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.

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Thanks, and good luck!

MNHQ

Water fights at my cousins' house. They were always epic, we always had to come home wrapped in towels and my uncle always won by tipping buckets on us all out of upstairs windows

Blackberry picking across the road from where we lived in a fond memory. Walking round to the park nearby and having ice cream there. Picnics on the south downs and on the beach. BBQ's in the days when you seemed to be allowed to have a BBQ anywhere. Those memories bring a smile to my face!

Me and mum moved into my grandparents when my parents split up when I was young, mum was the eldest of 6 so lots of aunties and uncles still living at home I remember it being a loving happy home always full of laughter. My uncle dragging his mattress off the bed so we could slide down the stairs was one of my best memories.

I remember having tea from the dolly's tea set at my grandparents house. It felt so grown up!

Coming home from school and straight outside to play with friends. Riding our bikes.

nostalgic - learning to walk by 'holding on' to a row of tulips - I must have only been 1-2 but I can remember it.
My own kids - drawing huge pictures on plain wallpaper on the floor
Going to the zoo, and their first times at the beach
Going to the park on our bikes in the 1980s, just up and go when the whim took us. Ah the freedom!

I remember getting my first bike. I was 10, and until then had always had my sisters' second hand ones! It was turquoise with white handle bars. I remember cycling it up and down the drive feeling so proud. It makes me realise that not having new things means when you do have a new thing, it is amazing!

Probably a popular one but I would say reading my children bedtime stories and seeing how amused and interested they can get!

Whenever we did jigsaw puzzles our mum always got us a packet of minstrels each. Really tales me back.

Getting up at 5am to help my Scottish granny bake. I was 4 and there was flour mixed into the jam on the tarts I made but she was so proud and everyone ate them with a smile. Only later, years later did anyone tell me about the flour situation.

One of my favourite everyday childhood memories is of hanging my teddy clothes out on a mini washing line that my mum strung up for me, while she hung out the real washing. I remember thinking that I couldn't wait until I had my own real washing line just like my mum - little did I know that this would not seem like such a life achievement in reality!!

i don't remember learning to ride a bike when i was young but the memory that does stick in my mind is when i taught my mum to ride a bike when i was about 11years old :)

Lovely bonfire day memories where the street would come together and me and my friend (who were the only children) would make the guy fawkes and mum would sell black peas.

My grandparents were farmers. My favourite memories are of hay making season. My dad would build a fort out of bales in the field for me to play in while he collected the rest of the bales. My mum would bring sandwiches for me and me and my dad would eat lunch sat in my fort. I will never look at hay bales without smiling

The excitement of all showing our parents what we'd got from Santa in our stockings before we realised it was them.

Being bought White Chocolate Dazzle Drops all.the.time. by my Dad who adored the damn things I ended up absolutely loathing them! The first job I had was a paper round at 13 and I saved up to buy my dad a 10kg jar of Dazzle drops for his birthday. It was the first time I'd ever seen him cry :) (happy tears I didn't drop the jar on his foot or anything.) I feel all glowy thinking about x

I look back fondly of our caravan holidays. Although the reality of the holiday might have been different for my parents - freezing cold in confined spaces with two little children.

On a sunday my grandma use to have all the family round, there would be 6 adults in the kitchen eating their sunday dinners and the kids use to sit in the living room... 5 of us... eating ours. We use sneak the dog our brussels and then the adults wondered why the dog was doing such smelly trumps all afternoon haha

Mine biggest memory is off standing by the cooker and chatting with my mum when she cooked the family omelettes and chips for tea. It smelt good and for some reason we chatted more then when she cooked anything else.
Also playing with my brother climbing rocks anywhere we went. We were always climbing together.

Of not off

Every Sunday my day would get us in the car and we would just drive. He would ask each of us to point in a direction and we would head there. We would stop when we found something on interest and we found some amazing lakes, farms, cafes and restaurants to stop by for a treat. He would take us to the cinema or to the airport to watch planes take off and land. Those were some of my fondest childhood memories! It was so spontaneous and we just couldn't wait for our adventure with dad!

We used to see my grandparents every Sunday - go to the beach or the park then home for afternoon tea - little sandwiches, scones etc - and then watch the BBC family drama. It felt so cosy.

Also fish and chips on Sat lunchtimes.

Driving to my grandparents' house. We always had a great time there and I and my cousins were always spoilt. But the drives are what stick in my memory the most- they lived about an hour away so it was an hour of happy excited anticipation every time.

We always had a hot meal at lunchtime but occasionally we would have sandwiches at lunchtime and we used to call them upside down days!

Midnight feasts when I had sleepovers with my friend. Friend's mum would let us take some food and make a bottle of squash to have a midnight feast in our room, although we never managed to stay up that late!