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Little things that brought you absolute joy as a child

452 replies

DevilledEgg · 16/01/2025 19:51

For me it was silver balls on cupcakes. Such a simple thing but we didn't have them very often, so whenever I saw some on a cake I'd bubble with excitement. I bought a cake today with some on and I swear, I was five years old again!

OP posts:
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12
supersonicginandtonic · 17/01/2025 07:57

I used to go with my nanan every Saturday to the market. She'd get me some cockles at the fish market and some coconut mushrooms. I always looked forward to our trips together

DaDaDoDaiDa · 17/01/2025 07:58

mumgodloveher · 17/01/2025 00:08

Was this the jewellery box? Everyone seemed to have them in my era. It played Swan Lake. I loved mine.

Ooh, I had that exact one - I've still got it more than 40 years after receiving it as a birthday present! It came from Argos.

NoCarbsForMe · 17/01/2025 08:23

Pear drops!
Mr Frosty - never had one!
Patent shoes - never had any! 🤣

NoCarbsForMe · 17/01/2025 08:24

Enko · 17/01/2025 07:33

Peas in the pod eaten from brown paper bags. Usually at my Paternal grandparents place we would get the coin to runndownnto buy then. I can remember sitting on a warm doorstep eating them.

I'm still fondnof raw peas in the pod in my.50s.

Aw my kids used to do this at my Mum's when they were little 💚

NoCarbsForMe · 17/01/2025 08:24

Ice magic!!!

Buttheywereonlysatellites51 · 17/01/2025 08:28

Blowing bubbles into a glass of milk with a straw.

It was so much fun!

For some reason, my mum always told me to stop it. I never understood adults...

ImWearingPantaloons · 17/01/2025 08:34

Being allowed to pick a particular coloured plastic fork in the chip shop and being lifted up from the floor in order to be able to do so.

Always chose a pink one.

justletmegetmyglasses · 17/01/2025 08:35

Going to the indoor market and buying real second hand baby clothes for my baby doll. I was 10 years old. So simple and innocent compared to today ☺️

justletmegetmyglasses · 17/01/2025 08:48

Kattuccino · 16/01/2025 21:17

Rolls of stickers. Especially furry ones!

Novelty rubbers that looked like juice cartons etc. My very favourite was a black heart shaped rubber with a little rainbow on one side, in a clear plastic box. Perfection!

When a new Sweet Valley High/Twins or Point Horror book arrived at WH Smiths. So exciting!

The smell when you opened a tin of Quality Street at Christmas.

My friend had a reversible 101 Dalmations jumper that I coveted. My mum got me a fake one from the market and I LOVED it. I wore it all the time!

Birthday cards with the Forever Friends bears on.

Making up a 'basket' at The Body Shop. Bath peals, strawberry body wash, a soap shaped like an apple. All nestled on shredded paper in a little wicker basket and then wrapped in cellophane.

Oh wow 🤩 I had one of those reversible Dalmatian jumpers from the market, they were really thick and poofy 😁 I'd forgotten about this 💛

NoGwenItsABoxingDayTrifle · 17/01/2025 09:28

My neighbours (tv show) sticker album.
My little cassette player and microphone so I could practice being Kylie Minogue.

My little Pony night dress
Teddy Rupskin
A pair of glove and each finger had a different face and plaits.

Manchesterbythesea · 17/01/2025 09:49

My dad coming home on a Friday with a creme egg and care bear stickers for my panini sticker book.

Printedword · 17/01/2025 10:31

My Dad always thought marbles were dangerous so my older bro used to hide them. Bit like a squirrel, buried in the garden. I found them one by one and kept them in my secret box. Still got them.

I liked twiddly winks and was really good at flipping them. They did the high jump and long jump in my Toy Olympics too 🤣

HereBeWormholes · 17/01/2025 11:15

A jewellery box with a wind-up ballerina dancing to Strangers in the Night before a tiny little mirror... had bigger-all jewellery but would keep rare and interesting stones, leaves, cake decorations, whatever sparked my magpie-like infant curiosity...

Light-up anything - torches, toys, dolls houses, pens...

HereBeWormholes · 17/01/2025 11:16

'Bugger-all jewellery'. Much like now. 😄

locket2009 · 17/01/2025 11:17

Hundreds and thousands of
Kelloggs bike reflectors

HereBeWormholes · 17/01/2025 11:18

Pony books. Jill Ferguson. The Pullein-Thompsons. Monica Dickens...

locket2009 · 17/01/2025 11:19

locket2009 · 17/01/2025 11:17

Hundreds and thousands of
Kelloggs bike reflectors

Sorry hundreds and thousands
AND
Kelloggs bike reflectors

Not that many bike reflectors 😆

UnctuousUnicorns · 17/01/2025 11:38

NoCarbsForMe · 17/01/2025 08:23

Pear drops!
Mr Frosty - never had one!
Patent shoes - never had any! 🤣

I had a Mr. Frosty. It was crap! I only used it a few times I lost interest. 🤷‍♀️ 😅

kerstina · 17/01/2025 12:42

What a lovely idea for a thread !
Christmas morning sack.
plastic high heeled slippers that looked like glass .
A new Pippa doll.
New copy of Tammy and Misty.
wendy houses
paddling pools
ballet clothes and shoes ( even though parents couldn’t afford lessons)
the seaside.
my first pets. Mice and hamsters

DevilledEgg · 17/01/2025 12:49

Deadringer · 16/01/2025 23:38

My mum would sometimes bring us home iced gems from the shops, I loved them. Also scented rubbers, pencil toppers, glitter, or a brand new untouched pack of markers or crayons.

Edited

My friend always had iced gems in her packed lunch. I remember begging my mum to put me on packed lunches so I could have nice things like that but she refused because the thought a hot dinner was more important than cute biscuits. From that day forward I chose all the things I wasn't allowed from the dinner hatch. Cheesy chips every day? Yep. Turkey twizzlers? Yep. Ice-cream? Yep. Even though I was supposed to be 100% dairy free 😂

OP posts:
DevilledEgg · 17/01/2025 12:51

helandy · 17/01/2025 00:02

Pogo sticks. Swingball. Spelling words with Alphabites. My mum giving my burger a ketchup smiley face.

I lived on my pogo stick in the summer 😍

OP posts:
Axelotl · 17/01/2025 13:09

On another cereal based note, there was muesli that bore little resemblance to today's muesli but you could draw pictures in it with a spoon .
Ditto honey pudding - like angel delight but honey. Free gift from that was a fabulous Winnie the Pooh money box

Kdkdkfj · 17/01/2025 13:09

Space hoppers, pogo sticks and that pole with a tennis ball on a string.

Kdkdkfj · 17/01/2025 13:10

Angel delight

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 17/01/2025 16:28

Kdkdkfj · 17/01/2025 13:09

Space hoppers, pogo sticks and that pole with a tennis ball on a string.

Swingball - it bloody hurt if the ball caught you !