The 1940s

The 1940s

Leisure Activities:

Leisure Activities:

Age Differences

Age Differences

By Teddy Koerner

Summary

Summary

The 1940s were difficult times

Family members didn’t get much time with each other

Adults were always working, Teens were always out and

about, and Children were always being supervised

People didn’t get all that much spare time in general, but

when they did, it was enjoyed.

Spare time was found and used despite all the

complications and work to be done.

ChildrenChildren Young kids after school would usually be watched by

a sibling or an adult. Even under supervision, they still had fun playing old fashioned games like Blow-

Ball, Clothespins, Battle of the Oranges, and listening to radio. If nobody was at their own house, Children would

spend their time at day care until their parents got home from work, or their siblings picked them up.

Playing cards were popular in this era, and also many

well known board games came out like Monopoly,

Scrabble, Sorry, and Chutes and Ladders. Also in this era, Tonka Trucks and Silly Putty made

their first appearances.

*Did you know that children were

affected by

the war as much as adults were?

They grew up

in a war supportive environment

and were bred

hearing about

how soldiers

were killed in

battle and all.

Pre-TeensPre-Teens

Pre-Teens would do most of the same

leisure activities done by Children.

Pre-Teens would also play sports like

Baseball.

Kids would also go to movies and

participate in Boy Scouts and Girl

Scouts

Radio stations were also made just for

Pre-Teens like Adventure shows and

comedy skits

*Did you know that the first time Little League Baseball made an

appearance was in 1939 in Pennsylvania? Now, 70 years later, it’s a worldwide child activity!!

TeenagersTeenagers Teens would always be out of the house doing things with their friends. Dances were popular, along with drive-in movies, ice cream parlors, dates, and the radio.

Movies like Citizen Kane and Casablanca were made in this era along with many others. These are still the most acclaimed movies in history.

*Did you know

that

“teenagers”

wasn’t a real

word up until

1938 when

scientists came

up with it.

AdultsAdults

Adults outside of work would attend plays,

go to movies, visit museums, and listen to

radio.

Radio, as you can see, was a very important

device for citizens in the 1940s.

The radio would bring them news,

entertainment, music, and war updates.

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http://www.swingmusic.net/Big_Band_Playlist.html          Feinstein, Steven. The 1940s. New Jersey: Enslow Publishers Inc, 2006. Print.          Hakim, Joy. War, Peace, and All That Jazz. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Print.          History of Children’s Games and Toys. 2010. The People History. December 7, 2010 <

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