11 Photos That Capture Childhood in the ’70s
- - 11 Photos That Capture Childhood in the ’70s
Erin KuschnerAugust 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Life may have seemed simpler in the 1970s, but can we also talk about how much cheaper it was for children to have fun? Forget paying an arm and a leg at the movie theater, attending fancy summer camps, or having to buy an expensive laptop for school. Entertainment came in the form of 20-cent toys, free TV, and running wild (without adults!) through the neighborhood. If you need a reminder on just how expensive life has become for children to merely exist, take a look at these photos that revel in 1970s frugality.
1. 20-Cent Toys
William Gottlieb/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
Forget paying $50 for a complicated Lego set. With two dimes in your pocket, you could score a 20-cent rubber ball and a whole day’s worth of entertainment.
2. Free TV
H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images
Free broadcast TV was all you needed to catch your favorite shows on Saturday mornings. Now? Kids have to log in to one of the many streaming services that steadily raise subscription prices.
3. Ice Cream Truck Visits
HellsJuggernaut / Reddit.com
The overpriced artisanal ice cream shops of today are a far cry from the simpler Good Humor bars scored for 20 cents at an ice cream truck in the ’70s. The jingle of that truck on a lazy summer afternoon could make any kid’s day.
4. Backyard Birthday Parties
Harold M. Lambert/Lambert/Getty Images
Listen, an elaborate birthday party with a bouncy house is all well and good. But armed with some paper party favors, hot dogs on the grill, and a homemade cake, a backyard birthday party in the 1970s was just as enjoyable.
5. Simple Summer Pleasures
Heirloom-Cloud / Reddit.com
Instead of expensive summer camps that required you to sign up a year in advance, summertime pleasures in the ’70s often had more “roughing it” vibes. Think makeshift tents, s’mores by the campfire, and cheap lawn chairs.
6. Low-Tech Classrooms
Llewellyn/FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Kids going to school in the 1970s only had to bring in basic school supplies, lunch, and a few personal items. Today, laptops and pricey calculators are commonplace, along with the ubiquitous smartphone.
7. Homemade Halloween Costumes
Slow-moving-sloth / Reddit.com
Sure, some parents still make their kids homemade Halloween costumes. But more often than not, kids want the bedazzled, $50 costumes from a megastore. In simpler times, a sheet with holes cut out for eyes would be good enough.
8. Secondhand Everything
Irina Shuvaeva/istockphoto
Whether kids got their clothes or toys from older siblings or the local thrift shop, growing up in the ’70s often meant owning secondhand clothes and entertainment to keep costs down. Today, fast fashion and heavily-marketed, tech-heavy toys make it tempting for parents to spend money on the newest and flashiest items.
9. Basic Playground Equipment
NNehring/istockphoto
Before the days of elaborate playgrounds filled with tunnels, bridges, and towers, there was the simple swing set. The humble seesaw. The metal slide. Ah, memories.
10. Afternoons at the Local Pool
Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images
Today’s water adventures often involve custom pools, $600 inflatable slides, and private swim lessons. But in the ’70s, an afternoon spent splashing around at the local pool or near a backyard sprinkler was time well spent.
11. A Reasonable Allowance
H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images
Did you know there are debit cards for kids now? And that the average weekly allowance for a high schooler is $20 per week? Judging by this Reddit thread, plenty of kids in the ’70s didn’t have an allowance at all — and if they did, they had to work for it.
Nostalgic for more retro stories?
Be sure to check out These 21 Photos Capture 1970s Grocery Stores in Their Prime and 13 Things the Middle Class Can No Longer Afford. We think you’ll also like 15 Old Playgrounds That Should Have Been Illegal.
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