Caring on the Home Front - Volunteer memories from World War Two

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Childhood Pastimes

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• Children all over Britain were affected by the war. Many were evacuated from home either alone or with their schools. Most were encouraged to ‘do their bit’ for the war effort, collecting scrap materials for recycling or growing vegetables.
• In their spare time, children read comics such as ‘Rainbow’, ‘Beano’ and ‘Dandy’. The pages were small and only the cover was in colour. Story books often had an adventurous theme such as the popular ‘Biggles’, ‘Worrals’ and ‘William’ series. Comics and books would often be swapped with friends.
• Cinema films were very popular and many children would go every week to their local cinema, to see feature films, cartoons and newsreels. Children also listened to the radio, enjoying ‘Children’s Hour’ and comedy programmes such as ‘ITMA’.
• Travel and outings were limited because of the blackout and petrol rationing. Trips to the seaside were not possible because of barbed wire and other defences on the beaches. But children enjoyed the fresh air and freedom of open spaces in the country, and in the cities, they could hunt for shrapnel souvenirs and play around the bombsites.
• New toys and games were in short supply as toy factories began to be turned over to war production, and many toys and gifts were homemade. Wartime themes such as tanks and planes were popular, as well as board games and card games that could be played in the air raid shelter.
• Holidays for adults were usually spent at home, where local organisations might run fetes, concert parties and other entertainments. Some children were able to go on short country holidays with Scouts, Guides or other young people’s clubs. Sports fixtures were limited. Professional football teams played only in regional leagues but local fundraising games might feature well-known players.
• The arrival of large numbers of GIs in 1942 was an exciting novelty. British children encountered American culture, which up to now they knew only from comics and the cinema screen, for the first time. The GIs were generous with their supplies of off-ration chocolate and chewing gum, and often invited civilians to parties and dances at their bases.