What did kids do in the 1930s?

Kids used whatever was laying around to create their own games and toys. Girls made rag dolls and kids played school yard games like tag and jump rope. Most kids had a ball and stick to play baseball or kickball and may have had a bicycle or wooden sled.

What was life like for children in the 1930s?

Children of the 1930s were subject to child labor reform measures of the 1920s, which limited their workday to 8 hours, and provided guidelines for employment of minors. Many children were self-employed, collecting junk to sell or doing odd jobs for neighbors.

What did they do for fun in the 1930s?

Radio programs, music, dancing and dance marathons, and cinema were popular forms of entertainment during the Great Depression. Many people suffering from the effects of the economic downturn looked for inexpensive ways to pass the time and distract themselves from the challenging circumstances.

What games did children play in 1930?

Most children played in the streets as there were not many cars. Marbles, hopscotch, skipping and football were popular games. In summer, cricket was played in the streets or on village greens.

What activities did families do in the 1930s?

Board games and miniature golf courses thrived.

Often, people chose to spend time at home. Neighbors got together to play cards, and board games such as Scrabble and Monopoly—both introduced during the 1930s—became popular. The radio also provided a free form of entertainment.

History Brief: Daily Life in the 1930s

Did kids work in the 1930s?

In the census of 1930, two million children aged 10-18 still worked and 700,000 were under the age of 15. Most worked in the agricultural sector during summer vacation (Feld, 4). Federal surveys said children worked twelve hour shifts on tobacco, beet and, cotton plantations, all over the country (Feld, 3).

What did kids do for fun in 1940?

Children played traditional games, such as hopscotch, rounders or cricket using whatever materials they could find. Five stones and pick-up sticks were also popular along with ball games, battleships, card games and marbles.

What toys did children play with in the 1930s?

1930s Boys and Girls Toys examples include Balsa Wood Kits, Flossy Flirt Doll, Lionel Train Set, Teddy Bears, Rocking Horses, Dolls Houses, Stereoscope, pedal cars and toy cars plus much more....

What did kids play with in 1920?

The Roaring '20s brought kiddies the delight of items considered classics: Raggedy Ann, Teddy bears, Crayola crayons, chemistry sets, toy planes, trucks, tractors, buses, trains, circus toys, pedal cars, mini golf, Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, yo-yo and Tiddlywinks, to name a few.

What toys were popular in the 30s?

What did girls do in the 1930s?

Women's roles in 1930's America were still mostly domestic. They were typically in charge of home management and social duties, while men were usually the breadwinners. However, after the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, was passed in 1920, there was a shift in women's roles.

What hobbies were popular in 1930?

Among the hobbies that emerged: stamp collecting, music making, woodworking and birdwatching. The growth in hobbies during the Great Depression was in large part due to the staggering number of people out of work.

What did girls play in the 1930s?

The girls had all different kinds of dolls and doll houses to choose from. Also there was a wide variety of adult-like toys like kids typewriters, kids adding machines, and medical playsets.

What games were played in the 1930s?

What games did kids play in the Great Depression?

Having Fun – Family Time

With little money to spend on entertainment, families enjoyed new board games such as "Monopoly" and "Scrabble" which were first sold during the 1930s. Neighbors got together to play card games such as whist, pinochle, canasta and bridge.

What did kids do in the 1920s?

Turns out, about 1 million children age 10 to 15 were working in America in 1920 (out of a total population of 12 million kids in that age range). About half worked on family farms. The rest did everything else, working in factories, trained as apprentices, and served as messengers.

What games did kids play 1939?

Children commonly played games like hopscotch, four square, jump rope, and chess together, as well as all types of ball games. Board games were popular too like Monopoly, Scrabble, Life, checkers, chess, backgammon, Chinese checkers, and dominoes.

Did girls go to school in 1920s?

Sixty percent of women graduated from high school in 1920, compared with 90 percent in 2018. Seven percent of women earned bachelor's degrees in 1920, compared with 35 percent in 2018. The percentage of women in the workforce in 1920 was 20 percent, compared with 47 percent in 2020.

What did kids do before toys?

In the 19th century middle class girls played with wood or porcelain dolls. They also had dolls houses, model shops and skipping ropes. Boys played with toys like marbles and toy soldiers as well as toy trains. (Some toy trains had working engines fuelled by methylated spirits).

What did kids get for Christmas in the 1930s?

One Christmas goodie that most of those attending had in common was that of an orange. For some, it was the only Christmas gift they received during the hard times surrounding the Great Depression. Others recalled dolls, homemade candy and other types of fruit.

What was the most popular toy in the 1930?

1930 Mickey Mouse

As the Depression progressed, Mickey's popularity rose so that by 1932, the Mickey Mouse Club had one million members. Cartoons heightened the sense of escapism, and people enjoyed following the adventures of Mickey Mouse. This Mickey Mouse (catalog number 90.17.

What toys did children have in 1939?

Children commonly played Hopscotch, Four Square, Jump Rope, Chess etc. together, as well as all types of ball games. Young children loved to play jacks, marbles, play school and house, and played with cars or dolls.

What did 80s kids do when they were bored?

What did little girls do in the 40s?

Girls were playing house, pretending to be mommy, feeding and clothing their little baby dolls — of which they had dozens to choose from. They had toy brooms, mops, tea sets, irons, ovens — you name it. If mom had it, they made a small version for lil Jane.

What 80s kids did for fun?

Summer days in the '80s were spent playing on the streets, engaged in endless games of hide-and-seek and capture the flag with neighborhood pals of all ages. It was always "game on" until the sun went down, the street lights came on, or you heard the echo of your mom's voice calling your name.