A Little Light Reading

This little girl relaxes in her Lexington, KY treehouse while she peruses the latest publication.

Taking to the Streets

This pack rides their wooden scooters through the streets of Boston in the mid-1950s.

Hit the Road

This little girl gets some pointers from Mom before she hits the streets of Detroit circa 1955.

The Gift of Gab

Sometimes it’s fun to just sit around and chat with your bestie. That’s how these little girls passed the time in Mt. Vernon, Alabama in 1956.

Stay Hydrated

Here, a young boy takes a cool sip of water from the fountain at his summer camp, circa 1950.

Grab a Shower

Here, two small children enjoy a cold spray courtesy of a water hydrant in New York City circa 1950.

Gone Fishing

Two kids exploring the river, one with a rod and reel, circa 1950.

Roller Skating

This young fella laced up his skates and took to the streets of his Hawaiian neighborhood back in the mid-1950s.

Diving Into Summer

This Indiana swimming pool was a popular place to cool off in the mid-1950s.

Take Aim

These boys learned the sport of archery at their summer camp circa 1950.

Family Entertainment

Here, a mother and her daughter take in a mail train robbery re-enactment at an entertainment ghost town in Buena Park, California in the mid-1950s.

Stealing Some Shade

Here, two boys and their father enjoy a shady respite with their pooch during a hot Long Island summer circa 1956.

Easily Amused

Children take a spin on a ride at the Playland Amusement Park in Rye, NY circa 1955.

Sand and Sea

Some activities are timeless, like a day at the beach. All you need is a bucket and shovel to create endless hours of fun and lifelong memories like these children did circa 1950.

Greetings From Camp

Here, two boys at summer camp take a moment to write a letter home, circa 1950

Riding a Rubber Ring

Before the fancy and fun inflatables of the 21st century, kids enjoyed floating on old tire inner tubes. Here, a young boy floats on the water in New York circa 1955.

Take a Summer Snooze

And finally, an image that perhaps best illustrates the notion of a lazy summer, this 6-year-old boy enjoys a summer snooze in a giant tree in Upstate New York in 1952.

Chuckles

• Invented in 1921 by a marshmallow maker
• It was the first jelly candy
• Available in 5 flavors

Bit-o-Honey

• Invented in 1924 by the Schutter-Johnson Company
• First toffee candy to contain honey
• Cost a penny per piece

Candy Cigarettes

• Made in the late 1800s
• Designed to look like real cigarettes
• Made of sugar, chocolate, or bubblegum

Necco Wafers

• Invented in 1847 by Oliver Chase
• Chalky candy discs
• Originally called hub wafers

Good & Plenty

• Invented in 1893
• Licorice candy
• The oldest branded candy in American history

Sugar Daddy

• Invented in 1925
• Originally called a “papa sucker”
• The name was changed to Sugar Daddy in 1932

Atomic Fireball

• Invented in 1954 by Nello Ferrara
• 3,500 Scoville units
• Made using a hot pan method

Slo Poke

• Invented in 1926 by the Holloway Candy Co.
• Started as a sucker
• Evolved into a caramel bar

Jujubes

• First sold in 1890
• Named after the jujube fruit, a native Chinese fruit
• Discontinued by manufacturer and no longer available

Clark Bar

• Invented in 1917 by David L. Clark
• Peanut butter and taffy inside, chocolate coating outside
• The first “combination candy” to succeed with consumers

Pixy Stix

• Invented in 1942 in St. Louis, MO
• Was originally a powdered drink called Fruzola
• Succeeded by Lik-M-Aid, which evolved into Fun Dip

Tootsie Rolls

• A hand-rolled candy invented in 1907 by Leo Hirschfeld
• Named after Leo’s daughter Clara, who he affectionately called “Tootsie”
• Commercially marketed in 1908

Candy Buttons

• Invented in the 1930s
• Tiny dots of sugar on a paper sheet
• Made of sugar, flavoring and coloring

Slinky

• Invented in 1943 by Richard and Betty James
• Released in 1945
• Known for its ability to walk down stairs

Hula Hoop

• Marketed by Wham-O in 1958
• Patented in 1963
• Inspired by a wooden hoop children played in Australia

Barbie Dolls

• Invented by Ruth Handler
• Released in 1959 by Mattel
• Mattel was founded by Handler and her husband, Elliot

Mr. Potato Head

• Invented in 1949 by George Lerner
• Distributed in 1952 by Hasbro
• Claim to fame: the first toy ever advertised on TV

TONKA Trucks

• Invented in 1947 by Mound Metalcraft Company in Mound, Minnesota
• Mound is located near Lake Minnetonka, hence the name “Tonka”
• TONKA uses 119,000 pounds of yellow paint each year

