Elementary school was a strange time for most of us. By now, it was so long ago we mightโve forgotten most of the details. Some of the things we never forget them. But other events get buried in the recesses of our mindsโฆthatโs until someone digs them out.
Remember what it was like starting school for the first time? You got up early in the morning, jumped on the bus, and went to class. You ate in the cafeteria and played with your friends at recess. Back then, thatโs what you did every day, even though it seems like it was a lifetime ago.
And letโs face it. A lot of that stuff was kind of weird. You walked in lines โ a lot. You had to ask permission to go to the bathroom. And you ate a BUNCH of unidentifiable cafeteria food.
Weโve all been there. Even though itโs been many years for most of us, we still remember the unique things that went on during that time of our life. Here are 75 things we all did in elementary school.
1. Earned a Weepul
Weepuls were the strange pom-pom creatures with googly eyes we all loved. We got them as prizes back in elementary school and then forgot they ever existed. Until now.
Source:
Reddit/Netminder10
2. Got excited when the teacher used a pull-down map
Itโs hard to explain why it was so thrilling when the teacher brought out the map. Maybe it was about the disruption from a normal classroom experience. Or perhaps it was because you knew that learning was about to get intense.
Source:
Reddit/Steffan514
3. Bought valentines for your classmates
Do you remember how youโd buy packages of Valentineโs cards and then carefully save the best one for your friend or your crush? It was always a disappointment if you didnโt get a good one in return.
Source:
Forever Twenty Somethings
4. Wore pinnies in gym
Those pinnies, also known as scrimmage vests, never got washed. So, they smelled like 10 years of kid sweat. Nothing was worse than being chosen for the team that had to pull those nasty things on.
Source:
Walmart
5. Earned a gold star for good behavior
If it wasnโt for good behavior, it was for getting a good grade on a test or improving a skill. No matter what it was for, you always felt incredibly proud when your teacher handed you a gold star.
Source:
Leadership & Learning with Kevin Eikenberry
6. Studied with flashcards
Back in the day, it seemed like you could learn almost anything using flashcards. Maybe you made them yourself or your mom bought you some nice ones at the beginning of the school year.
Source:
Tiny Town Books and Toys
7. Spun your ruler on a pencil
Before the invention of fidget spinners, weโd make our own. Thatโs how we ended up with creations like this, the old pencil-on-the-ruler. Kids loved it and teachers hated it.
Source:
Reddit/HawkeyeBubber
8. Learned to tell time on these
For some reason, every classroom in elementary school had these clunky cardboard clocks used to practice telling time. With analog clocks becoming obsolete, kids probably donโt even see them anymore.
Source:
Amazon
9. Or on a paper plate
If you didnโt have a school-provided analog clock, you probably made one out of a paper plate. It was a lot more fun creating them than it was using them.
Source:
PBS
10. Read Dick and Jane books
Parents and teachers have used Dick and Jane books to teach kids to read for generations. Theyโre not interesting and theyโre incredibly repetitive, which is the point. Once you learned to read, you never turned to these again.
Source:
Meet Myth America
11. Cut with these tiny scissors
Do you remember struggling to cut with these minuscule scissors? They barely worked and they hurt your fingers after just a few minutes. But teachers were convinced we loved them.
Source:
Little Things
12. Met up with your friends at one of these sharpeners
Whenever you had to dish out some gossip to your friend, youโd meet eyes and nod toward the pencil sharpener. You usually had 10 seconds before the teacher caught on and made you sit back down.
Source:
Reddit/jay-vee
13. Took out a library book that looked like this
Rarely are library books taken out of circulation. That meant when you checked them out, they had the names of students on the inner cover from decades ago.
Source:
Flickr/Calsidyrose
14. Used scented erasers
More appropriately, we didnโt use scented erasers for their intended purpose. They were much better as a collection piece than for erasing anything since they didnโt work. Usually, the moment you tired, they split in half.
Source:
Reddit/Scaulbylausis
15. Got a hall pass
If you havenโt been in school for a while, you might not remember the strange feeling of having to ask to go to the bathroom. When you did, your teacher would give you a hall pass that allowed you to answer natureโs call.
Source:
Etsy
16. Made shoebox dioramas
At some point, while attending elementary school, each of us made a diorama in a shoebox. Although we worked so hard on those things, they just never measured up to our expectations.
