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When kids spend time together, they create their own rituals and traditions, Julie Beck wrote in 2022—“essentially, their own folklore, or, as researchers call it, ‘childlore.’” A child might think they made up the game of tag or the concept of cooties, but these pastimes and languages are shared across time and place. As we age, Julie notes, we start to forget the experience of childlore: “The rebellious thrill, the intense comradery, the urge to pass the knowledge along (and pretend you came up with it yourself)—all of these things fade with time.”
The kids will keep that feeling alive for us, Julie writes. But today, take a few minutes to think back to your favorite game at recess, or the moment you learned how to build a cootie catcher—and take comfort in knowing that kids now and in the future share that same exuberance.
On Childhood Rituals
Why Did We All Have the Same Childhood?
By Julie Beck
Children have a folklore all their own, and the games, rhymes, trends, and legends that catch on spread to many kids across time and space. (From 2022)
What Adults Lost When Kids Stopped Playing in the Street
By Stephanie H. Murray
In many ways, a world built for cars has made life so much harder for grown-ups. (From 2024)
To Play or Not to Play With Your Kid?
By Amanda Ruggeri
It shouldn’t be this hard to decide. (From 2024)
Still Curious?
- Why your kid loves the garbage truck: For some kids, the weekly trash pickup is a must-see spectacle. In 2019, Ashley Fetters solicited theories from parents, children, waste-management professionals, and experts on why.
- “The father-daughter routine that transformed our family life”: In my household, Saturday is “Dad-urday,” Jordan Michelman writes.
Other Diversions
- The romance of the gas-station sign
- What will humanity do with the moon?
- A shortcut for feeling just a little happier (From 2022)
PS
I recently asked readers to share a photo of something that sparks their sense of awe in the world. Courtney M. sent this photo of “frozen snow shaped by the wind in February on Second Roach Pond” in Maine.
I’ll continue to feature your responses in the coming weeks.
— Isabel
The post The Thrill of Childhood Rituals appeared first on The Atlantic.
