What are fondest memories from childhood?

[blackandgold88]

What are the moments / experiences that stick out for you during your childhood that made you happy? I ask because, like most people, I am finding myself with less money every month. I still want to give my kids memorable experiences but need them to be relatively low cost.

Mine were playing out in street till late in the summer, my brothers and a few friends all loaded into my mum’s old Volvo (some in the boot!) heading down to the beach for a day of building castles and playing rounders, and our caravan holidays in Wales.

Any ideas / suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Bike rides with just my mum (so one to one time away from siblings!), playing cards as a family on a Saturday night (while toasting bread on the fire), playing 'murder in the dark' (hide and seek in the dark) with my sisters and friends, climbing trees.

So glad you posted this as I am the same and feeling slightly depressed at how much everything costs, especially with 3. This has reminded me all my memories are of simple and free things. That said, we were skint as a family so maybe if we'd done lots of theme parks and shizzle they'd be what I looked back on fondly!

Really stupid stuff like my dad used to let us 'blow up his muscles', we'd literally blow into his thumb and he'd flex his biceps. He was a young, army dad and pretty beefed. Playing board games, baking. My mum.was very spontaneous and would do things like cancel bedtime and take us out to watch a meteor shower (like twice in my life but I remember it!). Literally the only memory of something I have which cost money I asked for a big ticket Christmas present and then on Christmas day spent the whole day feeling guilty because we really couldn't afford it and I wasn't sure that I wanted it enough to justify the expense. That was probably where I learned that people and time are more important than things!

Thanks for replying! This is how I feel. My fondest memories are of free activities, usually outdoors. I want my kids to be used to having fun and making their own fun outdoors rather than sat indoors on devices

We used to have an evening walk to a park that was about 2 miles away. We would buy sausage and chips and eat them on the park. Then we'd play and walk round the park before walking home.

My all time favourite childhood memory is of being on the beach in Barmouth. My brother had bought a stunt kite, he learnt how to dive bomb it. My Nan and I were running along the beach holding hands and he was dive bombing the kite then pulling it back up just before it hit us. I remember us all laughing until our bellies hurt, it was a sunny day but windy, with big fluffy clouds. It was just beautiful. I must have been about 8.

Mostly just doing stuff with my family (I have four siblings) and friends.

Going on holidays to a caravan or to Butlins. The caravan was such a novelty - it felt like I was having my own Famous Five adventure (minus the adventure obviously). Living in a miniature house with sofas that converted into beds and beds that you pulled down from the wall. Lots of days at the beach and the occasional few hours at the funfair. Butlins was amazing - having unlimited access to a funfair, swimming pool, roller rink etc.

Making our own DIY costumes and dressing up at Hallowe'en and knocking at doors for fruit and monkey nuts. Watching the fireworks light up the sky as we did our rounds. Playing Hallowe'en games at home with our parents. Games like bobbing for apples.

Playing outdoors with friends, especially in the summer holidays. Cycling on our bikes for hours. Playing games like hide and seek, skipping, tennis or ball games (throwing tennis balls against a wall and chanting rhymes at the same time). The long, bright evenings. Freedom from the routine of school and homework.

The excitement of Christmas and wondering if Santa would bring that much wanted toy. Spending hours reading my annual (then moving on to my siblings' annuals) and painting with my new paintbox and doing jigsaws. Having my Dad at home for the Christmas holidays. He didn't work long hours exactly (it was pretty much a 9 to 5 job) but it was nice having him at home every day.

Going to girl guides every week and playing lots of games there. Going on hikes and camping trips.

I was raised in the '70s and '80s so parents didn't really do active parenting the way they do now. As soon as we could walk and talk, we were expected to go out and play with friends, so as not to be under our mothers' feet. We'd be gone for hours and only come home when we were called home for dinner or for bed. There wasn't the same range of clubs and organisations that there are now. My sisters and I went to girl guides and my brother played football.

Holidays in the caravan
Fish and chips in the car after a swimming lesson on a Friday night
Bombing around the countryside on daft ponies
Going out with my friends round the country roads on our bikes

Home made chips with loads of vinegar and tomato sauce in a bowl whilst watching the tv on Sunday evenings with my mum. Saturday morning pictures at the cinema with my friends when in primary school. A visit to the local park with my mum when we had a picnic. Hanging round the streets and park with friends during the summer of 76 when the hot days went on for months, I had the best tan I've ever had. I'm old so there were no theme parks or expensive days out in my childhood.

