Do You Remember Your Childhood Building Projects?

Reader Contribution by Heidi Hunt

My paternal grandmother lived about three hours away from my family, so I saw her only once or twice a year. But two summers, after third and fourth grades, I spent a week at Grandma’s house, along with my cousin, who also was my age.

We spent our week doing pretty much the same thing each day: In the morning, there were some chores to do, then we would walk to a neighborhood park that had a wading pool. Once during the week, Grandma would give us each ten cents (this was 1954) and we would get a brown paper bag of penny candy from the little store across from the park. After lunch we took an hour nap. My cousin had a bout of scarlet fever and she needed to rest each day, so I did also — I usually read for the whole hour. Then we might play Go Fish with Grandma.

But the best indoor activity we did each day was building marble mazes out of blocks made from 4-inch 1-by-4s. Grandma had a whole box of them that a friend gave to her. They were perfect for building castles and houses, but especially for making marble slides and mazes. We spent hours, both summers, spreading our creations across the living room floor. I can still remember the piney smell of the blocks.

Kids love to build forts and space ships, and create secret places to dream and imagine. What was your most cherished childhood building project? Share your childhood memories in the comments below.

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