Play-Doh

• Started as wallpaper cleaner
• Was first used as modeling clay in 1955
• Became known as Play-Doh in 1956

GI Joe

• Introduced in 1964
• Called an “action soldier” or “action figure” instead of a doll
• Originally introduced as an Army soldier; a Navy sailor, Air Force pilot, Marine, and NASA astronaut were later added

View-Master

• Originally called Sawyer’s View-Master
• Introduced at the World’s Fair in 1939-40
• First intended to be an adult education tool

Easy-Bake Oven

• Invented by Ronald Howes and introduced in 1963 by Kenner
• The heat source was two 100-watt incandescent bulbs
• Could bake actual edible food

Etch A Sketch

• Introduced at the 1959 International Toy Fair
• First called L’ecran Magique, or The Magic Screen
• Aluminum powder and tiny beads are held to the screen via static charges

Chatty Cathy

• Released in 1960
• Pull-string on her back made Cathy “talk”
• Started with 11 phrases, including “I love you”
• Second most popular doll in the 1960s after Barbie

Hot Wheels

• Debuted in 1968 at the International Toy Fair
• Inspired by California hot rods
• The original batch included 16 cars, called “The Sweet 16”

Cootie

• Invented in 1948 by William H. Schaper of Minnesota
• Was an educational game designed for ages 3-11
• Still a popular game for families

Writing Thank-You Notes

There was a time when if you received a gift, you wrote a thank you note — handwritten, mind you — and mailed it to the person you were thanking. In fact, there was an entire stationery industry that thrived on creating beautiful sheets of paper and carefully coordinated envelopes to ensure that not only were the words of thanks thoughtful but that they looked nice too.

Practicing Good Table Manners

Folks of a certain age likely recall being told to put your napkin in your lap, elbows off the table, chew with your mouth closed, and the proper way to set a table and use the utensils. And don’t forget to say grace.

Politely Answering the Phone

The irony of phones today? No one likes to talk on them. Boomers know that there was a time when you answered the phone with “Smith residence.”

Dressing Up For Air Travel

Traveling by airplane meant one thing was certain: you were to be dressed up for this exceptional travel experience. Women wore skirts or dresses, men wore suits and ties.

Respecting Your Elders

Whether you were interacting with your parents, your teachers or any other adult, children were always to address their elders at sir and ma’am as a show of respect.

Standing When an Adult Enters the Room

Whenever an adult entered the room, children were to stand up and acknowledge their arrival as a show of respect. Bonus points if you extended your hand for a handshake.

Tipping Your Hat

Speaking of toppers, men were also expected to tip their hat as a greeting or show of recognition for another person.

Opening the Car Door for Your Date or Significant Other

It was considered polite for a man to open his date’s or significant other’s car door for her and close it once she was neatly inside before he got into the driver’s side.

Penny Bubblegum Stand

One cent could get you a massive gumball or cheap toy to enjoy.

Riding Bikes

It didn’t matter if you were a city kid or a country kid, two wheels and daylight meant hours of freedom.

Earth Day Cleanup

These 1970s New York City kids were focused on their Earth Day clean-up efforts.

Double Dutch Demo

These kids were putting on quite the Double Dutch performance for an audience of onlookers.

Stickball in the City

You could always count on a fun game of stick ball with your friends in this guy’s New York neighborhood.

Library Time

This class of kids gets lost in their books during library time.

Watts Christmas Parade

These children proudly marched in the Watts Christmas Parade in California.

Beverly Hills Cop

Here, a Beverly Hills policeman shares some safety pointers with a captive audience.

Cards by Candlelight

During a New York City blackout, this family makes the most by playing a game of cards by candlelight.

Shooting Hoops

A fun game of pick-up was always in order for these city kids.

London Bridge

A rousing game of “London Bridge” kept these little ladies entertained in their classroom.

Taking It to the Streets

A group of young students are all bundled up for a school outing with their teachers.

Time to Shop

These Michigan kiddos look like their heading to the grocery store — and having a good time too!

Trike Ride

These little girls take a ride around their preschool gymnasium.

Let’s Climb!

Here, some children climb on Alice in Wonderland and some mushrooms in New York City’s Central Park.

Tiny Catholics

These girls are dressed in their Sunday best as they head to their Catholic church.

Teacher Knows Best

These little learners enjoy some circle time in a well-decorated classroom.

Young Festival-Goers

Here, two of the younger attendees of the Vortex I Biodegradable Festival of Life in Oregon enjoy a romp through the grass.

Skateboarding is Life

Here, a young skateboarder enjoys the thrill of the ride.

Let’s Get Wet

The neighborhood kids gather for a little reprieve from the summer heat in New York.

Field Trip

Here, some young students enjoy an off-campus trip.