When you’re a kid, you experience the world in such a unique way that you’ll never experience as an adult. And while every childhood is special in its own way, it seems like there are a lot of nostalgic experiences that are actually pretty universal .
The people of Reddit came together to share their most nostalgic childhood memories while answering the question, ” What’s a childhood memory that almost all of us have? ” Are we really sure we didn’t have the same childhoods?
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“Accidently [sic] snapping a ruler in half while testing ‘how bendy it is.'” – hdke-1
It wasn’t our fault! They make rulers ever so slightly bendy, and we couldn’t help but see just how far they can bend. Good thing they’re pretty easy to replace.
“Either trying to step on no cracks or on only cracks on the sidewalk.” – Qaztarrr
Remember the saying, “Step on a crack, break your mother’s back?” Why did we all take that so seriously? And why were we all tempted to step on a sidewalk crack just to see what would happen?
“That dreaded feeling of forgetting your homework.” – amazingphrasing
No kid in the history of humankind has ever liked doing homework, and you can’t convince me otherwise. But that realization that you didn’t finish your homework and you know your teacher is about to check? Horrifying.
“Having a wiggly tooth.” – annasassin007
Knowing that you’re about to be a couple of bucks richer was a really fun feeling. Though, I’m sure that having a loose tooth as an adult really hits different.
“Anybody else love to squint their eyes at lights when riding in the car at night? Then you move your head side to side for a cool lightshow?” – LanzoAReaper
This seems like the kind of thing you’d do, and then assume no one else has ever done. Probably because it’s one of those things you never talk about doing.
“Connecting the markers into really long ‘lightsabers.'” -MWaldorf
I mean, I used to just call them swords (or sometimes magic wands), but it’s all the same thing in the end.
And everyone in class would always either cheer you on or get really annoyed. Classic.
“Hiding in department store clothes racks.” – Hellabaydude
If you were at the store with your siblings or a friend, you’d almost always play hide and seek with them. I bet our parents loved it when we did that.
“Thinking someone is your mom or dad and then realizing it’s not.” – Travel_Bud
Even though we saw our parents every single day back then, there were still times when we tried to go home with lookalikes, only to realize that those were complete strangers who probably thought we were weirdos. Talk about embarrassing.
“Floor is lava and keep the balloon in the air.” – x4ty2
I’m not gonna lie, I’d love to play the floor is lava today, but jumping around on furniture just isn’t the same when you’re several feet taller and dozens of pounds heavier.
“Balancing the lightswitch between on and off.” – No-Conference2086
It always made that buzzing sound (that was probably really dangerous in hindsight).
When I was a kid, my parents changed all the light switches to the flat ones that you can’t balance, and I never felt more betrayed .
“Playing swordfight with the cardboard tubes of wrapping paper.” – hummusdapug
It was all fun and games until the integrity of one of the tubes gave out and you had a really bendy one.
I remember doing the same thing with sticks, which was a lot easier (and way more painful).
“Being gifted a small amount of money and thinking you were rich.” – Fair_Border4142
When your grandparents came over and gave you 10 bucks and a pack of gum… yeah, that’s when you knew you made it big.
“Making friends with other kids at a public pool or playground and never seeing them again.” – CapeOfBees
Back before we had cellphones or even email, we’d make friends in the most random places and then literally never see them again.
But let’s face it, even if we did have a way to contact them, we probably wouldn’t.
“Talking into a fan to hear your voice sound weird.” – um-tahnoun
I don’t care what anyone says, this is the original autotune.
Now I can’t stop thinking about those big plastic microphones that made our voices sound all weird and echoey.
“Trying to see how the refrigerator light turn off.” – Ambitious_Athlete216
I remember thinking it was magic for a long time, before figuring out that there’s a little switch that keeps the light off when the door is closed.
It still kind of feels like magic, though.
“Climbing up the stairs like a dog.” – SomeoneWhoPostedThis
I’m not gonna lie, I did this well into my teen years… Okay, okay, into my adult years. But it was way more fun as a kid.
“When your [sic] sleeping in the car and your dad makes that one turn, when you arrive home, that wakes you up.” – FlamingNinja925
No matter when I fell asleep during a car ride, I would almost always wake up as we got into the driveway. And it made long drives feel like they only lasted a few minutes.
“Watching raindrops racing down a car window and picking a winner.” – throwaway17717
This is one of those things you don’t think about for years, and then someone brings it up and you’re all like, “I used to do that all the time!”
It’s kind of making me want to be driven around on a rainy day…
Someone knowing how to draw the ‘weird S.'” – TipTapTips
It almost feels like every generation thought they invented that S, but it’s been around forever basically.
I think I remember how to make one still…
“Scholastic book fairs.” – kupckake
Literally my favorite days of the school year. That, and being able to order from the catalog and having your books and posters and pens and stuff come in during class.
