for roofs. We jumped off the roof when dared to by the bigger kids. And "found food" out there- especially sun-warmed tomatoes and cucumbers from Mama's garden.

We had a daylight basement with a big "party room" (We never had parties there though) and slept there on hot summer nights when our upstairs bedrooms were too hot. We had cots and mattresses lined up - there were 5 of us kids and Mom and Dad in a row.

I had a cubbyhole place in the eaves of our house that was perfect for reading comic books on rainy days. There were three storage areas there, and Mom and Dad let us fix them up for our forts- me and my 2 little brothers. That's where I first snuggled up with the quilt from Grandma's house that later went with me to college, then to my first home with my hubby, and then got recovered as my first quilt project, and was used as a picnic quilt for years, then went to college with my son. What a well used comforter that was. And the start of a love of a lifetime. Enough said. How grateful I am on this memorial day to be remembering all those blessings of the past.

Latrinka

Hippity-hop balls, stilts, jumping shoes, hula-hoops, can't remember the name of it, but it had a ring you put around one ankle, then attached to it was a string with a ball at the end, and you make the ball go around and keep jumping over the string!

trolleystation

How about Simon Says......

quiltingcrazy

I have so enjoyed reading all the stories. I hardly ever read a fiction book so these "true stories" I find so very interesting. I am one of eight children and I am #4 (you know what they say about middle children and it seems to fit me all too well). I have a sister that is only 13 months younger than me and the oldest boy in the family was three years younger than me. (6 girls and 2 boys). I was raised in dairy country in northern Ohio. We used to have ice cream socials that were the best times ever. I made up games for my brother and sister. We played newspaper reporters. We would carry around a newpaper and interview trees, dogs, gas pumps, sheds, tractors and some times pigs. After we did our interviews we all sat down together and told stories about the things we interviewed. I think I came up with this idea from "Superman". I made up so many games for us to play . . . what fun it was because I made up the rules and they followed me around the farm like I was a queen. Didn't realize what a fond memory we were making. We used to play a game that our cousin from the city always wanted to play when they visited. I believe it was called "Annie Annie Over". Does anyone remember such a game? We used bean bags that my mother made for us. We would get on opposite sides of a building and try to throw the bean bags over the roof. I think we must have had lots of bean bags on the roof. What fun we had and we always worked from the time I can remember. We weeded garden, picked wild berries and mushrooms that Mom used to sort through because we just picked what we thought were mushrooms. We used to attempt to ride a cow now and then. Long walks in the woods and catching fire flies in the evening. We didn't realize how fortunate we were and didn't know we didn't have much money, but what we had was priceless. Thanks everyone for sharing. I look forward to reading more stories.

Scrap41

Don't you feel sorry for the kids today; they miss out on using their imagination,
playing with others, playing in the rain, walking barefoot in the mud (Mom's today
would scream if their floors got muddy), having fresh food from a garden, not
a grocery store, homemade ice cream, homemade sand plum jelly, having hiding
places in the sand plum bushes....picking the sand plums too. Learning how to
drive while dad was feeding the cattle (wasn't automatic either) of course, you
tried not to throw dad off the back of the pickup...lol Also trying not to run into
those bushes that were in the pasture. Reading books from the library. Since
we lived 3 miles from town, it wasn't unusual for me to check out 15 books at
a time. I still love to read today!!! When I substitute teach, you will find me
with a book (if they are watching a video, I'm reading, unless it is something I
haven't seen then I also watch the video.) Sometimes the kids will ask what
is that book about. They don't even watch the news or read a newspaper
today, unless it is a school project. We rode a horse to the neighbors to
play, cause it was too far to walk, and parents didn't have time to drive you
there and come back and get you. One lady made us mustard and black pepper
sandwiches....loved them then, don't think I could eat one today!!

jeanharville

We played Annie over too, but with a rubber ball. I could have been a play mate to any of you "country" kids. Lord, we sound like Little House on the Prairie. But really, it wasn't that different. I too feel sad that society has changed to the point that it's not safe for kids to have the freedom we had. That's one reason they are in the house, it's not safe to be outside without an adult. I know many parents are turning of the TV and games and showing the kids Old maid, jacks, pickup sticks, hop scotch,etc. But definitelythey're not roaming around like we did. Thanks to all of you for the memories.

Quilt Novice

The best of my childhood was spending time with my grandparents.