We only had ice cream men. And slip and slides. And cap guns. I don't remember how much anything cost, though, which is probably a good thing otherwise I'd get all depressed even though I never figure in inflation and stuff. I'd still like to have $.49 9/10 gas prices.

I remember going out to play in the morning and not having to worry about someone snatching you and as long as you were home by dark your mom didn't really worry.

Drinking water from a hose pipe.

No cell phones...if someone wanted you they came to your house and knocked on the door.

Chasing lightening bugs and going to the river for the day were all parts of summer.

I was telling my 8yr old grandaughter about spending the day at the park near our house,almost every day.

Once in awhile our mom would let us each have a piece of wax paper.We'd sit on it and go down the slides.After a few times,we'd be flying because it would wax the slide so well.

Swimming lessons were free,so were the arts and crafts we did.

It was great.

Hot summer night hearing the MR.Softee truck comming down the street mmmmm vanilla cone.

Remember when....we didn`t have to wear a helmet when we rode our bikes? we could play tag in the school yard? we had steel monkey bars, and we didn`t wear knee pads and elbow pads when went roller skating,,yes we got scraped and cut but mom put some bactine on your cut and back outside we went.

Yes,that's another story my grandaughter heard.How when I got my first 3 speed bike & would walk it up this long very steep hill to my friend's house.What a blast it was riding back down.What were kneepads and helmets?

But I let her know that now I look back and wonder how I made it.My mom knew,but she didn't really think about it.Six kids,hard to think

Roller skates? The kind that would pop off and send you tumbling, skinning your elbows & knees while it dangled uselessly from the leather ankle strap?

I remember playing 'running bases' 'til the streetlights came on...then playing until we got called in by mothers' voices yelling our names in the dark.

Riding your bicycle EVERYWHERE. And riding it just to ride it! Pumping up the tire at the gas station.Getting my pants leg caught in the sprocket.

A family 10pm dip in the backyard pool so we'd sleep better [didn't have a/c until I was 16].

Playing tag and 'chase' by streetlight trying not to trip over sidewalk cracks or street curbs.

Getting your bicycle tire caught in the groove alongside the sidewalk-- by some overzealous homeowner with misplaced priorities!--who'd edged his lawn.

Jumping on gas station hoses trying to make the bell 'ding'.

Drinking colored sugar water from those miniature plastic wax bottles you could buy for pennies at the candy counter.

Reading the 'postage stamp' Bazooka Joe comics that came with the gum.

Comic books...wondering if you really could earn money selling 'Grit,' or if that gizmo could really let you see through your hand.

A cabinet-sized contraption in the shoe store that would actually let you see [in real time!] the bones in your foot through your shoes [before they figured Xrays were dangerous]

A 'tube tester' machine in every drug store & hardware store.

The drug store with a bank of wooden phone booths--now only seen in old black & white movies.

The heavy standard black telephone...with rotary dial...and cord.

Banks with tellers behind bars.

Newspapers were 5c--Chicago area had four papers to choose from. Postage stamps were 3c...and purple.

Exchanging burned out light bulbs for new ones [free].

Going with parents to pay bills in person.

'Take-overs' in baseball games. Yelling 'Quitter!'