Y
is for
Youth
BY Wayne
(fifth grader, 1996/97)
When a kid comes from school today they would usually pull out their Nintendo 64 or turn on the TV but back then kids had to invent their own games like playing street hockey and other games. They had movie houses that they would go to if they had a dime. If one kid did he would buy a ticket to get in and the other kids would wait by the fire exit to sneak in. They would get in free because the kid who bought the ticket would go to the door, and the other kids would sneak in. If they got caught by the owner they would get in big trouble.
If kids got bored they could go to Olcott Park. There was a zoo there in the summer, they could also go and play on some of the parks equipment.
The neighborhoods in Virginia would play against other parts of the town. They would compete with each other to see who was the best.
Lots of families had farm animals so they had chores to do. One boy in the 1920s had a pet and it would follow him to school and sometimes get the kid into trouble. One dangerous thing kids did for fun was to walk on the logs.
Wayne
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MARCH 1997