Top 10 Things in Elementary School You Probably Forgot About

Elementary School is a very interesting and bizarre time. A lot of childhood memories come from elementary school things are pretty fun and it’s stress free for the most part. Here’s some things that you probably experienced in elementary school but don’t really remember.
The Top Ten
1 The PE Parachute

I remember it while I was in Spring Hill
Elementary School oh well my old Classmate Bella has been making too much noise and I hate it also she hasn't been quiet well and my Old Teacher decided to tell her to take a seat but not near table because she has been too loud, and I also hate my Old Classmate Bella.

There was nothing quite as special as walking into the gym and seeing that parachute. Something about creating a dome with it and playing games underneath it was so much fun. That was PE at its absolute best in my opinion. If you didn't do this at least twice, did you even go to elementary school?

There's just something special about being under a giant parachute that makes me feel good when I look back on it.

One of my favorite things we did in PE. We did it a few times a school year, but when we did it, it was really fun.

2 Scholastic Book Fairs

These would come around every so often, and when they did, man did they get you more hyped than ever to read. I remember teachers would always show like a preview which highlighted some of the books at the book fair. There were other trinkets there as well like special pencils and posters, but you either didn't buy anything there or you'd beg your parents for 10 dollars to buy a book there. It was truly a unique event.

I remember these but I couldn't find anything I wanted so I usually got a Wimpy Kid book or something.

I loved book fairs. I would usually have like 10 bucks to spend, and I'd usually get a book or two.

Yes. I would always bring like 7 bucks just to get a book. I loved the Scholastic Book Fairs.

3 Recorders

For whatever reason, it seems like every 4th grader ever at least in the US learned how to play this thing that was basically like a Clarinet and you would learn different notes and have to play different songs. I don't know why they taught how to play a recorder, maybe to get kids into music? I don't know, but it seems like nobody ever remembers that weird era where you played a recorder then never again.

We learned how to play these in music class in fourth grade. My music teacher was terrible though, so it wasn't a fun experience. When I moved and went to a new school in fifth grade, they were just starting to learn them while I had a year head start. I still have both recorders.

I remember learning to play Hot Cross Buns on these back in grade 5, then having to play them again in grade 7 when my teacher wanted us to perform My Heart Will Go On during an assembly since our principal (who I didn't even like that much lmao) was leaving the school.

Everyone used to squeak them, and interrupt the teacher with them. It was so annoying.

4 Always Walking in a Single File Line

For whatever reason, elementary school teachers decided to enforce walking in a single file line like you were military troops. They did this EVERY time no matter if it was going to PE, music, lunch, recess, or whatever. I get why they did it, but it was so weird and if you had a last name starting with anything from S-Z, have fun being near the end of the line most of the time.

In a way I understand the purpose of behaving this way. It's like follow the leader in a military like mindset (although kids didn't know that until later). Nowadays people like to cut in, and just think their fame is above you. Now off to P.E, Music, Computer or Art Class.

Oh no. I hated this. We used to have to walk single filed everywhere and the teacher would get on to us if we didn't.

Such a stupid rule, why single file line? And you couldn't cut in line to talk with your friends.

5 Cubbies

I kinda remember these from preschool, but when I started kindergarten, my teachers started letting us put our backpacks over our chairs.

These things were kinda like lockers, but not really weren't secure and yet, you had to store everything in them. I don't know what it was about everyone storing their belongings in the same general area, but something about it is unsettling looking back. Also, did anyone else remember the teachers assigning you a certain number or is that just me?

Okay I'm in elementary school right now...and I don't none of these I didn't even have them in pre-school or kindergarten. They are cool though. At my school we have coat hooks and book boxes.

Mainly in 1st grade, I wanna say this introduced this weird way of putting stuff up that wasn't a locker quite yet. We didn't have like assigned numbers or anything like that. We just put em wherever we wanted to, as long as we recalled where we put our backpacks and other things.

6 Heads Up 7 Up

This game I'm pretty sure was universally played in elementary school at least in the US. It was rare to play as a way to pass time, but basically, 7 people are chosen and have to tap another person's thumb, then after everyone has picked those, people have to guess who picked them. I don't know what it is, but this game is so much fun.

