The summer holidays when you were a child

[Thatcantberainsurely]

What were they like?

80’s child, 90’s teen here

I can remember watching ‘Why don’t you’ eating cereal, going out on bike rides and walking to friends houses and knocking on for them to come out. There were water fights in my friends street (cul de sac)
Aside from that, I don’t remember ever going anywhere really (with mum) or any planned activities/crafts/outings
So different to my Dds holidays 😂

I'm the same age and my holidays sound similar! Most of it spent hanging out with friends. Occasionally off to the local skating rink or swimming pool but mostly spent riding around on bikes and climbing trees until it got dark.
Then from 14/15, spent lurking around the town centre with a rock solid perm, a mouth smothered in heather shimmer and honking of Boots Dewberry body spray.

My parents always took us away for a fortnights holiday abroad during the school holidays, but otherwise I would be playing out with my friends, we would usually wander down to the beach if the weather was good and swim etc.
Sixties kid.

Aah, so many memories of a 1970s country childhood.

My parents had a dairy farm so we didn't have holidays as such, just days out, but i didn't feel deprived because fewer people went on foreign holidays in those days. Obviously living in the country gave lots of opportunities for adventurous fun anyway in those days before safeguarding (not recommending a return, by the way - some of the things we got up to were hair-raising....).

I remember wanting to have an adventure like the children in Enid Blyton's Secret Seven or Famous Five, but it never quite happened.

Also - absolutely hating the 'Back to School' posters which seemed to appear in shops almost as soon as the holidays started. They sent me into a spiral of misery!

But I loved the smell of my new shoes at the beginning of the autumn term.

It was always sunny, of course - but never 40 degrees.

80s born

Went to the local leisure centre without adults and just played with all the activities eg tennis, table tennis, movie room, football, climbing wall

Went shopping every Sat with our Nan - we did that every week outside of school holidays too

Visited other grandparents who had a caravan 20 mins away - loved going there, just playing at the park with the other kids and Nan and Grandad would take us to the pub for tea which was a real treat 😊

Went on one big day put to a theme park in the entire six week holidays - we’re really really grateful for it it felt like a real treat

We never ever ate out as a family

Other than that would play with other kids in the street doing rounders, badminton, bikes, roller blading

Me and my sister would get the bus and take ourselves to the swimming baths too - when we were about 11+

My mum didn’t work so it wasn’t due to a lack of childcare she just never really did activities with us. We grew up pretty happy though.

Robinson Crusoe and White Horses for me too. In fact that's pretty much the only TV I remember from childhood, except Crown Court, which I used to watch with nan at lunchtime.

The holidays were mostly spent in the garden with a book or helping nan with fruit and vegetables (with the occasional play battle between us using rhubarb leaves), going to the playing field or biking into the countryside surrounding our village. Very occasionally, I'd walk with a friend to the swimming pool half an hour away, where we'd have funds for a bottle of Cresta. Most of the time, we swam in the river or built camps on the small island in the middle.

Ooh I was soooo in love with Robert Hoffman (Robinson Crusoe) from a very young age (about 10)

I was a single patent.. eldest born in 80s 8 years later had her sister.. l always took them on holiday home and abroad.
Days out to the coast../ zoos/ theme parks.They always had friends sleeping over and picnics in the garden .. went swimming often or just to the park.. l adored having them home for the school hols.

Born 1970. Very limited TV, as a kid not worth watching (apart from Dr Who). Spent endless hours, with friends, on our bikes exploring. Loved playing hopscotch and 40/40. Never went on any holidays and didn't have a car.

Agree with @Farahpascalmoges about church involvement in general life…..my parents weren’t religious but we were sent to church on a Sunday morning, so my mum could prepare Sunday lunch and my dad could read the paper in peace. In the holidays, various social events took place centring around the church, including a community concert, which was always a big feature of our school holidays. There were also things to do with the brownies and guides centred around the church and then later on at the youth club school holidays passed quickly enough with trips to the library, playing out when it was fine, a week in a caravan and social events at the church…. I can remember winning a fancy dress event by going dressed as “ haberdashery” in address, to which my mother had sewn, buttons, reels of thread, tape measures, safety pins, et cetera.

Born in 1980 so young / primary age in the 80's and had my teenage years in the 90's

Dad worked, mum worked term time but I also had much younger siblings.

