Calling all 80s babies! In honour of my recent birthday, I'm taking a trip down 80s memory lane with my favourite childhood books, toys, outfits and general pop culture. Let's reminisce, shall we...
What was I reading?
The art of storytelling was very much alive in my household growing up. Rather than the repetitive bedtime story routine I currently engage in, story time was typically recited by memory or by recounting tales from long ago. The way our parents and grandparents would tell stories was truly a skillset. Makes me think that I need to up my game at bedtime!
Some of my favourite tales were:
Three Little Pigs
Little Red Riding Hood
Rapunzel
Growing up, my absolute favourite picture book was Corduroy. Although published in 1968, I remember it was a staple on my bookshelf, as well as a popular choice in my elementary school. The heartwarming story about belonging and friendship gets me every time.
The 80s certainly introduced many reading delights, including, Hairy Maclary, Franklin book series, We‘re Going on a Bear Hunt, and Polar Express (to name a few.)
One of the biggest literary influences of the 80s was the Reading Rainbow. It was a children's TV series that encouraged early literacy. Each episode featured a theme from a book, as well as recommended books for kids to explore at their next library visit. The show was brilliantly produced and truly one-of-a-kind. To this day, I can't think of anything like it on TV.
What was I playing with?
This was the age of outdoor toys and experimental minds. Believe it or not, screen time was BORING! Playing outside meant freedom, and my imagination often ran wild. I do, however, remember faithfully watching Where in the World is Carmen San Diego when I got a little bit older.
Here were some of my "totally awesome" toys:
Garbage Pail Kids trading cards
Glo Worms
Cabbage Patch Kids
Skip-It
Pogo Balls
Lite-Brite
Battle Ship
And drum roll, please...riding a bike! The simplicity of riding a bike was once the highlight of my childhood.
What was I wearing?
Picture a little girl with a bright t-shirt, jean overalls, jelly shoes and a high-pony scrunchie. Sound familiar? I still haven't outgrown the scrunchie!
Fashion was all the rage in the 80s with:
High-top running shoes
Jean jackets & overalls
Neon anything
Snap bracelets
Slouch socks
Acid-washed jeans
Tracksuits
Shoulder pads
Overall, the 80s were pretty "rad." Looking back, my love of books and curious imagination unfolded pretty quickly. The art of storytelling was naturally woven into that decade. We didn't rely on our instant news feeds to recount interesting stories...we TOLD the stories. Remember passing notes? Remember family meetings? Remember your silly cousin acting out a scene from a movie? Storytelling is highly underrated, isn't it?!
Cheers to all my 80s babies, and as always, happy reading!