17 After-School Adventures Every 70s Kid Loved (Before Homework Began)
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The 1970s was a decade of exploration and freedom for kids. Imagine a world without smartphones and computers, where after-school hours were a time of imagination and discovery.
For those who grew up in the 70s, these adventures were the essence of childhood. Here are 17 quintessential activities that defined the after-school hours for 70s kids.
Fort Building in the Backyard
The backyard was a kingdom in the making. Kids had all the supplies they needed — sheets and clothespins — to take simple spaces and turn them into epic forts. In these temporary hideaways were countless adventures, imaginary battles, and secret meetings.
Everybody came together to plan, to tell stories, and to escape into worlds that they alone could see. There was an equal thrill to creating and an equal thrill to tearing it all apart and starting again.
Riding Bikes Until Sunset
For ’70s kids, the bicycle was the ultimate ticket to freedom. Kids set off on journeys and navigated around neighborhoods and beyond, without GPS or smartphones. Racing friends through to discovering new trails were all adventures on each ride.
Daylight and dinner calls echoing off porches were the only limits. These were not about speed, these were about friendship, independence, the open road.
Climbing Trees and Scraping Knees
The best playground was nature. Trees were a part of the landscape and part of what to conquer. Climbing to the highest branch offered both a physical and metaphorical perspective.
That was about bravery, risk, and the adrenaline of the climb. Badges of honor, proof you’d had a good day at play, were scraped knees and elbows.
Collecting Bottle Caps and Trading Cards
Kids of the 70s were good with collections. Treasures were bottle caps, trading cards to be sought, traded, and cherished. Each cap or card held one of the great stories of the collection.
Trading with friends was a rite of passage, the preparation for negotiation and trust. They weren’t just hobbies though; these were lifelines to memories to come.
Campfires and Ghost Stories
Campfires and tales as old as time were for evenings. Flickering flames gathered kids around them, and stories chilled their spines. Kids really liked ghost stories, especially the ones that were getting more and more terrifying.
The dark only heightened the sense of mystery, making the familiar backyard a fully unknowable place. It is at these gatherings that kids learn the power of storytelling and the enchantment of imagination.
Roller Skating on Sidewalks
In the 70s, kids had opted for the wheels known as roller skates. Kids were racing down the sidewalks on what had become racetracks in pursuit of fun. They mastered balance and rhythm with every step toward mastery, every glide and tumble.
Weekends meant garage skate parties with the music playing, the friends cheering. It was so much more than just a past time, it was a way of life.
Playing Kickball and Dodgeball
Friendly competition was held in the schoolyards. There were small games of kickball or dodgeball thrown together on the spot, teams of players formed.
Every win and loss in those years taught us sportsmanship, and friendships grew as feet scored goals and we laughed at our own comedy. These games didn’t need that much more than a ball and an open space, and therefore, the simplest pleasures can be the most memorable.
Exploring Creeks and Catching Frogs
Its mysteries beckoned from nature. Frogs, minnows, and all sorts of curiosity came from creeks. Kids made themselves look like mini explorers with makeshift nets and limitless enthusiasm, getting into every splash and every ripple.
But each discovery was a triumph─patience and observation. The explorations instilled a love for nature and awe and respect for its wonders long after the day ended.
Flying Kites on Windy Days
A windy day was an invitation to fly. Kites soared, carrying dreams skyward. Kids watched with pride as their creations danced among the clouds, tethered only by string and determination.
The act of flying a kite was a blend of art and science, requiring skill and patience. These moments connected kids to the sky, offering a taste of freedom and the joy of simple pleasures.
Building Sandcastles at the Beach
The beach was the canvas on which to be creative. Sandcastles rose from the shore, each more elaborate than the last. Kids armed with pails and shovels built moats, towers, and bridges, only to have the big waves bring it all down.
Resilience was taught, and the imagination was infused into this cycle of creation and destruction. Learning how to build sandcastles taught teamwork.
Saturday Morning Cartoons
Cartoons were a big part of the magic of Saturdays. Laughter and lessons followed in the form of animated characters that took kids to fantastical worlds. It was a weekly ritual, if you will, a shared experience that bonded siblings alike.
Cartoons like “Scooby-Doo” and “The Jetsons” became cultural touchstones, shaping the humor and creativity of a generation.
Bouquets Made From Picked Wildflowers
Nature had given us a gift to be shared. Homes and hearts were brightened with wildflower bouquets, a single petal for every child’s eye for beauty. It was an act of appreciation, a moment to stop and appreciate nature’s artistry.
These simple offerings were much more than decorations; they expressed love and gratitude. The world for ’70s kids was a garden just waiting to be explored.
Creating Art with Sidewalk Chalk
Their sidewalks became galleries for youthful artists. Kids chalked concrete into canvases of color and imagination with chalk in hand. It would tell a storyline, even if it was about hopscotch grids or fantastical creatures.
The impermanence of chalk art taught acceptance, as rain wiped the slate clean. By fostering such ephemeral creativity, the meaning of doing art became just that, a process, not a product, and just doing it should have included a feeling of expression and joy.
Reading Comic Books in Secret Hideouts
Comic books were windows to other worlds. Kids devoured tales of superheroes and adventures hidden in secret nooks. These stories fired imaginations and fuelled dreams of courage and heroism.
Comics have been companions, escape, and excitement for a long time now. These lessons were as enduring as the tales themselves, and in these pages, 70s kids found courage and creativity.
Setting Up Lemonade Stands
Sunny days were the time for entrepreneurial spirit. Lemonade stands dotted neighborhoods, each a stand for ambition. Kids peddled refreshments and smiled at the passersby.
It was lessons in math, marketing, and customer service. It was more than a business; it was a community event, neighbors coming together for the same reason: summer.
Making Friendship Bracelets
Friendship bracelets were symbols of linking. These bands were crafted with care and color and conveyed unbreakable bonds. Each knot had been a promise, and each bracelet a reminder of a shared moment.
It was a meditative, creative, and loving thing to make. These small bracelets on the wrists carried memories of summer days and lasting friendships.
Stargazing on Clear Nights
The night sky held endless wonder. With blankets and binoculars, kids lay beneath the stars, dreaming of distant galaxies. It sparked curiosity and awe in the stargazing-inducing imagination.
Through weaving mythology into the night, each constellation told its story. Some of these moments helped foster a connection to the universe and reminded kids they were a part of something bigger.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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