Seven Childhood Pastimes From The Country

Image by Ambrose Little

Most who had a happy childhood would argue that where they grew up was the best place to do so. Growing up in the country, though, offers certain pastimes that only country kids can fully relate to.

Being a kid in the country undoubtedly has its disadvantages. You can’t go to parks as often, you can’t attend as many ballgames, you can’t go to the store as frequently, and you seldom live near things like theme parks, bowling alleys, museums, etc.

But other than being closer to nature — with its accompanying peace and quiet — a country childhood offers perks to kids that compensate for missing out on city life.

Trailblazing

This was a personal favorite.

Nothing beat taking a hatchet and blazing trails and mazes through the woods and overgrown, abandoned fields. Where I lived, rattlesnakes were all too common, so this pastime was limited to the cooler months.

Jumping Hay Bales

This is a farm kid favorite that I suspect will always be popular. It makes for great fun and exercise. Plus, racing friends, by timing your bounding across a row of freshly-cut bales, is exhilarating and relatively safe.

To this day, I get a bad case of nostalgia whenever I catch a whiff of hay.