One holiday abroad ever with my parents but we did have a UK holiday every summer (usually caravan or we'd stay at relatives on the Essex coast when they had thier annual holiday and hit all the local beaches). It was your quintessential English beach holiday and I have very fond memories. Other than that I remember very simple / low key outings like Epping Forest or one of big parks or we'd go and see the London sights / walk along the Thames. We'd take picnics. Would play out on the little green in front of the house with my friends who lived there too. Spent a lot of time at my grandparents (they had a big house and garden)

I remember lots of evening BBQ's in the garden at home or eating out evening meals outside. Mum and dad would sit out with a glass of wine most evenings.

Older primary / early teen I spent most of the summer playing out with friends. Lived on an Estate so had clear boundaries of where I could roam, plus there was an adventure playground open all holiday so me and friends spent a lot of time there. My mum would come and call me in for lunch and dinner but I was pretty much always outside. I remember every evening asking to be allowed to play out later and occasionally being allowed. I'd say I was out the house 8 hours + per day most of the time. Seems unbelievable now that a 11/12yo would a) have such freedom and b) manage to amuse themselves, stay safe and behave relatively well.

Different times and all that. I was lucky in that I had a very active, simple, happy and positive childhood.

90's child 00's teen.
My Mum used to lock us out of the house during summer holidays. Only allowed in for lunch and if it was absolutely tipping down. Otherwise we had to be outside. Had to be in by dark.

Spent most the summer running around fields, on footpaths and cycling in the local park with my sister and a couple of friends from the estate we lived on.

We'd often end up at my Grandparent's house as they only lived next street over. Alot of fun in their garden, water fights etc

We'd sometimes go to the beach or picnics on the moors. Paddling in the river.

My Dad worked 7 days a week pretty much. My Mum was a SAHM, and then had the odd sewing job she did when we were older.

Only summer club we ever went to was the one organised by the local church, which was free and for one week of the holidays.

No other clubs etc and we had a good time.

Was born early 70's so a kid in 70s and early 80s. I remember playing outside most of the day. I loved to read so I would read in the mornings or play by myself til lunch time, then I would go out and play. I don't remember watching too much TV til I turned about 10/11 then I would watch tv/read til noon then go out.

This was my childhood too

Sounds like my summer holidays growing up. Out after breakfast in before dinner.
Always climbing trees, riding my bike then hanging around when I was a teenager. We never went on holiday but the sun was always shining. I remember the ground being cracked with the heat but my mum never put lotion on me.
One of my memories is being 13 and me and my best friend made friends with these naughty boys from another town and they came on the bus to see us and the field near my house was yellow and dry from the heat and they stupidly decided to light a sprig of the dry grass and the whole field went up in flames 😳
Good times they were despite being really poor and not doing much.

Yes potions! We'd get petals and mix them in water to make potions and 'perfume' in little pots.

My childhood was 60's/70's Parents and grandparents worked. So we went to whoever was off that day or stayed home or went to work at the local lido with Mom one summer, then once old enough about 10 I spent all summer riding ponies, left the house about 7am to walk to the field and got home very late. No one seemed to keep track, we did as we pleased. We always did 2 weeks in Majorca in October as all the family worked in hospitality and had no time off all summer.

Child of the same time.

We were also watching programmes such as blue peter, tske hart and Why don't you ( I can remember them visiting school looking to audition children to present it, and three from my year in school being chosen - very strange watching them on tv).

We also went out on our bikes, played in each others garden or house etc

My mum was a teacher so was at home for the school holidays.

We used to go on a day trip with family on my Dad's side ( coach or train to the beach, sometimes including a day visit to butlins).

We used to catch a bus and a train to visit family on my mums side ( only about 25 mins by car but she doesn't drive. A train trip was a big adventure).

My Dad's works closed down for 2 weeks in the summer so we went on holiday as a family for those 2 weeks.

Born in 1969.
One day out to the seaside on a coach laid on by miners club.
Weeks holiday staying with relatives in Blackpool or some years Butlins.
Rest of the time playing out, park, woods or street. Bikes, skipping and ball games. Chalking on pavements.
Rainy days spent in reading Mallory Towers books or playing Grease LP with my cousin, and having to be Danny because she was older and got first dibs on Sandy.

Born 1984. I used to see a lot of my cousins (not so much friends as we lived very rurally and a long way from any other homes). I/we used to go out exploring, on our bikes or playing in the nearby fields all day. My parents had flexible hours (dad was self employed and mum looked after the animals and veg on our smallholding as well as the home), so we did go out a fair amount as a family but more for picnics or to the play park/beach/river/woods or to visit old castles etc rather than 'proper' days out to paid attractions/zoos/activities/theme parks.

