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Recreation for Children

By Caroline Grossmann

 

      This is just a list of things we did for fun and, when fortunate enough, special activities that were arranged for us.  Most of this we did on our own, without supervision and without fear on our part or our parents' that anything bad would happen to us.  The time period is the 1940's and early 50's:

bulletRoller skating round and round the block
bulletBike riding round and round the block
bulletHop Scotch
bulletRing-o-lario
bulletHide and seek
bulletJump rope
bulletKick the can
bulletStick ball in the street
bulletStiff statues
bulletSimon Says
bulletHuck a buck a beanstalk
bulletMay I
bulletSwimming at the Boys' Club on Littleton Ave. & 13th Ave.
(girls could go too)
bulletGoing to the Hayes St. branch of the library--by yourself!
bulletGoing to the Y downtown--by yourself!
bulletTwo or more weeks in the summer at Camp Sunshine (it's still there but is now a day camp) in Liberty Corners
bulletGetting drenched by a fire hydrant on hot days
bulletChurch youth group activities
bulletListening to programs on the radio: The Lone Ranger, Sgt. Preston of the Yukon, The Shadow, Gangbusters, Gene Autry, Roy Rodgers, Big John & Sparky, Stella Dallas (when Grandma had it on)
bulletSledding down the alley, down the street (we didn't worry about the cars), down the hill at West Side Park
bulletIce skating in West Side Park
bulletWalking through Woodland Cemetery on the way to and from church--it felt like "the country"
bulletWalking around the neighborhood and talking to everyone--children were used to talking to adults and enjoyed it
bulletRiding on a merry go round on the back of a truck
bulletPlaying marbles
bulletUsing a paper cup and string "walkie talkie"
bulletMaking things: crafts, toys, scooters, bikes (out of junk yard parts), sewing, embroidery
bulletSummer recreation programs at West Side Park or at school playgrounds
bulletFeeding the goldfish in West Side Park
bulletGoing to the Newark Museum--we walked there
bulletWatching horses being shod at the stable on Fairmount Ave. near 16th Ave.
bulletGoing to the Ritz on Saturday afternoons--double feature, cartoons, and a newsreel all for 25 cents
bulletWatching clouds, rainbows, trees
bulletGoing to the 5 & 10 to buy something--maybe a toy, a ball, a coloring book, or a Christmas present for someone else
bulletPicnic at Oak Ridge Lake (with family)
bulletA day at Asbury Park -- we went by bus (with family)
bulletPulling taffy
bulletBobbing for apples

        I think most of this began to stop when people got TV's and stayed inside a lot. It's too bad. We had fun.


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