A Roundup of Kids Recess Trends from Over the Years

This is not so much a widespread trend, but a recess activity that becomes popular again from time to time. And it’s the best one of them all because it’s active and cheap.

And the plastic clothesline jump rope here.

While all you really need to have fun with this trend are some assorted color sticky notes, if it gets boring making Ninja stars, let them expand their origami repertoire with a book like this (and take the trend in new directions). There are also videos online with instructions and we have this post!

Doctor stickers are the types of stickers that kids receive after a doctor visit (also known as medical patient stickers). But lately, they’ve been a fun item for kids to collect and trade. There’s even a game kids play where the stickers are bet and won or lost (many schools do now allow doctor stickers for this reason). Doctor stickers come on a roll. There’s not such a great selection online; local stores usually carry a better (less character-based) selection.

This is really a summer trend, but we’ll keep it here on this master list of trends.

Puff Paint Window Art

Same with this activity. It was a trend even though not a very practical one. Kids would make their window art stickers at home and bring them in and stick them on their desks, loose-leaf, water bottles, windows of classroom, etc.

Everyone must have four hundred gazillion poppers in their home by now. Though Poppers fall into the fidget category, they’re definitely the cuter cousin. At least with a fidget game, there’s something fun to actually do.

This one is popular with the boys and tends to come back, year after year, for generations and generations. Keep them away from young children (i.e. tell your son to keep them in school) as they’re dangerous for toddlers.

Kugelach usually cost about $1.50 at Judaica stores (they are not available online for a reasonable price). 

The most expensive trend of all is also the most nostalgic. We traded stickers as kids, so we were sort of more accepting when our children suddenly needed loads of stickers when their turn came around…but then breathed a sigh of relief when the one-time-purchase trends took over.

This was a pricy trend, but at least it was educational!

The more pieces they break apart into, the better!