A dear childhood friend of mine reminded me of all the fun we used to have together. We were blessed with a childhood that was full of exciting playtimes, imaginative experiences and creative games.

Looking back on those days, it is obvious that our childhood took place in a vastly different time. In today's world, most children are slaves to technology. If they aren't playing a video game, they are knee-deep into their iPads or hand-held games.When I visit my grandchildren, I encourage them to play a board game with me. Sometimes I'll break out the big box of puppets and try talking as a frog or a crab. That gets their attention for a few minutes. Once in a while, one of them will ask me about the games I used to play when I was a kid. They all find it hard to believe that I survived childhood without electronics of some sort.Children in 2014 are not as lucky as we were in the 1940s. True, they have amazing technology at their beck and call. They also have ballet or gymnastic classes, swimming lessons and a myriad of other educational opportunities.But we had some wonderful opportunities back in our day, too. Here are a few:• Roller skating on the kitchen floor.• Water balloon fights from the second-floor porch.• Jump rope rhymes that were made up on the spot.• Hopscotch drawn on the front pavement with a piece of coal from our coal bin.• Paper dolls with handmade clothes from wallpaper books.• Parades on the spur of the moment with kazoos and pot lids.• Swimming in a pool that had fish in it.• Jacks, pick-up-sticks, red light-green light, sardines and crack the whip on skates.• Making mud pies, decorating them with leaves and letting them "bake" in the sun.• Swinging on a Tarzan swing from a big pine tree on a terrace in our yard.And I could go on and on.Each generation has expanded the opportunities for children's entertainment. Our grandchildren recently visited Colonial Williamsburg. One of our grandsons remarked that the kids "back then" had some unusual toys. They had tin whistles, ball and cup sets, and wooden dolls. Not very exciting to a child in 2014, I'm sure.That was a different time, too.If you would like to contact Dr. Smith, she can be reached at her email address: jsmith1313@cfl.rr.com or in care of this newspaper.