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Along Life’s Way
Life Lesson:
Play in the 30’s
by Lois E. Wilson
How did children amuse themselves before TV and video games? An only
child, I grew up during the Great Depression. My parents struggled to
keep their heads above rising financial challenges. They had low-paying
jobs but still found their income and outgo ends didn’t meet. The S
& L repossessed our home which was almost paid off. My mother
always believed it took those homes first and never trusted that S
& L the rest of her life.
Children of that period had to be creative when it came to play. Out of
the baby rattle days, I was lucky if a cousin gave me a hand-me-down
toy, and I certainly treasured it. My parents rarely splurged to buy me
something new from the Five & Dime store. I remember a yo-yo, a
bolo bat, and a game of Pick-Up Sticks. It meant a lot to me for I
still have it today in its soiled and battered cylinder container.
Monopoly and other board games existed, but they were too expensive for
our budget. I did have an Old Maid card game and a regular deck of
cards to use in my own way.
Outdoor play required no special equipment. There were the games of
hopscotch, tag, hide and seek, and kick the can. Open the folding doors
of our garage and the inside could be a pretend school, a store, a
doctor’s office, or a stage for childhood performances which sometimes
were presented to the neighborhood. We roller-skated and attached the
same skates to orange crates and made scooters. We played superheroes
with towel capes. Since my name was Lois Elaine, I was Superman’s
girlfriend, Lois Lane.
I pinched hollyhock blossoms off the stalk and turned them upside down.
Each made a perfect colorful skirt for a bridesmaid doll. Then
toothpicks were used to attach a hollyhock bud for a head and to make
arms. Of course, a white blossom became the bride. The groom was made
of buds and toothpicks. We would act out a wedding ceremony with the
dolls.
As family finances grew more secure, Dad bought me a secondhand
bicycle. I was thrilled. One Christmas Santa left a Snow White doll. I
used a box for her bed. Boxes were repurposed many ways in those days.
For example, they became doll houses, toy car garages, and animals. I’d
hang blankets between two chairs to make a tent to play under. Paper
dolls were a favorite playtime activity for me. After I learned to sew,
I made a small quilt for my doll. Barbie wasn’t on the scene yet, but
there was a fashion doll that stood upon a small platform. My parents
saw my interest and purchased one for me. I designed and made clothes
for her pretend activities. Inside or outside the house, children found
or invented ways to play.
As you’ve heard, the Lord will provide. Growth of mind and body doesn’t
always come from monetary riches. It is often hardship that brings out
the best in people. Compassion, creativity, and contentment multiply as
we solve challenges. These are riches we should seek. Our children need
opportunities to experience the inner rewards that arise from
overcoming adversity. It is a life lesson—well practiced and well
learned.
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