If you’ve ever looked at your kids playing with tablets or streaming shows on demand and thought, “You lot have no idea how fun life was before all this,” then this one’s for you. There’s something special about the stuff we grew up with. It wasn’t flashy, but it made us happy.
Whether you were a ’90s kid, a child of the 80s, there’s loads of fun to pass down and show them what we, Millennials, grew up with. It’s not about forcing them to love what you loved. It’s about sharing little memories, having a laugh, and maybe learning something about each other along the way.
Introduce Them to the TV Shows You Grew Up With
Weekdays at 7 pm and Saturday mornings used to mean one thing: cartoons. Not on demand, not paused whenever you wanted. If you missed it, you missed it, unless, of course, your parent remembers to record it on VHS tape.
Try finding a few of your old favourites. For me, it was important to introduce my kids, who spent the first few years of preschool in the US, that they knew European shows from the 90s. Shows like the Moomins, Once Upon a Time… Life, or Asterix still hold up surprisingly well. Watching a few episodes together can spark great chats about what life used to look like and how different (or not so different) school life really was.
Don’t be surprised if they say the graphics look “weird” or the intro songs are “too long”. That’s all part of the fun.
Games We Played Outdoors (And How to Recreate Them)
If you spent your childhood riding your bike around the estate or trying not to get caught in a game of manhunt, you’ll know just how great those outdoor games were. You don’t need a massive garden or a fancy playground to spend time outside.
You can just grab some chalk and draw a hopscotch grid. If your kids are older than 5 years old and have a longer attention span, you can read them the Children of Noisy Village book by Astrid Lindgren to give them ideas on how we used to grow up. It’s not about getting them off their screens forever. It’s just about showing them that sometimes, simple fun is the best kind.
Old School Board Games and Card Games
There was a time before online gaming. And in that time, we had Monopoly, Guess Who, Cluedo, and good old-fashioned playing cards. Pull out the board games and set up a family game night. Teach them how to play Snap, Rummy, or Go Fish. They’re still being made, and now there are loads of different versions.
Yes, they’ll probably be competitive. No, you can’t let them win every time. But they’ll learn patience, strategy, and maybe even how to lose gracefully. Maybe.
Pull Out Your Old Toys
Did your parents store some of your favorite toys? You might be surprised how longer the old toys hold up. I recently passed on my old Duplo blocks to them and it’s crazy how much better they “stick together”. The same goes for Playmobil, which is one of the best toys for 5 year olds and up!
The best part is that many of the toys we used to play with are still going strong, so the kids can expand their collections. We did this with my old Playmobil. Now my kids are playing with some sets along with new sets, happily because mommy used to do the same.
Show Them Your Favourite Old Computer Games
Remember the joy of basic games on the family computer? Back before everything needed insane graphics or VR headsets. In our house, we just had Atari, so I spent hours playing Frogger and Pacman and these best games had the simplest designs.
You can still find a lot of them online, including classics like minesweeper. It’s such a simple game, but it gets competitive fast. Teaching your kids how to play is like letting them in on a secret club. Plus, it actually teaches a bit of logic and patience.
If you were a Sims fan or loved Rollercoaster Tycoon, those are still playable too, just don’t require CDs. Let them build a wild theme park or trap a Sim in a pool (you know you did it).
Another option is getting your kids an old-style Game Boy. We got these retro Game Boys for the boys with already preloaded games, so instead of browsing YouTube or watching shows on their iPads they can play Frogger, Bugs Bunny and Kirby.
Bring the Old-School Snacks Back
One of the easiest ways to share a bit of your childhood is through food. Think about the stuff you used to love eating. Things like Arctic Roll, Angel Delight, Wagon Wheels, or those colourful jellies with sprinkles on top, my kids recently fell in love with.
Try making some of them with your kids. Let them help stir the mixture or layer up a trifle. It’s messy, sure, but that’s part of the fun. You’re not trying to win Bake Off here. Just laugh, get your hands sticky, and sneak a few spoonfuls as you go.
You could even go all-in and make dinner the way your parents used to. Fish fingers, beans, and those smiley face potato things. Throw it all on a tray and eat it while watching a film from your childhood. They might turn their noses up at first, but once they try it, they’ll probably love it.
Have a Full-On Throwback Day
Pick a random Saturday or Sunday and have an old-school day. Keep the phones off, skip the streaming, and fill the day with stuff you used to do.
Start with some breakfast that reminds you of being a kid like crumpets or cereal you haven’t had in years? Then pop on a playlist with the music you loved growing up. Let them choose some songs too so you’re not forcing your taste on them the whole time.
Dig out a film you used to watch again and again. Something like Matilda, The Goonies, or The Lion King if they haven’t seen it yet (Goonies was a hit with our 4 and 6yo last week!). After that, get outside if you can. Play a game of catch or just have a wander around and chat about silly things you used to get up to.
Let Them Teach You Their Ways
Don’t forget it works both ways. While you’re sharing your childhood with them, let them show you what they love now too. Watch a few of their shows, ask them about their games, maybe even try one. It might or might not involve directing a piece of household equipment.
You might not love it all, but when you show interest in their world, it makes them more open to yours. It also shows them that fun doesn’t stop when you become a grown-up, it just changes a bit. It turns into a bit of back-and-forth rather than a one-sided history lesson.
Leave a reply