Growing up in the 1960s meant having a lot more freedom than most children have today. Kids headed outside for hours, climbed trees, rode their bikes through the neighborhood, and often had to figure things out on their own.
Many of those activities were considered perfectly normal at the time, even if they involved risks that parents would be much more concerned about today. Looking back, some of these childhood habits are hard to believe, especially for anyone raising children now.
Here are 14 things plenty of kids did for fun while growing up in the ’60s.
1. Riding Around Without Seat Belts
Family car rides felt different before seat belts became routine. Children often sprawled across the back seat, moved around while the car was moving, sat in the front, or even rode on an adult’s lap.
Related: What Adult Children Wish Their Parents Would Pass Down
2. Walking to School Alone
Many children made their own way to school without a parent walking alongside them. They grabbed their school bags, met up with friends, and walked several blocks without anyone checking in.
3. Riding in the Back of a Pickup Truck
A ride in the back of a pickup could feel like an adventure. Kids climbed into the open bed, found a place to sit, and held on while the truck traveled down the road.
4. Staying Outside Until the Streetlights Came On
Parents didn’t have to send constant messages to find out where their children were. Kids spent entire afternoons riding bikes, playing games, and visiting friends, with the streetlights signaling it was time to head home.
5. Riding Bikes Without Helmets
Most kids didn’t think twice about riding a bicycle without a helmet. They raced down hills, tried jumps, and occasionally went home with scraped knees and elbows after taking a tumble.
6. Lighting Firecrackers
For some children, firecrackers were part of the excitement of summer celebrations. Kids sometimes lit them themselves, tossed them away, and ran, often without the kind of adult supervision parents would expect today.
7. Drinking Straight From the Garden Hose
Stopping play to go inside for a glass of water wasn’t always worth the trouble. Kids turned on the garden hose, let the hot water run out, took a drink, and went right back to playing.
8. Climbing Trees as High as They Could
A tall tree was an invitation to see how far up a child could climb. Kids scrambled from branch to branch, often without an adult nearby to warn them about falling or climbing too high.
9. Exploring Abandoned Buildings
An empty house, old barn, or unfinished building could become the neighborhood’s latest place to explore. Kids wandered through rooms and climbed over obstacles, sometimes ignoring broken floorboards, rusty nails, and other hazards.
10. Playing in the Street
For many neighborhood kids, the street doubled as a playground. They played baseball, rode bikes, drew hopscotch squares with chalk, and moved out of the way whenever someone spotted an approaching car.
11. Playing With BB Guns
Some children received BB guns as gifts and spent afternoons practicing their aim. Cans and bottles became targets, and adult supervision wasn’t always as close as parents would expect today.
12. Hitchhiking
Older children and teenagers sometimes stuck out their thumbs when they needed a ride somewhere. Getting into a stranger’s car could be a simple way to travel, rather than the serious safety concern most parents see it as today.
13. Climbing Onto Rooftops
Kids didn’t limit their climbing adventures to trees. Garages, sheds, fences, and rooftops all offered new places to explore, even if getting back down proved harder than getting up.
14. Spending All Day in the Sun Without Sunscreen
A summer afternoon could mean hours at the beach, pool, or playground without anyone reminding kids to put on sunscreen. Sunburns were often treated as a normal part of summer, and regular SPF use wasn’t the routine it is for many families today.
