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.
Sugar Loaded Bubblegum
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.
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.
Hazardous Toys
Toys have evolved over the years. At one point, all that was available to kids were scattered stones outside. Luckily, in the 60s, there wasn't a toy shortage, it was just the types of toys, toys that caused a lot of damage.
Toys like the tire swing would cause untold stories of whiplash, Jarts were giant darts for the yard and of course, BB guns and cap guns caused some horrifying injuries. Luckily, many safety measures have since been introduced and playing with toy guns is pretty discouraged.
Not Letting Girls Get Rough
Little girls like to run wild too! But if you grew up in the 1960s and you were a girl, you were probably stuffed in dresses, handed little dolls, strollers, and Easy Bake Ovens. That wasn't for everyone.
As we see today, many little girls love climbing trees and playing with trucks and toy guns.