We did used to make a list of things we'd like to do that summer at the start of every holidays and tick these off but again it was mostly free or very cheap stuff - I remember that Alton Towers made an (optimistic!) appearance on the list every single year but we never actually made it!

I remember it always being hot and sunny with lots of outdoors swimming and water fights but I'm sure that's just rose tinted glasses 😄

I went to an incredible local holiday club in the summer, usually for a couple of weeks, everyday. There were hundreds of kids. It was held in a secondary school (the attendees were all primary as far as I recall) and the days were jam packed with organised activities, sports, crafts, cycle certificates, swimming, music, so so much variety. We had a timetable to follow! Sessions were ran by adults and older teens. No idea how my parents afforded it but perhaps it was a council scheme. I wish my kids had that kind of club. We have lots of choose from but nothing that offers so much variety in one place, they tend to be sport themed or art themed etc.

Other than that we played out or watched TV until tea time. Occasionally a day with granny or cousins but not constant entertainment - except for the club once a year.

Born 60s. No tv, played a lot with my cousin. Remember making things with offcuts of wood and nails, think they were supposed to be boats. Cycling around, reading a fair bit. Never had holidays or days out really

Born in 1978, we had a caravan so we had lots of cheap caravan holidays. UK when we were younger and then France for 3 weeks at a time when I was 10+

When I was 12+ I spent the rest of the holidays helping at the riding school. I basically worked all day for free so I could ride. It was brilliant.

Prior to 12 I just played with friends at home and rode when I could. Don’t ever remember being bored. We did bike rides and things like that too. I was horse mad though so could be easily entertained.

My younger brother spent his entire holidays on his BMX bike with his friends or collecting up stray golf balls at the golf course perimeter to sell back to the golfers. He had
quite an enterprise going!

We did do a few activity days like trampolining at the sports club. And my mum did help run a play scheme sometimes- she was a dinner lady when I was very young and in the holidays it evolved into a playscheme at the school and we had to go along to that but I remember it being fun.

When I was a bit older she had an office job but our grandparents used to come and stay for the summer - they house sat while we were in France in the caravan and then stayed on to watch us while parents were back at work. They were lovely and I have great memories of doing things like baking and watching snooker.

We are taking a similar approach with DD, not getting in to ridiculous numbers of activities. It helps that we live rurally and it is lovely here, lots of cheap and quiet activities. DD doesn’t need loads of stimuli!

60's/70's child here.

I seem to recall spending most of the summer holidays reading in a Weetabix tent in the garden although the orange-hue-breaking visits to Grandma at Bognor culminated in the CSSM (Children's Special Service Mission) sports day.

#Blessed

Born in the 80s. I remember the 90s. Despite living 3 miles from the coast - my mum never once took me to the beach. It was embarrassing. No play dates. No playing out on the street. We weren't allowed as the neighbour was a nurse who worked nights and demanded the whole street was silent in the Summer so she could sleep.

It was a lonely, hot & boring. I remember purposely getting "high" off cheap sweets and colourful pre packed jelly (e numbers!!)... It was the only fun we had really. And burning holes in our shoes with magnifying glass

Mum didn't work. Dad didn't work. But they didn't take us to the park either. My garden was huge but they couldn't be arsed to mow the grass so we could play. It was waist high. No walks. Nothing

Barely anyone at school had bikes or skateboards as everyone was so poor.

Now I'm a parent and I make sure my kids have fun stuff to do. Beach, parks, walks very frequently. We do family bike rides.

I remember one spectacularly boring and depressing summer holiday when The Lighthouse Family came on the radio - the song still reminds me of the feeling of being so bored and depressed. I must have been about 9.

I’m of similar age to you - born 1976. At around age 8 or 9 I remember lots of playing with my toys and books indoors. Friends from my immediate area calling for me / knocking the door and playing. We lived on a large lake so there was tadpole catching with bamboo stick nets and general padding in some areas of the lake with friends. We
were unsupervised and looked out for each other. My mum worked full time and dad worked here and there but wasn’t around an awful lot so we had an elderly couple look after us and drive us occasionally to the next town for a woods walk and ice cream. Holidays were an occasional annual hotel stay in Wales near the beach.