After the Black Friday blitz, which surprisingly arrived in Europe, even though Thanksgiving doesn’t exist here, I wonder if anyone else longs for that era when gifts were simpler and often times homemade? Back in the good old days when even adults took time out during the holiday season to play.
Can you remember your favorite childhood Christmas present?
I still cherish Christmas as a six-year-old: my big brother got a stamp collection book, my middle sister a fashion doll, my little sister a Barbie doll case, and I received a pop rifle.
Though I may be an anti gun advocate now, back then a toy rifle meant that my family accepted gender equity long before society got around to it. My parents let me be free to play cowboys and kick ball. If I ever wanted I could also play dolls with my younger sisters.
Unlike the electronic games of today, our toys of yesteryear were designed to encourage social interaction, develop creativity and inspire make believe. They taught children how to share, to take turns, to cooperate and to help each other.
How different from the expensive Santa’s wish lists of today with things like Costzon Infrared Remote Controlled Robots, Electric Dog BeatBowWow Interactive Learning Toys, Self Balancing Electric Scooters, Xtremepower Hover boards and LovaBella Baby Dolls that can recite a hundred words and mimic their owners actions.
What does that leave to old-fashioned imagination?
In the 60’s my siblings and I invented games around the Christmas theme. We set up present wrapping stations and cookie baking shops. We enacted mystery stories by pretending to steal “magic” light bulbs from the Christmas tree.
We spent entire days setting up our Lincoln logs, dollhouses or train sets.
We loved it when three generations sat around the kitchen table coloring, drawing or playing cards, especially when Grandpa Mac tried to get our bluff.
Have we lost our ability to play?
Wouldn’t it be more rewarding to engage in a game with a human being instead of an activator?
As the holiday season arrives with the usual media fueled, materialistic commercialization, find a way to curtail the frenzy, to roll on the floor and wrestle around with your kids.
Take time out to play. Have a pillow fight, a tickle fest, a story swap.
Play an antique game of Twister, Clue, Monopoly, Life or Mouse Trap.
Turn off computers, cell phones, electronic games, tune out social media and focus on family and friends.
Have Yourselves a Merry Little Christmas.
Slow down, step back, savor the season. Have fun! I’ll be back in 2 weeks.
Merry Christmas, Patty and thanks for this inportant reminder to cherish life’s non-tech simple pleasures. Enjoy your break!
Happy Holidays to you too, Kathy. May your New Year be filled with hope.
Happy Christmas Pat to you and yours ????????❤️ Playing is good for the soul and you remind us to do what we sometimes suppress or marginalise due to our busy working lives. Thanks for your 2017 blog inspirations. Lots of love xxx
Aw sweet Rach. I should be thanking you for supporting me long distance by following my blog and taking time to comment. Even though it has been years since you were in Switzerland and you now live happily in Australia, I still fee the bonds of friendship remain strong across the miles. Happy Christmas to you and your beautiful daughters.Lots of love back at you.
Wonderful commentary on how to sit back and reinvent the simpler life. I am in total agreement with you. As I read through this, I kept thinking of games we used to play that caused belly laughs and tears and involved everyone like charades. There’s nothing like cross-generational laughter to warm the soul.
Wishing you and yours a very merry and playful Christmas.
You and your family have always known how to play and add fun to your busy schedules. You are right there is nothing like those belly laughing times. Wishing you a very happy holiday and peace filled New Year.
Have a wonderful break, Pat! Yes, I know what you mean about the importance of *people* not things. Domer and I typically play board games, work on puzzles, or some such when he’s home for the holidays (interspersed, of course, with playing on our techie toys, ha!!)
I know that you can’t spend all your time on your techie toys because Dallas is always reminding you to go outside and play.
Happy Holidays and enjoy spending time with Domer.
How great to come from (what looks like) a big family and share all that good stuff! It sure seemed simpler back then! Pinterest Perfection didn’t exist, and feeling adequate about holiday abilities was doable. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, Emily it seems like the Christmas frenzy has gone over the top. It is nice to slow down the pace and take time to play, to love, to laugh, to share and to create those priceless family memories. Happy Holidays to you and yours. Thanks for stopping by.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Pat! This was a heart warming blog. I loved our family days at home playing games and making cookies. I made sure my own kids had that low-key kind of Christmas season too. What fond memories to pass on to future generations.
All the best to your family in 2018!
I can just imagine how fun Christmas was in your big family. So nice that you passed on those kind of memories to you own kids. Happy Holidays dear Joanie. May your New Year be filled with blessings.
I hope you are enjoying your holiday as we speak! Your memories of childhood always warm my heart. Best to you and your family, my friend!