Share the everyday childhood memories that make you smile - £300 voucher to win NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

When you think back to your childhood, do you have nostalgic memories of everyday life with your parents that give you a lovely warm glow? Cadbury’s Buttons have asked us to find out about the memories of everyday childhood experiences – the shared moments that put a smile on your face years later.

So, what fond family memories always make you smile? Is it getting a piggy back after a long day, or collecting conkers with your Dad? Maybe it’s learning to bake or having a picnic with your Mum? Perhaps it’s all sitting down to a proper roast dinner on a Sunday? Whatever your childhood memories are, please do share them below.

All MNers who post on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Thanks, and good luck!

MNHQ

Spending whole days out walking and exploring each with a backpack with our lunch and a Capri sun. Going back to the same tree to have our picture taken.
Spending hours choosing a video from the video van!

My fondest memories are playing in the back garden. Hunting for four leaf clovers, hiding among the flowers, being pushed on the swing by my dad, making daisy chains with mum or playing games with my brother.

Weekend tv, dukes of hazards, A-team and toasting bread on the open fire. 50p to spend on sweets, cola cubes, rhubarbs and custards seem to get loads of them, happy days!

Bedtime routine - asking them every day before they go to sleep what has made them happy that day .

The endless snuggles, checking in on their beautiful faces before I go to sleep, & never needing an alarm clock.

I just want to bottle & save it all.

When I was 7 we got a cavalier King Charles spaniel and I have many fond memories of her in her younger years, mostly probably of over feeding her but I can only understand as an adult that she was far too chunky because of it.

Building dens out of pillows, blankets and duvets and sleeping in them, also putting myself in a duvet at the top of the stairs and then flying down the stairs in the duvet to the bottom

I remember playing out with my friends on the street. I remember a time of innocence, playing running games, Kerby, racing ladybirds, skipping. I remember the only issues I had were that I wasn't allowed past a certain sign on the street. I miss the innocence of those days and treasure the memory of the joy and happiness I felt just playing.

Holidays in Kent - modest, but with us all together and even the dog came too. Oh how we all loved my dog - he was the glue in our family!

My dad used to tuck my teddy in bed holding a book between his paws. For years I thought the bear had got the book himself.

When we were older, on Sunday afternoons my mum would bake a cake, and my dad, DSis and I took turns to either lay the fire or go and get the Sunday papers, then we'd sit by the fire, reading the papers and eating cake!

One of my favourite memories is at my Gran's house. I'd get dropped off early in the morning there and I'd sit at the kitchen table eating my breakfast. I'd then watch as one by one the rest of the house would start waking up (big house, lots of family members there). Everyone would come and eat at the table with me, and I'd find it funny how people's breakfasts would range from cornflakes to sneaky biscuits out of the biscuit tin. It was nice and calm, until the madness of everyone rushing around to get dressed and leave on time. I used to love the mornings.

I used to live in Greece when I was little, my father tried to start a business out there. All my fondest memories are there, from the beautiful beaches to the landscapes and the sweet smells on the air at night. I remember Greek dancing in a circle with the village and going to a huge festival at night in the woods. I remember our landlord (who was a farmer and fisherman) leaving a huge crab on the doorstep, trying to spook me and laughing himself silly when he saw my face! They said they caught me in the chicken coop once, throwing baby chicks in the air and yelling "fly!fly!" 😂 My favourite memory is of one balmy July night when everyone told me to go outside and just look. I opened the door and thousands of fireflies hung in the air, flashing on and off, for as far as I could see - from the door to the mountain range. It was perfect. I miss Corfu dearly.

My favourite childhood memory is "building" McDonalds behind my mums shed with my neighbour. We used some bricks that had been leftover from the new driveway & made cement with mud & water in a bucket. We only had enough for 2 rows. We then cut a big "M" out of cardboard. It took us all day.

I lover the free summer days, walking to the local pool for swimming lessons, playing in the park, and walking everywhere. It was all about being outside and being active.

My parents didn't like us having McDonalds, but sometimes on a Saturday Mum would make my brother and I burgers, chips and a strawberry milkshake and put the food in a brown paper bag!

I loved going up the woods with my friends and siblings, shooing free roaming chickens off the road and collecting frogspawn. Feeding the horseys a carrot and building dens.

Things my son can't freely do as I live in a town now, bit sad really.

staying with gran and granda, waking up when my gran got up to light the fire for my granda's hot water to shave with, hearing him shaving and smelling the soap he used. Just so enjoyed being in the warm bed listening to them potter around early in the morning, such a simple thing really.Feeling safe and loved.

Weekends we used to go out for Sunday lunch and always find a park.
Summer holidays to the lake district in a caravan.
Fishing with my Dad

Nearly all of my childhood memories seem to be set outdoors- walks in the woods, camping, Bbqs, days on the beach, playing out with friends for hours and hours. I now want my children to have the same experiences and the same happy memories.

Remembering and missing my dad's hugh laughter whilst watching a comedy movie. He's too ill to laugh out loud now as he suffers with multiple system atrophy which has similar symptoms to Parkinson's. It saddens me to see him a shadow of his former self but those memories always bring a smile as well a tear to my face.

Story time before bed. We would get into pyjamas and dressing gowns and sit in front of the log burner, in winter or the sofa in summer. Mum would read us stories. Classics like The Hobbit or Alice in Wonderland or The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe or more modern ones (which I tend not to remember as well). Good times.
We lived in a rural area and during long and very hot summer holidays, mum would fix the hose to the washing line so we could run around under it! Generally without clothes on, as there were no neighbours to see us! Good way to cool off.
We spent a lot of time outside, building dens, making camps and lightning fires.

The day we were meant to be going to the cinema but my parents couldn't afford it.
We tried to hide our disappointment as they took us home but when we got there they had bought a new video (think it was Peter Pan), turned off all the lights, showed us to the sofa with a torch and gave us a bowl of popcorn each. Such a good surprise :)

I used to remember going to the beach during the summer. The excitement would build when we woke up and the sun was shining and we would eagerly wait for my dad to decide whether we were going. My mum would pack the cooler with sandwiches and we would all pile into the car and have fantastic days. The smell of hot leather seats always reminds me going to the beach.

Water fights in the garden with the neighbours in the summer.
Making up dance & gymnastics shows with my sister & performing them for our nan
Getting out of the bath wrapping up in a towel & running downstairs to sit in front of the fire to dry off where it was all cosy.
Sneaking our cousins in to our pontins chalet so we could all go on holiday together. There would be eight of us in a four person chalet.
Our summer holidays..usually at pontins
I could go on forever.. I had a fantastic childhood

Playing board games in the airing cupboard! DM hated it as we probably caused chaos with the laundry but it we didn't have double glazing and it was so cosy in there!

On Sundays we were allowed a packet of sweets or a bar of chocolate. We used to go to the newsagent with dad to choose what we wanted. I could make my tube of Smarties last all of Sunday afternoon!