Memories from my childhood are very precious to me. I’m sure that there were occasions when I proclaimed,”I’m bored!” like any other kid, but the ways that I used to entertain myself, are sadly, less popular today. Some have been lost to the allure of technology for entertainment. Technology in the form of games and computers is an awesome way to learn! Many “over 50s” shake their heads with condemnation of these modern toys. Watch them closely though, they are the same folks who have saucer-sized eyes on Christmas morning, with their grandkids, and whisper to themselves, ” I would have given my right arm to have had one of those as a kid!” Childhood, after all, is a magical time not a place.
In my day, the amount of fun a kid had was directly proportional to how dirty they got. Digging holes, wading in puddles, and pounding rocks to powder were a few “biggies” with me. Yes, I really DID make mud pies and cakes. Adding pebbles for cherries and sticks for candles made them quite appealing. No wonder, having such a soil based culinary background, I continue to be baffled by the Easy Bake Oven‘s popularity. First problem with EBO is that it requires adult supervision. A universal kid Truth…Fun does not fit in easily when there’s a direct adult presence. Why? Messes are seriously culled by adults, and as I’ve stated, messes are required for fun. Secondly, EBO takes time and waiting. Waiting is the second most deadly element to kid fun, as you know. The last and most important drawback, Easy Bake Ovens are used only indoors. Yikes! Kids need to be outdoors. Fun, the best kind, happens outdoors!
Still, the commercials and sales roll in for Easy Bake Ovens. Heck, now I realize why I see them at every tag sale. Their boxes are usually pristine with only one single cake mix missing. 😉
Sillyfrog's Blog 
i have memories of my two grandsons, they were playing in my garden amusing themselves playing with spades and water explaining they would make me a lovely garden. i left them to it while tending a demanding husband, i also remember the day was quite cold, about 20minutes had gone by when i heard a bit of commotion at the back door, off i went to investigate, my dogs were covered in mud along with my two grandsons, and when i say covered i mean covered they were all dripping with mud. i just could not let them into the house, what was i to do, only one thing for it get the hose pipe, the garden was awash with mud and water a true mud bath, i had never in my life seen anything like it before. my husband was screaming at the top of his voice and distressing both dogs and children even further, with no further ado i snatched the hosepipe and turned it on the children and the dogs with great protests from all. i felt so sorry and cruel to do such a thing when it was so cold, even today the boys have mentioned this episode and now have a good laugh about it all.
Wow! When it’s cold out, mud can be the enemy! Sounds as though the kids (and I’m sure the dogs) forgave you. Thanks for adding your comment to my post for others to enjoy.
Your poor garden probably wasn’t well for awhile though!
You were not often bored with all of friends and neighbors,sticks and rocks,dandelions and trees and bugs and nightcrawlers…remember though if you said you were bored I handed you a book and I expected a book report. So if you were bored you didn’t mention it .
Yes, we kept boredom hidden well in those days when the cure for it was a chore. I think kids do pretty darn well when they have opportunities to play outdoors.
O’ I love making mud pies…I had my niece making them just a few short years ago in my back yard. She used to take little red berries to decorate the tops of her pies. Then I used to hose her down because she was so dirty…So, Much FUN! It’s called imagination……which a lot of kids these days lack. They are very needy instead. great post!
Thank-you for reminding of the barberries! The best touch to the colorless mud pie. 😉
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Thanks for the memories! I was a baker from way back too…I preferred the natural touch of mud pies to easy bake though….don’t forget mudcakes too….always “chocolate”