I used to love going blackberry picking with my mum and sisters, eating so many along the way but claiming that of course we hadn't! Then getting home and playing out in the garden, in the sunshine whilst my mum made a big blackberry crumble to have for dessert after dinner!

The summer days used to be so long and lovely..... I always enjoyed going in family walks, particularly with a picnic lunch!

Sitting around the fire, laughing and eating pulled taffy we had made earlier the day
Picking berries
Canoeing

We used to go and visit my grandma who lived in rural Devon with a big, wild garden (we lived in London with no garden). I have fond memories of climbing trees, playing in streams and sleeping in a tent in the garden.

Out all day with our ponies or riding our bikes, playing with dogs, endless fields to run around in, climb trees, brooks and streams to jump over and build dams, making dens and daisy chains, just being outdoors as much as possible.

One of my best memories is being woken up very early one morning and told to get dressed and get in the car because we were going on holiday. We didn't go away very often and being surprised made it seem really exciting. It was only a few days in a B&B at the seaside but I remember it as the most exciting thing ever.

Most of my other favourite memories are times that one of my parents did something just with me, with my interests in mind (eg. going to see a film, an afternoon doing a craft). As the middle child time with a parent alone was fairly rare, and as my brothers had similar interests most family days out were more geared towards them.

Walking the dog with my dad. And every time we crossed a certain road. We would sing "You what, you what , you what you what .

My mum sending me to bed. I would cone back down abd sit next ti my dad's chair abd watch TV. He would pretend not to see me when I out my finger to my lip.

Running down the road to meet my dad after work. Seeing his bandy legs under the tress before seeing him.

Brushing my dad's hair and putting it into bunches

Opening my dad's can of lagar and taking a sip.

Playing over the cricket ground with friends getting chased of by the grounds man. In his car. Hiding under the weeping willows.

Us kids ducking under the window to sneak up the green. And play .

Miss my dad so much 😭

My dad pitching a tent in the back garden. Us kids camped out most of the summer.
Walking down to the beach with neighbours kids (and parents) on hot evenings to swim
Cycling on country lanes. Very little traffic, very safe. Being able to go off with friends and no adults for long walks, exploring.
All things that cost nothing. We had no money back then, nobody did. There seems to be too much of an expectation to take kids out constantly to places that cost money, every weekend. They don't seem to be allowed to entertain them any more

Sadly..hardly anything.
I loved Christmas, just the magic of it really.
And going to the library. Aged from 8 years old I used to go on my own , or walk to the local seaside.

Water fights on the street in beautifully balmy sunny days. Every kid would get involved, and it almost became military with the 'bases' being anyone's front garden that had an outside tap.

Almost all my memories are attached to those water fights...including my first trip in an ambulance!!

Damming a stream that flowed onto a beach and watching the water get higher. Paddling in the "reservoir " . Then at the end of the day breaching the dam.

Riding my bike - I felt so free.

Seaside holidays. Christmas Day with all my cousins. Playing hide and seek in my grandma’s garden.

Going to the beach with my mother, going to the cinema which was cheap in the 70s and my brother and I would stay all afternoon while mom worked, my granny’s roast.

Going on adventures through the woods and along canals with my grandad in scotland, he'd wake me up at 6am and he, I and his little west highland terrier hamish would go walking for hours, we'd find all sorts of places, waterfalls, locks, mountains it was almost so much fun and I'll never forget those days, and I just love him so much for giving me that, I always remember him being such a wonderful man, should I say is, he's still alive. his nickname for me was Golden girl, because I have red hair. And he'd always emphasise the GRAND when he called me grand daughter because he said I was so grand

Going on buses trains and trams, and watching planes. You can have a very cheap day out around Heathrow if you're not too far away.

Also, stew and dumplings at my gran's.

Time spent with my cousins. I’m an only one so it was amazing to feel part of a big family on days out to the beach. It felt easier to go a bit wild with other kids around.

Holidays staying with my grandparents while my parents were away. Almost all my most treasured memories are from spending time with them. Too many to list. They spoilt me rotten. Not with money but with affection and fun.

My mum making proper home made deep fried chips and making newspaper bags to put them in,We used to all sit on the kerb edge with all our friends at about 8 pm,we were tired, we were happy, we were filthy from playing out all day and we all felt very spoilt! Happiest times.

Thanks everyone! Such amazing memories! Everything seemed so much simpler back then - we were so easily amused. I agree with the water fights! And we would play with our cousins and go on holiday with them too. As we were all together our parents didn’t seem to mind that there was no adult supervision. My kids will often complain if we walk any distance but I don’t remember being like that!