Top 17+ Things ’80s Parents Let Kids Do That Wouldn’t Fly Today

17 Things '80s Parents Let Kids Do That Wouldn't Fly Today

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

Before smartphones pretty much tracked our every which footstep, and also numerous safety recalls stuffed our inboxes, the 1980s childhood was a neon-soaked frontier of DIY adventure. We're going to take a look at 17 bygone childhood liberties that'd quickly send today's share of helicopter parents right into a panicked tailspin.

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads

1. Riding in the "way-back" of a station wagon, 2. Mixing up DIY "slime" with Borax, food coloring, and zero adult supervision, 3. Pedaling a solid 10-speed five miles away to rent horror VHS tapes, 4. Launching off bottle-rockets from glass Coke bottles in the driveway as a whole part of a science experiment, 5. Keeping a pet garter snake in a spare shoebox, under the bed, 6. Jumping from the garage roof onto a trampoline to perfect WWF entrance moves, 7. Ordering Domino's with a pocketful of couch-cushion coins, 8. Swapping Garbage Pail Kids on the school bus, 9. Packing all the kids from your neighborhood into one pickup truck bed for the drive-in movie, 10. Running errands with Dad in his Chevy Caprice, 11. Building a backyard BMX ramp from scrap plywood, cinderblocks, and only one rusted nail, 12. Catching a ride on a grocery cart in the parking lot, and aiming for the speed-bump launchpad, 13. Sipping a flat Tab Cola that'd been mixed with a melted orange popsicle, 14. Calling random pay-phone numbers collect just to check who'd answer, and how long they'd rage, 15. Practicing karate kicks in the living room while "The Karate Kid" played, 16. Roaming your local creek barefoot to hunt crawdads