Today, I will write about my playground memories.
I can’t complain regarding the set of toys that I had as all the necessities were kindly sponsored by parents. Though I didn’t have that many toys in nowadays standards, it was still sufficient. I had several dolls, some kitchen appliances, 2 soft toys, and cars. Surprisingly, I was more interested in cars rather than dolls. Somehow, cars were simply more fun.
Needless to say, playing indoors was rather boring, so the main action took place outside the house on the playground. The playground equipment was not new; on the opposite, metal parts was quite damaged. However, owning a couple of pots, sticks, sand, and on a lucky day water from the puddle, we easily were able to bake sand pies and even open a restaurant. More than that, we had payment currency, which were leafs from trees of a different value (I am so SORRY, dear trees 😥).
We also preferred some garbage – boxes, bottles – to the toys we had. This was not because we lacked the entertainment appliances provided by parents, the garbage was just more appealing. Plus, it was strictly forbidden by parents to play with garbage, which immediately added extra curiousity for randomly found items.
There were some crazy stories when children were chewing the gum they found on the street. There were even those who managed to imitate smoking with the cigarette leftovers. Luckily for my parents, I was never interesting in those.
We were outside a lot, playing hide-n-seak, сooking, building minihouses in summer and playing snowballs and building snowmen in winter. All in all, it was regular childhood. I don’t think we were any different from children in other countries. Our imagination compensated everything we were lacking. We were content. We didn’t really understand what our dear parents were through because they always took good care of us, smiled at us, hugged and loved us no matter what. ❤️
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Your memories are just like mine. Playing outside, using plants and leaves in our “shops”. Not many toys, but we were happy children.
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Very similar indeed! The keyword is happy!
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We havev lived almost in the same culture area. Are you born in which part of Soviet? Union?
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Really? In Russia, Sochi area. You?
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No, no I meant our culture is not very different from the Russian one and my grandmother was born in Petroskoi. Finland has been such a long time part of Russia, it is still seen here.
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I see what you mean. Yes, there are many similarities indeed.
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I remember making privet leaf pie with puddle water and always preferred cars to dolls.
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Similar! 🙂
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Yes I had toy cars, a train set and a cowboy gun. I loved climbing trees and always had grazes on my knees. I was a tomboy. Playing outside with other children the best.
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Sounds like a lot of fun! 👍
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Many a parent has watched with mixed feelings as the kid/s toss aside the toy, to play with the box.
But boxes are such fun!
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Exactly! 😃
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Brings back memories, I had a similar childhood! We used pretzel sticks to emulate smoking. We made mud pies and preferred playing outside rather than indoors (we lived in the country, so no picking up gum from the street). I remember making small towns in the gravel, using match box cars and rocks for houses and buildings!
Thanks for the post!!
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What a nice childhood! 😊 Thank you for the comment!
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That sounds like something my boys would do today. As for me, I didn’t know any of the neighborhood kids, as I went to school further away, and so I never had these kinds of experiences in Finland. I hung out by myself in my room writing letters and playing with barbies. Before Finland, in Australia, my childhood was mostly spent at my best friend’s swimming pool and playing with large ants that bit me (sorry, ants!)
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It so much depends on the area -city/countryside. Children have slightly different games. I would love to spend time at the pool, without ants of course ☺️
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Heheh!
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Must have been really difficult for the people in Russia in 90’s and very much remember having read these soviet union chapters in History in mid 90’s in India. I have come across many Russians staying in Germany as well who moved probably in those early 90’s.
Glad you had a normal and similar childhood experience as a kid with those toys and boxes, cars , dolls etc 🙂 it is pretty much the same in India too 🙂
Really looking forward to your other upcoming posts on your early life in Russia. it just sparked more interest to me !
cheers
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Thank you for the comment! 🌺 It was tough, but it is just a memory for now, like a bad dream.
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Cheer Up now 🙂 The reality now and the best part is that you’re in a better part of the world where you enjoy living life 🙂
Would love to visit Finland sometime, it looks beautiful!!
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You are so right! Yes, you should visit Finland, there is not much sightseeing to do, but nature is wonderful! 😊
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