Blowing bubblegum bubbles was all the rage then. Often times there were even bubble-blowing competitions. This was seen as pretty sneaky as bubblegum was not even allowed in class in those days, so it was always up to one of the brave kids to smuggle some in.
Of course, with all that sugar, swirling around their mouths, cavities were endless and teachers and parents started clamping down even harder on the sugary treats after all those painful visits to the dentist.
Swirlies
Another thing that has evolved, is the bullying culture. Not that kids have gotten kinder, we all know that kids can be pretty cruel, but their methods have certainly changed over the years.
It wasn't uncommon for kids to take the school's biggest nerd and dunk him in the toilet. Thankfully, that is safely in the past and in some outdated teen films.
Playing in the Streets
If you lived in an area where there were no parks nearby, or your backyard wasn't big enough for games like hide-and-seek, hockey, stickball, and Marco Polo, then the streets were your only choice.
Kids would also play with marbles, aiming them at small street manhole covers. Many little girls would also make hop-scotch boards on the streets with chalk. Miraculously, all kids were safe from oncoming cars.
Sugary Cereals
Cereals like Cap'n Crunch or Trix were considered a decent breakfast back then. Unsweetened corn-flakes generally had about a tablespoon of sugar. These sugary treats made of corn, wheat or oat, were endlessly being fed into the mouths of young kids. As you can probably imagine, the results were not great.
It was belly and toothaches galore. The sugar was causing these kids a lot of harm. While there is certainly an abundance of sugary cereals today, there are at least healthier options too.
Skateboards Weren't Great
Skateboards have come along way. Other than the killer graphics and skateboard art available today, the design of the skateboard itself is very carefully crafted.
Of course, in the '60s, the skateboard was essentially a piece of plywood with some wheels slapped on. This didn't make for the best skateboard tricks. You could basically just go forward.