The nostalgic ways that Brits used to entertain themselves during the summer holidays, and there is not a screen in site!

Hide and seek, building dens, hopscotch, marbles and dance routines

New research has revealed the nostalgic ways that British kids used to entertain themselves during the summer holidays before the internet, with playing hide and seek all day (44 percent), setting up a tent and camping in the garden (35 percent), choreographing dance routines just for fun (27 percent) and building a den in your sitting room (29 percent) all keeping Baby Boomers and Generation Xers busy for hours.

Watching cartoons (41 percent), playing tag (38 percent), riding your bike and doing wheelies (37 percent), staying out exploring all day till your tea was ready (32 percent) and whiling away the hours playing marbles (31 percent) also kept generations entertained, along with building a den in your sitting room (29 percent) and making a tree house (29 percent).

Other ways that previous generations fought boredom, according to the survey by Boundless, include choreographing dance routines (27 percent), playing hopscotch (24 percent), baking a cake and being allowed to lick the spoon (24 percent), playing British bulldog (23 percent), going to the amusement arcades (22 percent) renting the latest hit film from Blockbuster (22 percent) and organising a kick about in the park, with jumpers for goal posts (21 percent).

One in five (20 percent) admit they used to make mixtapes trying to stop and start the cassette player at the perfect time, while 16 percent loved putting on a play for their parents complete with homemade tickets.

With so much to do, it’s no surprise that four in ten (39 percent) of the parents polled believe that the summers of their youth were better than those of today’s, with a further two thirds (63 percent) saying that summer holidays were more fun before the internet and social media.

77 percent go a step further and think that kids were more used to being bored when they were young, so much so that they HAD to think of more things to do.

In fact, 53 percent believe they were better at entertaining themselves with 51 percent claiming they had MORE imagination when it comes to what to do and play.

But it’s not imagination that makes play challenging for modern kids - 39 percent of mums and dads think technology is stopping modern kids from relaxing, 37 percent believe they can’t be as free as previous generations and 36 percent think they have less freedom.

On average, modern children spend five hours a day in front of a screen during the summer holidays leading eight in ten (77 percent) of mums and dads to believe that entertaining the kids during the summer break means either resorting to letting them play on screens or spending a fortune on screen-free activities.

It’s no surprise that finding ways to entertain the children (49 percent) is considered the biggest challenge during the summer holidays, along with getting time off work (44 percent), finding the cash to entertain the kids (42 percent), balancing work and childcare (40 percent) and working out where to go (26 percent).

Darren Milton at Boundless, the membership club for public sector and civil service workers and retirees, said: “Many of us remember long summer holidays filled with simple pleasures - building dens, playing hide and seek or exploring outside until teatime. But for today’s families, striking the balance between screen-free fun and affordability can be tough.

“At Boundless, we help our members enjoy quality time together without the hefty price tag - whether that’s through discounted days out, holidays or family friendly perks like Kids Pass access. It’s all about creating memorable moments that don’t cost the earth.”

30 Nostalgic activities that entertained kids before the internet:

1. Playing hide and seek for hours - 44%

2. Watching cartoons - 41%

3. Playing tag - 38%

4. Riding your bike and doing wheelies - 37%

5. Camping in the garden - 35%

6. Staying out exploring all day till your tea was ready - 32%

7. Playing marbles - 31%

8. Making a den in your sitting room - 29%

9. Making a tree house - 29%

10. Making up dance routines with your friends - 27%

11. Making a den in the woods - 26%

12. Playing hopscotch - 24%

13. Baking with a grown up and being allowed to lick the spoon - 24%

14. Playing with walkie talkies - 23%

15. Playing British Bulldog - 23%

16. Going to the amusement arcades - 22%

17. Renting a film from Blockbuster - 22%

18. Camping in the woods - 22%

19. Playing What’s The Time Mr Wolf - 22%

20. Roller-skating - 22%

21. Organising kick abouts in the park with jumpers for goal posts - 21%

22. Making a dolls tea party - 21%

23. Making mixtapes - 20%

24. Making perfume with petals - 18%

25. Making a lemonade stand - 16%

26. Putting on a play for your parents and making tickets - 16%

27. Organising a midnight feast - 16%

28. Trying to earn cash by washing people’s cars - 15%

29. Building a ramp for your BMX - 14%

30. Whittling things from wood - 12%

For more information, please contact:

Rose Lock or Flo Powell
Midnight Communications
T: 01273 666 200
E: boundless@midnight.co.uk

Notes to editors

Boundless is a membership club for civil service and public sector workers who are looking for inspiration on getting the most out of their free time. With a heritage and expertise dating back more than 100 years, Boundless offers its 150,000+ members deals on hundreds of unique experiences, events, volunteer activities and things to do. It’s also mutual, so all profits go straight back into the club to benefit members.