For lack of a table... This is more about what was missing by the time the 1950's rolled around. Dining room tables. Hand crocheted table coverings. Only for decoration. Removed on special occasions. Is this the reason we only went to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving and Christmas?
“Nobody bump the table!” In this image from 1950, a dedicated young architect finishes up an impressive card tower that must have taken hours to make! His little siblings watch as he stacks the final cards. Here are some more vintage photos of what playtime was like for kids before technology.
Of all those things, digging in the dirt was my favorite. In fact it was only one of that list I ever did. Picture from link
I liked the Barn Ball idea, and "The Evolution of Flight" bikes! I used to put the red, white & blue crepe paper in the spokes of my bike. Marbles were before my time.
Do you still follow these vintage Christmas traditions from the 1950s and 1960s? "Christmas traditions have changed significantly over the centuries, which isn't such a bad thing, as that means we no longer have to put a boar's head on the table and eat pies made of mutton and raisins. Even within our lifetimes, popular practices of the yuletide season have come and gone". "Decorations from our childhood may no longer be trendy, but adhering to those traditions is what connects us to our family and our past. That's part of the fun of watching Christmas episodes of classic television shows — seeing how the holiday was celebrated in the mid-century. So as the calendar page again turns to December, let's take a look at Christmas traditions that were all the rage in the youth of Boomers". (continue)
I'll answer based on the last tree I put up (2017, I think), and if I were to put up another. The Tree Tried aluminum back in the 60's one year. Didn't like it at all. Got an artificial pine next year. Still have it and would use it. Tinsel Only out of tradition. Just a very few strands, here and there to sparkle. We used to overdo it in the 60's. Red Foil Garland Have always kept that tradition.
I still have one just like this from the 1950's packed away somewhere in the house. You used to be able to buy the reels at some tourist stops on car trips, just like postcards. Just found out they still make them. Amazing.
Just remembered a real, honest to goodness, Christmas tradition (maybe early 60's). Rudolph, the inflatable reindeer. He still inflates after decades in a drawer. Stands about 30" tall, including antlers. We would stand him beside the Christmas tree every year. In case he deteriorates within the next 20 years I'll still have a picture now. Sorry for getting carried away on this thread.
I've watched video displays of model train set ups many times, but they never focused much on the little details. I watched this whole video, and am amazed at all the accessories that went with Lionel/AF trains. There were even models of the engines with those odd geared wheels, like this one. Don't know what brand it is. It looks very old.
Following the trends "Dance crazes were especially popular during the 1950s and 60s, with names like The Twist and The Mashed Potato. One of the earlier fads was The Bunny Hop, a conga-line formation which originated among students at San Francisco’s Balboa High School in 1952. Speaking of trends, find out what the most popular toy was the year you were born".
Saving Bazooka Bubble Gum comics to get free toys. Who did that? They still make Bazooka bubblegum, but discontinued the comics in 2013.
I did, and I also saved Mallo Cup cards for free boxes of Mallo Cups. Then I learned that no one counted them, and that opened up a whole new world of crime for me.