A Walk Down Memory Lane and Visiting My Childhood

“Red light! Green light!” Those were words I remember all too well, growing up as a child, and playing in whatever neighborhood I happened to be calling home at the time.

A few years ago, when I first recounted this story, I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard the children in my building playing this game on a late Saturday afternoon in 2021.

Wow! Do children really still play the same fun games I used to play?

I posed the question in my mind, only because my family life no longer consists of kids, running around the house on a daily basis.

As a matter of fact, at the time, my household basically consisted of two dried up old women over 60.

Boy, oh boy, I thought to myself. I miss all the energy that seems to automatically permeate the air, whenever children and young people are around.

It makes you wonder, with all the technology and digital distractions vying for their attention, do today’s youth really and truly find time to play some of the old school games?

Are parents, teachers, and other significant people in their lives, telling children about the games they once played?

Notice what happened, to really make me ponder the above question.

One Afternoon...

It was late afternoon and I had managed to doze off and take a quick nap, which is something out of my normal routine.

The weather in California had been even warmer than usual for this region. So after lunch, instead of performing my usual activities involving the computer, the tv, some music or all three, I just laid on my bed in total quiet.

I wasn’t in a reading or writing mood, which is also something unusual for me. I guess the heat was just throwing my energy or metabolism off, because all I felt like doing was nothing.

Even as I lay there feeling guilty about all the productive things I could be doing on a Saturday afternoon; a lazy melancholy feeling began to wash over me.

I started pondering how so many of us spend our lives feeling like we have to fill up every single moment with something productive — translation, with work or something work like.

This is true, whether we work out of the home, work as a homemaker, go to school, have a family to care for, or even just have ourselves and a cat to think of.

Life is always full of necessary, “have to do” stuff when you’re an adult. Every day, we’re figuring out more ways to prioritize our time, because there are so many things that require it.

Some people don’t mind leaving things undone, in order to step away for a while, and have a little fun.

That’s a good thing, because all of us need balance in our lives, even though it’s one of the hardest things to accomplish and maintain.

I envy folks who know how to take an “Oh well” attitude, and leave a problem, situation, or task until another time.

I still struggle with the ability to do that on a regular basis; something I’m sure is related to my obsessive, compulsive, personality traits.

It can really be a challenge to allow myself to take a break from the little activities we perform on a day-to-day basis, even though our lives won’t fall apart if sometimes we simply let things go.

I’m happy to report, that the older I get, the easier it becomes to just say: “To hell with things.” The times that I’m actually able to do that, I even manage to do like normal people, and binge watch some cable and Netflix programs.

I do positive self talk and allow myself to focus on the reality of things, such as:

The dishes are okay soaking in a sink full of hot dishwater, until I’m finally ready to wash them.”

It’s okay to take the trash out only once a day, instead of every time someone tosses in some garbage that I think might attract flies.”

Those are the types of insignificant thoughts that constantly try to invade my mind, whenever I find myself with idle time and contemplate relaxing for a bit.

Even when I actually steal away for some quality time by myself, I worry or fret about what’s happening at home, or I concern myself with any and everything other than trying to have a good time.

No matter what my day consists of, somehow, I never feel like I’ve done enough, to ever justify doing nothing.

So this particular day, I had no intentions of taking an afternoon siesta.

A hazy journey to my childhood

All I did was lay there for a minute, but the hot November day had made me so drowsy that my eyes were closed before I knew it.

The last thing I remember being on my mind was the thought: Sometimes I wished I was still a kid with no responsibilities.

I drifted off to sleep with thoughts about always being busy, and never having any fun. That’s why it was so surreal for me to wake up to the sound of:

“Red light! Green light! No! Go back, I saw you move…”

I must have dozed off longer than I imagined, because it was still light outside, but just barely. For a moment, I wasn’t even sure what day it was.

You guys know that feeling you get when you fall asleep at a certain time of day, and wake up and can’t even tell if it’s early morning or late afternoon. That’s how I felt.

I opened my eyes, but just for a moment, almost like I was confirming that I was still laying on my bed, in 2021. I was.

Then I lay listening to the children playing and arguing about who actually moved, and needed to go back because they were caught moving, which was a violation of the game.

As they debated over whether it was necessary to go all the way back to square one, or simply back to the previous space, I tried to remember which rule was correct. I couldn’t.

