What are your fondest memories growing up as a kid?

[6spdC6]

Many of the things I did as a kid would be illegal now or at the very least very frowned on. Born mid 40s, very early boomer!

[Louie Detroit]

Hanging out at various relatives places in Indiana for two weeks a year.
Hearing the hogs and cows making racket all night with the lid on their feeders.
The sound of a zillion crickets, cicadas and other bugs providing a summer soundtrack.
Listening to Kodachrome, Shambala and Smoke on the Water blaring on farmer’s tractors.

[GTOguy]

Originally Posted by 6spdC6

Many of the things I did as a kid would be illegal now or at the very least very frowned on. Born mid 40s, very early boomer!

I can still hear the ringing in my ears from taking an entire roll of red or green paper caps, putting it on the sidewalk, and hitting it with a hammer. I can remember the cement chunks in my eyes, too. Great times.

[mrvette]

Grew up with a Jewish Synagogue about1/4 mile from my folks back door....newer development around it, many houses....about ten acres in Bethesda Md. outside DC.....Old Georgetown Rd.......

everyone got along, had a group from another hood that was about a mile away try giving us a hard time playing on a golf course that is now Nat. Inst. of Health campus the golf course was fun for us.....the houses I grew up among are worth welll OVER a million bux each yet are only 3brm, 2.5 bath, porch and ONE car garages.....walk about 1/2 mile to a bus stop.....

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

I can still hear the ringing in my ears from taking an entire roll of red or green paper caps, putting it on the sidewalk, and hitting it with a hammer. I can remember the cement chunks in my eyes, too. Great times.

The smell of caps.

I used to scrape my thumbnail across them and they'd sizzle/pop. My thumb would be ever so slightly burned from it after a while.

Also, the metal "bombs" that you'd put a couple caps in and twist tight, then throw it up in the air.

[GTOguy]

Lawn Darts. Creepy Crawlers. Creepy Crawlers 'Incredible Edibles'. LOL...Wham-O plastic Boomerang....which was absolutely lethal. Spring-equipped jumping shoes (ankle busters)

[Ol Timer]

Riding bikes, pick-up basketball and football games, Indian ball at the park, catching fireflies in Mason jars, nickel root-beer in frosted mugs at the corner drug store and picnics with family.

[Mick]

Boy Scout summer camp. Two weeks outside without the parents around. Rifle shooting, archery, canoes, row boats, swimming at the pool, fishing in the river, rappelling board, always a ton of fun stuff to do!

[LATB]

What are your fondest memories growing up as a kid?

Playing "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" with the girl up the street. Ironically, she was my 1st several years later.

[Don Rickles]

Originally Posted by Anjdog2003

Getting those young girls thick winter sweaters up, for a swing at second base!!!.

[slewfoot]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

I can still hear the ringing in my ears from taking an entire roll of red or green paper caps, putting it on the sidewalk, and hitting it with a hammer. I can remember the cement chunks in my eyes, too. Great times.

Did you ever make a firecracker out of a roll of caps

[Frankie the Fink]

Leaving the house Saturday morning with my posse on our bicycles and staying gone until the street lights came on - playing around the Elizabeth River in Tidewater, exploring the woods, getting in BB gun fights (stupid as hell, I know) - I pity the current crop of kids in Mom's basement with a game controller attached to them like glue.

[Swany00]

riding my Diamond back bmx bike

[snide]

Originally Posted by Mick

You nailed Louie's Mom?

Didn't you?

[CurtP]

Shrinky Dinks
Super Elasic Bubble Plastic
Erector sets
Radio Shack 150-in-One Electronic Kits
Chemistry sets
Getting Craftsman hand tools at Christmas
.22 short
Gokarts
Minibikes
Plowing the fields in a new International Harvester 5488 FWA

[markids77]

Pinball. Ice fishing. Partridge hunting with Dad. Night fishing for eels on the Mill river. Moorewood lake, just a stone's throw from Miss Hall's girls school. Dirt bikes. Hot glazed donuts from my grandfather's bakery after watching the fireworks on July 4th. Feeling like royalty in the back seat of my Uncle's various Cadillac convertibles.

[Bruze]

We used to play something called "Knife." I don't know who invented it but it wasn't me. It was a lot of fun.

We had an old rusty kitchen knife, probably about 10" long. We'd put two sticks in the yard maybe 50' apart, didn't matter.

We'd stand behind one stick and one guy would throw the knife forward; if it stuck in the ground you advanced to that point. Odds of sticking it in were pretty good once you got the hang of it.

Then the next kid would try, often sticking the knife in not far away from someone else's shoe which would make everybody laugh.

Or you could "Chance it," winging the knife end-over-end in the air, and if it stuck in you advanced to that point, if not you went nowhere. That was probably a 50/50 chance of scoring.

Our parents didn't care, and nobody ever got hurt.

[Don Rickles]

Rope swings!

[Cool 50th AE]

My dad taking me to work during the summers.

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by Bruze

We used to play something called "Knife." I don't know who invented it but it wasn't me. It was a lot of fun.

We had an old rusty kitchen knife, probably about 10" long. We'd put two sticks in the yard maybe 50' apart, didn't matter.

We'd stand behind one stick and one guy would throw the knife forward; if it stuck in the ground you advanced to that point. Odds of sticking it in were pretty good once you got the hang of it.

Then the next kid would try, often sticking the knife in not far away from someone else's shoe which would make everybody laugh.

Or you could "Chance it," winging the knife end-over-end in the air, and if it stuck in you advanced to that point, if not you went nowhere. That was probably a 50/50 chance of scoring.

Our parents didn't care, and nobody ever got hurt.

We used to play a similar game but with folding knives. Everyone carried one back then. You would stand facing each other, feet shoulder width apart. Toss your knife between your opponents feet- if it stuck in the ground, then he had to bring his feet one width closer. First guy to hit someone's sneaker lost the game.

Best memories? Playing street hockey. Stickball. Full tackle football with just a sweatshirt for protection. Ice hockey on the pond. Riding bikes everywhere. Hitting 40mph downhill, pedaling like mad, passing cars. Swimming in the lake; jumping off the boulder into the cold water. Hiking the trails from my grandfather's cabin to Mt. Anne- our favorite route included a narrow ledge- certain death if you fell.