Source:
Reddit/assumingdirectcontrl
17. Sat in this oh-so-comfortable chair
These chairs were terrible. Not only were they uncomfortable to sit on but they also shocked us constantly with static electricity. And if you had long hair, you could expect it to get snagged on the bolts.
Source:
Reddit/krunkstep77
18. Used these stencils
Well, you probably tried to use these stencils. The truthโฆthey didnโt work very well unless you had a newly-sharpened pencil. Anything duller and youโd just get smudges.
Source:
Reddit
19. Sold these chocolates for school fundraisers
Do you recall selling these chocolates for school fundraisers? Your mom would make you call your grandparents to make a sale over the phone. They tasted terrible and were unbelievably expensive.
Source:
Duck Duck Gray Duck
20. What about this wrapping paper?
When the holidays rolled around, it was time to plead with your parents to buy 10 rolls of wrapping paper. No one wanted it, but it was for a fundraiser, okay?
Source:
Pinterest
21. Did this to our pencils
For some reason, we all made it our mission to sharpen pencils until they became tiny, impossible-to-use stubs. Why did we do that? Man, we were bored.
Source:
Me.Me
22. Wore red and pink on Valentineโs Day
Valentineโs Day was a big deal back in elementary school, which is odd. We were all too young for relationships but that didnโt stop us from dressing up and exchanging cards.
Source:
Forever Twenty Somethings
23. Wrote with a fancy chalk holder
Usually, the teacher was the only one allowed to use the special chalk holder. They said it was for carpal tunnel syndrome. Occasionally, you got the honor of trying it out.
Source:
Amazon
24. These old wooden rules
The wooden rulers were classics of elementary school education. They were cheap and easy to graffiti. And they always had the single strip of metal protruding to stab unwary students.
Source:
Flickr/BooksActually
25. Used these over-the-top chalk holders
You probably havenโt thought about these things in years. Teachers used them to make straight lines for music lessons or penmanship. If you were lucky, you got to draw with them.
Source:
Pinterest
26. Had literacy posters all over your classroom
Back in the day, celebrities were into teaching us how to read. I guess they thought weโd be more motivated if Britney Spears and Shaq were our mentors.
Source:
Rewild
27. Drank chocolate milk from these tiny cartons
It might make you weep to learn that most schools have now banned chocolate milk from their cafeterias. We drank these tiny, impossible-to-open cartons almost daily.
Source:
Twitter/@OnAirlan
28. Ate square pizza-like food
We canโt call it pizza, because it didnโt taste anything like it. At least not pizza we had anywhere else. Regardless, once you ate it, you can never forget the taste.
Source:
Imgur/mydogissilly
29. Ate with a spork
Why did our school cafeterias insist on giving us sporks to eat with? Was it a budget thing and they couldnโt afford forks and spoons? Or did they just not trust us to know how to use utensils?
Source:
Fed Up with Lunch
30. Got beaned in the face by a kickball
Whether you were playing kickball or dodgeball with these suckers, youโll never forget the pain when one slapped you in the face โ or the sound they made when hitting the concrete. And of course, that nasty rubber smell.
Source:
Visit St. Cloud
31. Tried to use this ancient glue
It seemed as though every elementary school classroom had a bottle of glue at least 30 years old. It didnโt work, but it was bottomless because it never got thrown away.
Source:
The Cake Lady
32. Peeled glue off your hand
Speaking of glue, do you remember covering your hand in Elmerโs glue and letting it dry? Then, youโd slowly peel it off. Your teachers thought it was disgusting, but no kid can resist doing it.
Source:
Twitter/@netgrind
33. Emptied the pencil sharpener
Your teacher probably had an electric pencil sharpener on their desk. Every now and then, it was your job to clean it. You had to try to keep the explosion in the trash can and avoid cutting your fingers off.
Source:
Twitter/@_janiereed
34. Wrote this thing, for some reason
This thingโs known as the Cool S although no one knows why. What made us all start drawing this in elementary school? What does it mean??
Source:
Wikipedia
35. Played tetherball
Tetherball was a great way to spend recessโฆor rather, the first five minutes of recess. At that point, the ball would get wrapped around the pole so youโd to take a break to reset it.