In fact, I specifically remember we used to argue about the same exact thing when we played.

While the kids continued to play and come to some kind of agreement, I listened for a little longer, and allowed myself to mentally join in the game.

But a few minutes later, the fun was interrupted by one of the teenagers in the building yelling out the window for his two siblings to come inside.

“Mama said you guys get in here right this minute and help me do these dishes and take out the trash!”

The little boy yelled back and said okay, while I overheard his sister make a very emphatic complaint. Then I listened to a conversation that went like this:

“We can’t never have no fun. My mama gets on my nerves!”

Before whoever she was talking to had a chance to respond, someone else was shouting out of another window.

This time it was an adult, calling for some kid to come help put groceries away.

“Okay mama. I’m coming!” was the response to the adult’s command. Then, after waiting to make sure the parent was gone, they added with the volume a little lower:

“I know what you mean. My mama gets on my nerves too. I’ll be so glad when I grow up and I can do anything I want.”

“Me too. I’m gonna have fun whenever I want, and when I have kids, I’m not gonna make ’em work all the time.”

“Me neither.”

When someone suggested they play one more quick game before going in, they all agreed. But before they could decide who’s turn it was, both the mom and the teenager from earlier were back in the windows, yelling again, at the same time.

Warnings were given, and threats were made, then I heard the kids running around gathering bikes, balls, and whatever else they needed to take inside.

After a few minutes of hustling and bustling and back and forth “see you laters,” pretty soon it was quiet outside.

As I thought about the conversation I just ear hustled on, I pondered over my thoughts from earlier and wondered how I could have been so silly.

Kids may get to play and take a break, but that doesn’t mean life is all fun and games for them. I of all people, knew that better than anyone.

But I still believe that something exists inside a child that allows them to shut down certain thoughts at certain times, and lets them completely live in a moment of fun; even if just for a little while.

I considered the countless times I played Red Light Green Light, and all the other fun childhood games, and all the fun I had while playing them. Even while living in foster care or abusive homes, or under neglectful conditions — no matter where I remember playing the game, I recall the same joy.

As a child, something in my brain allowed me to shut every other thing out during those times, and do nothing but revel in the game.

You don’t have to be a kid to play fun games in life

When I eventually dragged myself off the bed, I felt really rested and a little giddy, after such a blast to the past.

I started considering all the simple pleasures that we can take advantage of in our lives, if we just learn to change how we think about things.

I even decided that the next time I heard the kids out there playing Red Light Green Light, I’d be sure to go and ask if I could join them.

Hopefully, you've enjoyed this story, so much so, that you stop and take a few minutes to reflect on some of the points that were brought out.

Think about what an important life lesson it can be, to teach children about the fun games that require little more than their imagination.

Once upon a time, that was the key to the most fun that a kid could possibly have.

Ask yourself some thought provoking questions about your own life.

• Do you ever find yourself taking these kind of walks back through your life
• When you do, do you long for those former days, or do they help you appreciate your life now?

Think about it. And while you’re at it, think about the list of other fun childhood games that you may or may not have played.

In my list below, I left out the more obvious ones, like: Tag, and Hide and Go Seek. I already know that kids still play those particular games. So I went real old school on the ones I selected.

The following fun games are the ones I remember playing in school. Some of them, we played inside the classroom, when we couldn’t go outside on rainy days.

Which of these old school games do you remember playing, if any?

• Duck, duck, goose
• Hokey Pokey
• Little Sally Walker
• Mother May I
• Punchinella 47
• Red Light Green Light
• Simon Says
• Thumbs Up 7up

Final Thoughts

Hopefully this story didn’t come off entirely like the ramblings of an old woman. In fact, I'm sure there are some readers who may not have a clue about any of the above games.

But perhaps you may be more familiar with some of the old school board games that many families still play, even in 2025.

I recently shared a list containing 30 of the fun games I played myself as a child, and being an aunt, a mom, and a former educator, I've taught other children to play some of the same board games over the years.

I invite you to read and learn more about my list of fun recommendations, as you continue with me, down this little stroll through Memory Lane, and enjoy the Medium story: Reminding Adults How Kids Learn When they Play!

...and don't be afraid of showing your age 😄.

If you enjoyed this story, I welcome you to share something about one or two of the games you remember — if you dare…