The DIY Phenomenon That Took Over Neighborhoods!
September 14, 2024
Source: Reddit
It is the sound of the wooden planks that are about to give in and let the kids play on the seesaw that reminds me of the summer days back in the yard with grass under my feet and no shoes on. The joy of riding simple home made things such as a seesaw made from any piece of wood and an old pipe could not be compared. If you were fortunate, then your neighborhood or your house had one of those dodgy backyard structures which every child flocked to after school. Everyone around us seemed to disregard safety measures during those years and it was all about having a good time, and nonetheless everything was fine.
A lot of people in the ’60s and ’70s had home made equipment in their backyards and it was normal for kids to play on it. It is common to see that parents would build swings, seesaws or teeter-totters out of whatever materials they have at home. Two 4 by 4’s, some scrap iron and a lot of creativity and you can turn any ordinary backyard into an adventure playground. Now, these structures might look like simple shacks or even dangerous by today’s standards, but they encouraged creativity, thinking, and, the most important thing – play.
A homemade teeter-totter for instance was a kind of Coming of Age for many children. It wasn’t just something that was constructed out of an old plank placed on a log or even a more organized structure, it was more than a playground equipment—it was a representation of balance, unity and trust. Two kids could spend hours trying to find the right balance so that the person who suddenly jumped off wouldn’t make the other person fall with a stomach jolting drop. The beauty of it was its simplicity; it didn’t have lights, it had no buttons that beeped, it only had a plank, a pivot and your creativity.
Apart from the fun, they symbolized another trend in the overall culture of family life. More families were moving into suburban homes with larger lawns during the years following the Second World War. With this new found space, parents, who are usually very resourceful especially when it comes to works that involve the use of tools, started constructing play areas for their children. Such homemade projects depicted a time when parents were quite much involved with the physical play of their children and were actively involved in the creation of structures that could host such play. It never was necessary to invest in expensive tools and equipment when some old parts and some good ol’ fashion sweat could fix the problem.
And these simple and home-made backyard toys also had its own culture value. In a way, they mirrored the values of the time: Creativity, togetherness and the concept that enjoyment, in most cases, did not have to be purchased. A homemade teeter-totter was almost as much fun as any other boughten toy and perhaps more fun because it was a gift. It appeals to the generation that was able to find ways on how to have fun with whatever they have, a generation where parents are not overly protective but are always there in the background, making sure kids are safe while they play but at the same time teaching them about life’s risks.
When we look back at those childhood days we always have sweet moments to remember the fun we had making our own games. Many of us have had splinters from the backyard teeter-totter or have tried to outbalance a sibling or a friend? Such afternoons were not only a way to have fun, but also to understand the processes of sharing and compromise, of helping the other to grow without forgetting about one’s own balance. That is something that does not require Wi-Fi, does not require a screen and is just pure outdoor fun, it brings back memories of childhood.
The following article is a delightful reminder of the lost art of playing on a simple homemade teeter-totter, in the modern, fast-paced technological society. But for those of us who have enjoyed these backyard wonders in our childhood, these marvels will always remain close to our hearts as they are the symbols of happier times when life was not as complicated as it is today. Thus, to the days when a couple of boards and imagination were enough for hours of joy – the evidence that sometimes the most valuable is very simple and made by ourselves.