Source:
Sports Unlimited Inc.
36. And foursquare
Foursquare was an intense game โ few things got a fourth graderโs heart pumping as hard. There was nothing like being hit with a cherry bomb when you were least expecting it.
Source:
Playworks
37. Had cursive lettering on top of the board
Every classroom had this same lettering sign back in the day. Not all of us were lucky enough to copy it very well, but we sure tried. Then we learned to type and forgot all about it.
Source:
Pinterest
38. Had a cool lunch box
Lunch wasnโt just a time for eating, it was also a time for socializing. One part of that? Showing off your cool lunch box to all your friends, of course.
Source:
Pinterest
39. Used finger spaces
It was a long time ago since you first learned to write. Back then, your teacher probably told you to lay your finger down between each word to make a space.
Source:
Facebook/Sock Hops and Doo-Wops
40. Ate Lunchables
Our parents and teachers werenโt quite as concerned about our diet when we were kids. They didnโt care if we ate pizza crackers and brownies for lunch every day. And we did โ boy did we.
Source:
Pinterest
41. Handed out these calculators
Every elementary school classroom had these calculators. And one student was always tasked with handing them out. For some odd reason, it felt like an honor.
Source:
School Specialty
42. Tried to keep your crayons perfect
Try as you might, it was impossible to keep your crayons as pristine as they were when you first opened the box. But man, those first few days of coloring were a delight.
Source:
Kids Discover
43. Washed your hands at these sinks
Why did every elementary school have a sink like this one? Weโll never know. But it made handwashing an oddly communal event, which may or may not have been a good thing.
Source:
Reddit/CA719
44. Sniffed your markers
Scented markers were a big thing back in the day, which was fun. But it also meant a lot of kids were high on huffing them. That made going to art class a wild experience.
Source:
Tumblr
45. Used smelly pink soap
If you were lucky, you had slightly fancier foaming hand soap in your school bathroom than this. But most of us had an odd pink goop that felt slimy and smelled anything but clean.
Source:
Global Industrial
46. Went to the Scholastic Book Fair
Was there anything more exciting than the day of the Scholastic Book Fair? You walked into a room with a couple of dollars in your pocket, feeling like you were on top of the world.
Source:
Reddit/MccreesKnees
47. Read books to get free pizza
You can laugh if you want, but it inspired us to read. So many elementary schoolers discovered their favorite books all on the quest for a personal pan pizza.
Source:
Reddit/Lylyluvda916
48. Led the line
Getting picked to lead the line in elementary school was just the best. It felt like a privilege that you took seriously. Unfortunately, it was a short-lived moment of glory.
Source:
Reddit/ilikeoldgaming
49. Got a monthly menu for the cafeteria
Youโd get the menu at the end of the previous month and eagerly look through it to see when your favorite meal would be served. Pizza Day was always a favorite, but there were plenty of other good ones.
Source:
Reddit/PacManDreaming
50. Pretended to inject yourself with a mechanical pencil
If you were going to school during the age of mechanical pencils, you probably did this at least once. Life was full of simple pleasures back then, most of them out of sheer boredom.
Source:
Reddit/Jeffrey_Strange
51. Created a sword out of markers
Every elementary schooler loved it and every art teacher hated it. It distracted kids, made a mess, and usually ended with someone getting hurt. Thatโs why it was a blast.
Source:
Reddit/TheBlackoutEmpire
52. Played MASH
If you were sitting beside a friend (usually during a school assembly), you had the chance to play MASH. Then the two of you could giggle over the thought of getting married to your crush and living in a Port-A-Potty.
Source:
Reddit/rcubed37
53. Used a cool pencil topper
What were pencil toppers used for? Essentially, nothing. They werenโt erasers. They had no function except to make pencils more exciting, which admittedly isnโt that hard to do.
Source:
Pinterest
54. Got a D.A.R.E. T-shirt
It was a big day when you completed the course and got your D.A.R.E. T-shirt, promising not to do drugs. Weโre not sure why they were teaching elementary schoolers about drugs, but hey.
Source:
Wikimedia
55. Signed each otherโs shirts on the last day of school
When the school year ended, you and your classmates faced three months of being apart. So, you all had to sign each otherโs shirts with funny messages.
