Our current cultural landscape is steeped in nostalgia and it seems everywhere you look, something from the past keeps popping up. It’s no surprise too that during a global pandemic, nostalgia is all the rage because in challenging, uncertain times, we certainly like to cling to familiarity, comfort, and what we recall from the “good old days.” And more often than not, the feeling of nostalgia clings to positive memories.
But what do we think about most when it comes to our past— more specifically our childhood?
A recent poll looked to answer that very question and according to the results, 55 percent of adults would love to relive their childhood, with the ’60s, ’70s, and '80s seen as the best decades to have been a kid. And the reasons are simple: Not having to worry about money came out at the top of the list, while not having to work and building sandcastles ranked high on the top 50. Meanwhile, family holidays and watching cartoons on a Saturday morning also made the cut.
Here is the list of the top 50 things adults miss most about being a child:
1. Not worrying about money
2. Having long school holidays
3. The magical feeling of Christmas
4. Always having energy
5. Not paying any bills
6. Not having to work
7. Not having aches and pains
8. Being really excited about a birthday
9. Believing in Father Christmas
10. Family holidays
11. Getting loads of presents at Christmas
12. The excitement of going to the beach
13. Sleeping soundly
14. The thrill of getting a new toy
15. The excitement of hearing the ice cream van
16. Making dens
17. Having no fear
18. Having holidays paid for
19. Getting money from the tooth fairy after losing a tooth
20. Using your imagination freely
21. Going to birthday parties
22. Someone doing your laundry
23. Being free to climb trees
24. Watching cartoons on Saturday morning
25. Playing games whenever and for however long you wanted
26. Having a great imagination
27. School trips
28. Watching TV as soon as you got in from school
29. Being friends with everyone
30. Everything being new
31. Being able to fall asleep comfortably anywhere
32. Building sandcastles
33. Playing with your siblings
34. Being the first one to see the sea on a trip to the beach
35. Getting clothes bought for you
36. Feeding ducks in the park
37. Building things
38. Jumping in puddles
39. Not having to shave every day
40. Water fights
41. Sleepovers
42. Using an empty box to create countless games
43. Being excited by public transport
44. Swapping stickers with friends
45. Asking any questions you like, to anyone you want
46. Not knowing what a hangover is
47. Being carried to bed by your parents
48. Making paper airplanes
49. Watching Gladiators on a Saturday night
50. Dressing up anytime (not only on Halloween)
The research was commissioned by learning and tech brand Osmo, who have partnered with sand sculpture experts, Sand In Your Eye, to bring children’s drawings to life in three giant sandcastles on Weston-super-Mare beach. Click here to read more about the survey.
