I was born in 1969 and pretty much all of those things applied to my childhood as well. I think the use of lead based paints was on the wane when I was growing up. The Atari 2600 came along in my childhood, but that was something you or your friends got at Christmas and you’d play inside over the holidays, before going back outside in the snow to play football, hockey or go sledding...all Without helmets.
I was ‘67.
Yea the Atari 2600 was something else first my bud got the early 10 pound Sears version and soon after we all had one with hundred of games between us.
STILL...even that awesome device failed to keep us indoors very much during the daytime.
We spent our youth OUTSIDE from dawn to dusk.
I really MISS those days.
I hardly ever see kids riding bikes, playing stick-ball or shooting hoops outside anymore.
Sad...
Born in ‘69 on the same date as R. Lee Ermey, Steve McQueen and Houdini.
Rode (And crashed) bikes through the Colorado foothills.
Thought Pong was awesome.
Couldn’t afford skis, so I melted the rubber soles of my shoes with a Zippo, and slid down the snowy hills during school lunch break -because it looked rather cartoonish.
Built a go cart out of scrap wood....with wings.
Gone by sunrise, back by sunset.
Listened to old Cheech and Chong, Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor records.
Made audio tapes quoting said records on a tape player with low batteries, then put new batteries in it to listen to our voices. Sounded like The Chipmunks.
Played with Micronauts and Shogun Warriors toys.
Believed human flight was possible if the cape was long enough....jumped off a few rooftops.
Electrocuted myself in Grandpa’s back yard trying the old metal spikes hammered into the moist ground wired to house current, and I grabbed one of the spikes. When Grandpa saw this, he unplugged it and chased me around the backyard swinging a shovel, spewing profanities.
“YA G-D CRAZY KIDS!!!”
Had toys with actual mercury in them.