The way things are going, every kid is going to go to school wearing bubble wrap and a helmet. Back in the 1970s (and earlier), parents didn’t stress about our health and safety as much as they do today. It’s not that they cared less – they just didn’t worry compulsively about it.

 

Parents of 2014 need to be reminded of how less restricted, less supervised, less obsessively safety-conscious things were… and it was just fine.

 

1. JARTS: IMPALING ARROWS OF DEATH

Can your mind comprehend a more deadly toy than a weighted spear that kids hurl through the air like a missile? No one ever obeyed the actual manufacturer’s rules, we just flung these darn things everywhere. We threw them. They stuck where they landed. If they happened to land in your skull, well, then you should have moved.

 

After roughly 6,700 emergency-room visits and the deaths of three children between 1978 and 1988, they finally outlawed Jarts on December 19, 1988. I suppose it needed to be banned, but a part of me is sad that kids today won’t have the battle scars and Jart survival stories we had. Goodbye Jart – you were an impaling arrow of death, but I loved you anyway.

 

 

 

Anorak | 8 Reasons Children of the 1970s Should All Be Dead

Brought back memories. We actually had a jart set until around 2000. We threw it out when the kids started to show interest in what was in the basement. Remember roaming around having bb gun wars in the 60's. Nobody I knew put their eye out either, although we had a few who went home with bbs in their scalps that had to be picked out. Still amazed we survived. I'd kill my kids if they tried what we used to do.

Jarts was a "Go-to" Family Reunion game along with horse shoes.

 

It is amazing that I didn't die by the age of 10 from second hand smoke.

They left off riding in the open bed of a pick-up truck all summer long.

 

I can remember riding in the back of the truck 250miles from Ind. to Ky. when I was a kid (9-10 years old) and begging to do so.

My dad used to let me sit on his lap while he was driving and I would pretend I was the one driving. Good times.

^ We did have one kid get his eye shot out with a BB gun and he lost that eye. I rode on my uncle's lap in order to drive his 1972 corvette and when he went to have a sip of his beer I turned into Grandma's driveway a little too early and went up a dirt bank. Luckily I don't think there was any damage but I was only 6-7 at the time so not real sure. Jarts was a fun time.

 

I like the one where parents kicked the kids out the door in the morning and didn't let us back in until dark. We had a great time until I hit my head on the metal swing set while sled riding and was knocked out cold. My brother put me on the sled and pulled me back down the road and I woke up when I heard my mom yelling as she ran towards us as she thought I was dead. I can still hear my brother saying "because he was too heavy to carry" when he was asked why he had me on the sled

 

We were a little older and much more stupid when we shot "real" arrows straight into the air and tried to see who would run last.... wow, I'm not sure how I ever made it. I am glad to say I am the one in the family that doesn't get all riled up when kids want to go do something that may be a little dangerous in today's standards. Great memories!!

Jarts and hot sliding boards seem pretty tame compared to school shootings and meth.

I popped many a blood blister after being shot by a BB gun. I had several confirmed kills as well, though.

Needed to use the sun tan lotion on the metal sliding boards.

 

And....

 

BB guns (mentioned above)

Bow and arrows play sets - sharp tip or suction cup tipped (hint: suction cups did not last long...)

Jungle Gyms with bolts and wing-nuts sticking out all over.

Hot-iron etching kits.

 

Some of the original list and above could be classified as Darwin toys.

Who remembers riding in the back of a station wagon with the seat facing the opposite way? And then waiving to truck drivers who were 20 feet behind you and would crush you if for some reason your station wagon had to stop suddenly.

 

 

And young people today can't believe that workplaces were filled with second hand smoke from all the people smoking at their desk.

Bottle rocket wars, occasionally a roman candle mortar lobbed in there….no reason fireworks should be illegal in this state.

Bottle rocket wars, occasionally a roman candle mortar lobbed in there….no reason fireworks should be illegal in this state.

 

Heck I remember doing that 15 years ago in high school. Awesome time!

70's was a little late for me; graduated high school in 1973.

 

However, I did discover that 11 people could fit in my mother's '66 Mustang ragtop after the pre-Homecoming bonfire.

Ironic the "safety crowd" is the exact same group that lived through this list as kids??? :idunno:

Ironic the "safety crowd" is the exact same group that lived through this list as kids??? :idunno:

 

Do as I say, not as I did. A message repeated over and over in our household.