Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The Most Fun They Had As A Kid That Didn't Involve TV, Movies Or Video Games

Make us preferred on Google

We didn't have video games available to us until much later when we were kids so my brother and I watched a bunch of television and movies.

However, our mother was very firm in her belief that we couldn't sit and stare at a screen all the time so he and I had to make our own fun.

We'd make blanket forts, for example. We'd play tag. We used to play on top of parked cars... yeah, that got us in trouble before.

But those memories are some of the sweetest I have. We had a knack for making our own fun.


And so did many others who shared their stories with us after Redditor goodluckcanuck asked the online community:

"What is the most fun you had as a kid that did NOT involve a screen of any kind?"

"For my 15th birthday..."

"For my 15th birthday, about 30 of my friends and I bought cheap toy swords, bows and arrows, and made armor and shields out of cardboard, went to the local park and had an all out play-war."

"Ended with a one-on-one duel against my best friend on one of those rickety chain bridges you sometimes see in old playgrounds. Till this day, I fondly remember it as one of the best days of my life."

ThePotatoWastrol

Sounds wonderful! That's the sort of play that can last for hours.

"I bought a metal shield..."

"I bought a metal shield from a website and wooden swords. We went in my backyard and choreographed a fight sequence. It was fun. Broke the wooden swords eventually though."

Thavinil

Sounds like it was a rather violent war. But if you broke the swords, what did you end up using to defend yourself?!

"I still find..."

"I still find bike riding to the the highlight of just about everything. It was freedom as a kid, and it is still freedom as an adult."

country-contrarian

Bike riding can indeed feel like freedom to a child! There's a reason why just about every kid in suburbia has a bike!

"When the street lights came on..."

"When the street lights came on and all the neighborhood kids would come out for Hide and Seek or Kick the Can."

capjack88

I have fond memories of both of these games. Hours and hours of endless fun.

"My childhood friends..."

"My childhood friends and I used to have Nerf wars around the neighborhood. It didn't happen super often, but when it did, we'd gather up as many of the kids in the neighborhood as possible and have a giant Nerf war. I had the time of my life."

_MashedPotatoes_

We bet you did! Memories that will last a lifetime.

"I used to play..."

"I spent awhile living with my grandparents on their farm. I used to play 'bushrangers' with the neighbour’s kids. A bit like Cops and Robbers, only on horseback with air rifles."

"If you were the bushranger, you’d start on foot and had a 30 minute head start to get as far into the bush and away from the other kids as possible. Then the other kids (the troopers) would set out to hunt you down on horseback."

FormalMango

This is very creative and sounds like one hell of a good time. Perfect environment for it.

"I lived in the woods..."

"Hours and hours spent outside. Didn't matter if it was alone or with my friends. I lived in the woods and those few acres might as well been the universe. The possibilities were only limited by our imagination."

hp640us

There's something about being in the woods that can feel like magic to a child.

"Finding..."

"Finding a REALLY cool stick. A staff/wand, whatever you wanted it to be. That fun could last all summer."

slukbunwalia

Isn't it funny how the littlest things–like a stick, for instance–could muster up so much fun? So many possibilities!

"Sledding..."

"Sledding and riding down the big hill in front of my house, or walking through the creek."

AggressiveGreen4592

Sounds picturesque. There better be a Christmas card of you sledding or something.

"Digging outside..."

"Digging outside in random places. There wasn't a lot of stone where I used to live, other than houses or sidewalks. So I always found a shovel or used a stick to dig down."

"I always thought I would dig down to the sea or find some treasure, or find fossil fuel and get rich or something."

LinkyCakes

Turns out all the old dudes found that fossil fuel instead!

We need to bring all of these games back.

But who's to say kids aren't playing them? Kids will always find a way to have fun, with or without a screen.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Brandon Herrera
@patriottakes/X

MAGA Candidate Sparks Outrage Over His Crass Nickname For Children In Bonkers Attack On Moms

A clip from Texas MAGA Republican candidate Brandon Herrera's YouTube channel has gone viral across social media. Herrera, widely known online as "The AK Guy," is a firearm manufacturer, gun rights advocate, and right-wing social media personality.

Since 2008, Herrera—who is unmarried and has no children—has also been a member of the neo-Confederate organization Sons of Confederate Veterans that promotes the Lost Cause false narrative that argues the goals of the Confederate States during the American Civil War were morally just and heroic and completely unrelated to slavery.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Linda McMahon
Fox Business

Linda McMahon Slammed After Claiming Some Kids Should Be Put On 'Pathway' To Become Plumbers

Education Secretary Linda McMahon was criticized after claiming during an interview on Fox Business that some elementary school students should be put on a "pathway" to become plumbers or electricians.

Separating students into different educational paths based on their perceived academic ability or future careers—a practice known as tracking—has long been controversial.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Zohran Mamdani; Zohran Mamdani and Donald Trump
Rolling Stone; Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Zohran Mamdani Has Hilariously Blunt Reaction To Trump Constantly Calling Him Handsome

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had a relatable and funny reaction when asked by Rolling Stone about President Donald Trump constantly remarking on his good looks.

Trump had a surprisingly cheery meeting at the White House with Mamdani last year, at one point even giving Mamdani a pat on the arm and smiling when Mamdani referred to him as a "fascist."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Ripped After Going On Overtly Sexist Rant About 'Bitter' Women With PhDs

Fox News host Jesse Watters was criticized following a sexist diatribe on The Five about how college-educated women end up "bitter" and single because "men don’t care if you have a PhD."

Watters addressed his message to "college-educated, downwardly mobile women," saying that it's "mostly women" who waste time by getting "advanced degrees" in the humanities or social sciences instead of prioritizing relationships and love.

Keep ReadingShow less
Conan O'Brien attends SiriusXM's Front Row with the cast of "Toy Story 5" at SiriusXM Studios.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Conan O'Brien Just Randomly Switched Up His Signature Hairdo—And Fans Are Coming In Hot With The Jokes

Comedian Conan O'Brien is known for many things: his height, his humor, and his headline-making hair. So when the late-night legend debuted a slicked-back hairstyle during a recent podcast taping, fans wanted answers.

The host of Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend unveiled the greased-up look during his interview with Molly Shannon on Monday, leaving viewers stunned.

Keep ReadingShow less