13 Things We Owned Growing Up That Kids Today Will Never Know

Riding around in my minivan, it seems the only things my children are interested in these days are the snacks they see me bringing along. But when I was their age, a person might ask what kind of music you had in your car or minivan?

To my four young kids, that question would seem strange— aren’t we all just streaming music from our phones? Back when I was a kid, there were many ways a person could consume music, and the type of device you used said a little something about who you were.

For example, we had a few AM/FM radios, a boxy boombox with a speaker, a Walkman, and even a cassette player in one of our cars. Ahh, the good old days!

While everyone knows about these things, it probably won’t be long before they’re just ancient history. I love to read old books and sometimes get stumped by jokes or cultural references that haven’t stood the test of time.

In honor of the many interesting objects and relics I grew up with, I want to pass along an archived list of some of my favorites. Perhaps someday, a reader will find my article and get a better sense of the things my peers and I enjoyed and the times we lived through.

CDs: The Shiny Disks That Held Our Music and Our Dreams

One of my favorite things to do with my friends growing up was to head over to a place called the “Cd Warehouse” and browse the used selection until we found a great album or two to buy. We loved trading CDs with each other and went on many road trips, each person carefully curating their selection of music to share with the group. It’s funny how easily AI streams music and how little it requires from us today— those CDs invited us to slow down and enjoy every track on the album, including the artwork that came along with it.

Corded Phones: The Tethered Telephones That Taught Us Trust and Patience

Before the invention of smartphones, calling a friend was like rolling the dice; you never knew who would answer. Would it be your friend’s parent, sibling, or grandparent? That mystery added a layer of excitement to making a phone call and an element of suspense about who might be calling. It was also before caller ID, so every call was a mystery waiting to be unraveled. I distinctly remember the sound of our old corded house phone and the feeling of delight when it was, in fact, my best buddy on the other end. Those days are long gone, my friends.

Talking to Strangers: The Art of Conversation With People You Don’t Know

Anyone who knows me will be surprised to hear that one of my favorite things to do as a kid was talk to strangers. Picture this: you’re in the backseat of your parent’s car, rolling around at walking pace and being pushed by your parents. That’s right; back then, grocery shopping wasn’t the sterile self-serve experience it is today. You’d throw the card in park, and the attendant would pump your gas for you and exchange a few pleasantries.

Looking back, those exchanges were fascinating to me. I would ask my mom all sorts of questions about why that person had to work outside on hot days or how far they drove to work. It’s a shame that, in many areas, people barely get out of their cars anymore.

TVs Can Be Used for More Than Watching TV: The Big Consoles That Look Like Furniture

When I was a small child, I remember that my family had an enormous television console that we rarely watched. I’m not sure why my parents splurged on such a vast unit, but I’m glad they did because it enhanced my childhood

Our TV was a unique one-piece console. It had a wood veneer frame, a speaker that ran below the screen, and an analog dial you could use to adjust the channel. I spent countless hours in front of that screen, hooked by curiosity about what might air next and how to make the picture clear. Of course, the quality was low, but it thrilled my young eyes.

Atari: The Legends of the 8-Bit World that Never Fade Away

In the early 90s, my brother and I began engaging in an activity we referred to as playing Atari. It’s one of my earliest memories and probably one of the most vivid stories I have of my early childhood. We would play together for hours and took great joy in discovering new tricks on our favorite games like Asteroids, Pong, Frogger, and Pac-Man.

There was no easy way to save your game back then, so if you got on a particularly great run, the minutes or hours would just slip away from you as you tried to advance one level further. Those simple games hold a special place in my heart and, to me, haven’t lost a bit of their magic.

Film Cameras: The Magical Machines That Captured the World

I can still remember the camera that my parents used to capture our vacations and other important childhood memories. It was a 35mm film camera that took the most beautiful photos I could imagine. My brother and I couldn’t wait to see the prints when they arrived in the mail, and we’d carefully pull each one out for the first time and study it for details.

We’d often sit around the kitchen table, laughing over the memories and trying to recall precisely what happened. I’m grateful for the abundance of photos my phone’s camera took of my family today, but somehow I don’t think they’re going to have the same charm as those old film photos did.

Gasoline-Powered Lawn Mowers: The Loud Disciples of a Lost Age

I’m sure that gasoline-powered lawnmowers will stick around for many more decades, but society will eventually replace them with electric alternatives. That day will mark the end of an era that I cherish and the end of many childhood memories. Growing up, we had a small push mower that my brother and I learned to use, but on weekends, my dad would bring out the big guns— a 60-inch deck riding lawn mower that roared like a lion and tore across our yard like a go-kart. Let’s just say many things are quieter these days… and that’s probably for the better.