While I have a soft spot for anything with a lowercase “i” in front of it, I have reservations about the behaviors that often accompany our reliance on technology. It can be overwhelming to feel the constant urge to check text messages and emails. I dislike unintentionally tuning out my children when they speak to me because I’m engrossed in typing. The relentless inquiries from my kids about when they can use their devices are also less than enjoyable. Not to mention, the loud chatter while they’re engrossed in apps can really wear on me, as can the inevitable negotiations that arise when it’s time to put the devices away.
Recently, my partner and I decided to do something a bit unconventional in our tech-filled lives: we left the tablets at home during our family vacation in Mexico. To be fair, we did keep our phones since there are always, um, vital tasks to attend to. This little experiment was quite the leap. A plane ride with a layover, customs in Mexico, and a taxi to our hotel—all without tablets or movies seemed like it could end in chaos.
Surprisingly, when we informed the kids that they wouldn’t be bringing their tablets, they didn’t stage a rebellion. Instead, they quickly proposed other ways to entertain themselves during the trip. They seemed enthusiastic about our experiment, happily engaging in games of hangman, journaling, coloring, and reading together. Although they did miss their tablets a few times, they mostly relished their time playing at the beach or pool.
During this vacation, they even learned how to play card games, spent time coloring, and enjoyed imaginative play together. While it wasn’t always smooth sailing, the experience made me reflect: as technology continues to infiltrate our lives and those of our children, what activities did we engage in as kids without the gadgets? How did we fill our days before Minecraft, social media, texting, and the vastness of Google? Did we drive our parents crazy by declaring boredom every few minutes like our kids do when screens are off-limits?
Of course, we had our own technology obsessions back in the 80s. We were raised on Nintendo and handheld games, spending hours playing Pac-Man and Frogger. I recently asked my friends on social media what they did for fun before smartphones. The responses were enlightening.
Activities We Enjoyed Before the iDevice Era
Bike riding emerged as the top choice for many of us. In the 80s, we roamed our neighborhoods freely on our bikes, reminiscent of Elliot and his crew in E.T.—just kids out exploring without a care.
Choreographed dance routines and plays were also popular, especially for girls. I still remember the excitement of grocery store songs bringing back memories of wanting to be like the characters in Flashdance or Dirty Dancing.
Here’s a list of activities we enjoyed before the iDevice era:
- Unsupervised exploration: we’d head out in the morning and roam for hours until dinner.
- DIY pizza-making with dirt and leaves—definitely a unique sibling activity!
- Collecting bugs—anything from worms to ladybugs.
- Endless games of WAR, the simplest yet most entertaining card game.
- Playing Cops and Robbers—classic role play.
- Fort-building with blankets and sheets, creating our own magical worlds.
- Street baseball and kickball games.
- Crafting mixtapes, mastering the art of fast-forward and rewind.
- Lawn gymnastics—self-taught backflips before formal lessons became the norm.
- Doorbell ditching—boredom had its own form of entertainment.
- Going door-to-door selling lemonade or cookies—saving up for our own tech.
- Running through sprinklers, especially on hot summer days.
- Climbing trees—because what was childhood without a little risk?
Those were vibrant times. Each generation holds onto nostalgia, and I wish for my kids to experience that same freedom and creativity I did. I wonder what they will reminisce about as they grow up in an age dominated by social media. They will have their own stories and insights to share about the interconnected world they know so well.
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In summary, leaving the tablets at home led to unexpected joys and connections. It reminded me of the simple pleasures childhood can offer, and perhaps it’s time to encourage my kids to embrace a bit more of that simplicity.