Last Updated on April 23, 2025 by Colby Droscher
Family life in the 1960s moved at a much calmer and more unhurried pace. Back then, nobody had cell phones glued to their hands or endless streaming choices pulling their attention. Instead, family time meant doing things together, like hopping into the station wagon for Sunday afternoon drives, sitting down at the dining table every night for a home-cooked meal, or gathering around a single TV set, waiting for their favorite show to start.
Many routines we embraced during that era seem charmingly dated today, but they were the backbone of family closeness. Kids spent hours outside until the streetlights flickered on, radios buzzed constantly with weather and breaking news, and pitching in with chores was simply expected. Here’s a look back at 20 family traditions from the ’60s that we rarely see anymore.
1. Camping trips
Don’t get me wrong, families still go camping, but not like we used to. We used to load up the car for a weekend-long camping trip with the whole family. Today, the idea just sounds a little corny.
2. Having a family garden
Family gardens still exist, but it’s mostly the parents maintaining them. In the ’60s, everyone was outside weeding, and working to get the best crop possible for the year.
3. Fishing trips
Up until the rise of the cell phone, fishing trips were the way to spend quality time with family. Now it’s just a father-son thing, and most kids have lost the love for fishing.
Related: 20 Everyday Things 60s Kids Did That Are Now Obsolete
4. Board games after dinner
With today’s distractions like streaming platforms and personal gaming consoles, every person in the family can do exactly what they want. But back in the ’60s, the best way to spend a night was to break out an old board game and play with the family.
5. Picnics at the park
The old-fashioned picnic on a blanket is still popular among couples, but it’s rare to see families doing it today. No longer will parents pack a basket full of food and spend the day at the park with their kids.
6. Helping Dad work on the car
Things like changing your own oil and brake pads were a family thing in the ’60s.
7. Helping Mom hang the laundry
Each shirt and each sock was secured with a clothespin, and you could only hope it wouldn’t rain. The fresh smell of sunshine on sheets was unbeatable.
8. Listening to records together
In the ’60s, parents taught their kids what good music was. The only music that played in the house was the records parents would buy, and boy was it good stuff.
Related: 60+ Photos From the 1960s That Are Pure ‘Old School Cool’
9. Family library visits
Each week, families would flood the local library to renew a book or rent a new one.
10. Writing letters to family
There were no emails or text messages in the ’60s, and long-distance calls were expensive, so families would often write handwritten letters to one another. Getting a letter in the mail for a birthday or special occasion was extremely exciting.
11. Making homemade ice cream
Cranking the handle by hand took forever, but the reward was sweet. Everyone took turns and begged for seconds. Today, you can’t beat 1/2 a gallon of ice cream for $4.50.
12. Learning to fix things around the house
A leaky faucet wasn’t just a pain in the neck, it was an opportunity for Dad to teach the kids how to fix something. Our ancestors would be disappointed to know we call a plumber for fixes like this.
13. Matching outfits for family photos
If you asked your family to wear matching outfits for a family photo today, people would groan and cringe at how ’60s that is. While some families do this for holiday cards, ask the parents how hard it is to get the young ones into those matching outfits.
14. Using real maps on road trips
Someone was the navigator, and someone got blamed for missing a turn. There was no GPS, just guesswork and a hope that you got to your destination on time.
15. Stovetop popcorn
It’s so easy to just throw a bag of popcorn in the microwave for a couple of minutes and have popcorn, but it’s no match for stovetop popcorn. I encourage families to bring this tradition back.
16. Learning to drive stick
This was a necessary skill that parents taught their kids in the ’60s. Stalling was a rite of passage, and parents would always have to yell out, “Ease off the clutch!”
17. Reading the newspaper together
The morning paper was a sacred ritual. Mom and Dad would read the news aloud while you and your siblings stole the funny pages.
18. Sewing and fixing clothes at home
Today, if we get a tear in a piece of clothing, it goes in the trash. In the ’60s, Mom’s sewing machine never stopped, and everyone needed to learn how to use it.
19. Ordering milk from the milkman
The milkman wasn’t just a public servant; he was a friend of the family. Oftentimes, they knew the entire family by first name, making the grocery-buying process a little more personal.
20. Mowing the lawn
In the 1960s, mowing the lawn wasn’t just one person’s chore; it was a family affair. Kids would be out there pushing clunky mowers, taking turns and trying not to miss spots, while siblings raked piles of grass clippings into heaps to haul away. It wasn’t exactly fun, but doing it together made it feel less tedious, and afterward, everyone felt a shared pride in how nice the yard looked. These days, it’s common to hire landscaping companies, and the idea of families spending a Saturday morning tackling yard work has mostly disappeared.