Source:
Me.Me
56. Played Heads Up, Seven Up
When you had a particularly slow day, your teacher would announce you could play Heads Up, Seven Up. There was nothing better than choosing your best friend.
Source:
Reddit
57. Got a Scholastic order form
The day your Scholastic order form arrived was exciting. You had some serious choices to make, and that meant hours of careful perusal. It wasnโt a task to take lightly.
Source:
Reddit/renegadeYZ
58. Served as the hall monitor
Being a hall monitor was a temporary but important honor. You probably took the job seriously. Of course, you still laughed at all the other hall monitors.
Source:
Capture Life Through the Lens
59. Played the parachute game in gym class
When the big colored parachute came out, it was the best gym day ever. Who could ever forget the feeling of sitting in a rainbow bubble with 20 other giggling kids?
Source:
Reddit/Sef_Maul
60. Rode on these things
We never quite knew why we had these things, especially since they were so dangerous. So many elementary schoolers pinched their fingers or were flung off ofโฆwhatever these were.
Source:
Imgur
61. Used erasers that didnโt erase
Was there anything more frustrating than an eraser that didnโt do its job? Youโd reconsider an answer on a test, try to erase it, and the whole thing would smudge. What a mess.
Source:
Reddit/kayakoo
62. Learned math using cubes
Do you remember learning your fractions using these little colored cubes? Well, that was the idea in theory, at least. In reality, you and your friends mostly just played around with them
Source:
Amazon
63. Put your loose teeth in a treasure chest
Losing teeth is a weird part of elementary school, and it wasnโt uncommon for one of those suckers to pop out during class or recess. Luckily, our teachers were armed with these special treasure chests.
Source:
Amazon
64. Used stamp markers
We all thought stamp markers were amazing back in elementary school. Sure, they had a very limited number of uses. But they were MARKERS and STAMPS.
Source:
Reddit/Om_is_All
65. Watched a movie in class
You knew it was going to be a good day when the teacher rolled this bad boy into the room. Sure, usually you were watching something boring, but it was better than the normal class curriculum.
Source:
Twitter/@nicrux
66. Got a sticker for reading
When you read a lot of books or improved at reading aloud, you mightโve received a special sticker from your teacher. It was just a sticker, but it felt amazing.
Source:
Brainwaves
67. Made a full picture of yourself and hung it on the wall
At some point, every elementary school student made a full-size drawing of themselves, followed by hanging it on the classroom wall. Why? Weโll never know, but it was fun.
Source:
Instagram/creative_teaching_esl
68. Put your stuff in a cubby
We took cubbies seriously back in the day. Your cubby had your name on it, making it exclusively yours. Well, unless the teacher looked through it.
Source:
Instagram/cheehowsclass
69. Did math worksheets
Was there anything more stressful than having to do timed math worksheets? Youโd only have a minute or two to complete as many problems as possible. Talk about putting third-graders at risk for a heart attack.
Source:
Math Aids
70. Got drinks from the Fruitopia machine
If you were lucky, your school had a Fruitopia machine in the hallway. Your parents would give you a couple of quarters for your choice of a sugary beverage.
Source:
https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/2q2r51/saw_this_at_an_old_elementary_school_fruitopia/
71. Drew the sun on the corner of your paper
Why did we do this in elementary school? For some reason, it was almost instinctive among young kids. We donโt know why we drew the sun, we just had to.
Source:
Me.Me
72. Ran your finger along the groove in the wall
Elementary schoolers spend plenty of time walking up and down the halls. And naturally, they want to touch everything within reach. Youโll never forget the feeling of the concrete under your finger.
Source:
Imgur
73. Bruised your head on the bus window
Movies make resting your head on a bus window, well, restful. But as you might remember from your school days, it caused enough rattling to give you a concussion.
Source:
Imgur
74. Ate tasteless chicken patties
Chicken Sandwich Day in the cafeteria sounds good in theory, but the reality was usually this. It was a tasteless patty plopped between two buns. Youโd describe it as โspectacularly disappointing.โ
Source:
Reddit/notafuckingcakewalk
75. Stabbed your eraser
If you were bored enough in class, youโd find anything to stay entertained. For some reason, one of our options was to jab pencil lead into an eraser. Who knows why?
Source:
Instagram/thatpage_90s
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Source: Forever Twenty Somethings, Buzzfeed