I don't know if this is the way people play it in places other than New Zealand, but my school calls it "Heads down thumbs up" and it's pretty similar to the US version but 4 people are up, not 7.

Omg yes the memories of this game lol. Universally well remembered by most who would usually play this game if the weather was terrible outside. It's simple head down, no peeking, and guess who touched you out of how many voluntarily went up. It was a good time waster after you were done eating lunch.

This was a game reserved for days we had time for it and on days we had Halloween and Valentine's parties. It was always a favorite of mine.

7 Recess

This was how kids could stay active, and play on a good day. This was the only time in your life it was rad to get some fresh air, and play. I wouldn't say its forgotten by any means seeing it's widely memorable in my view.

I hated recess. I was always left out with nothing to do. The only thing I liked about it was that it gave you a bit of a break from doing work.

Who would forget this? It was tons of fun. I miss it.

Best time of the day

8 Halloween/ Valentines Parties

I remember how I would always look forward to the harvest parade (from 2012 - 2014 before my school stopped having it) and getting candy from my classmates every 2/14. In fact, I still occasionally find some old glittery heart shaped rings I got from Target in February 2012 when I was in kindergarten around my apartment.

These were the most fun days of the year. Instead of learning stuff, you got to basically party in your Halloween costume at school and get candy and play games and maybe do a parade. On Valentine's Day, you just brought a box and took turns handing out valentines to your classmates and eat some treats and stuff. Yeah those were the good days.

Yeah I barely remember this. It just flew by my radar for me like it was others things I was more into. Halloween you wouldn't be able to do until your final year in High School that is if you wanted to pay full price for.

These were always fun, we could go to other classrooms and talk with our friends and eat candy.

9 Tattletales

Everyone remembers tattletales, but it's that fact you could never get away with anything, such as swearing without getting told on by the teacher. Now in senior school, nobody cares if your swear.

So one time this kid said Hell in a casual conversation while the teacher was gone. Literally everyone tattletaled on him. He literally broke down crying. One of the funniest things ever.

Unfortunately, this one isn't limited to elementary school students. There will always be people looking for any little reason to snitch on you.

Happened all the time, so annoying. There is always this kid in the class that tells on everyone for anything.

10 Multiplication Sheets

The most stressful thing about elementary was these things. You were given a sheet of about 20-30 problems that you had to complete in a certain amount of time. They were all easy looking back but at the time learning facts from 0-12 could be hard.

Oh yeah 3rd and 4th Grade I knew this like that from 0x0 to 12x12 was your basic sheets to know of. In 4th Grade you got like some sort contemporary prize if you scored well in a test with a A- range in the least.

I remember we would get five minutes to solve problems on these, and I don't think I ever got a bad grade on it.

Oh gosh it went from 10 in Elementary. 20 in Intermediate. 50 in Middle. And now we are doing 100.

The Contenders
11 Spelling Tests

I would usually get an A on every spelling test. I think it helps that I've pretty much always been able to read above grade level.

Hell, I was told that I was reading at an 8th grade level when I was only in the 3rd grade. Now I'm a high school sophomore and I'm reading on a university level.

Ugh I was never a fan. They weren't hard but trying to spell words like Mountain or important were hard in 2nd grade

Oh yeah, try writing the same word 10 times a day for homework. Those were my dark ages.

We were tested more heavily over grammar than spelling, if memory serves.

12 Reading Logs

Anyone remember those reading logs you were given to complete often for some rewards? Sometimes you could win a mini pizza or a free McDonald's Happy Meal, but most of the time, it was just a sticker chart and you'd always get a cool sticker and occasionally get some candy.

Yeah I remember these, we didn't have no pizza parties or anything like that. I recall having like a watch type thingamajig to record the time you read I found that very annoying.

I had one of these in third grade, and I did pretty well with it.

Yeah we would hold pizza parties.

13 Dr Seuss Day

My elementary school would have Dr. Suess Day every year, and in the week leading up to it, we would wear various wacky things such as oversized hats (I wore an oversized purple hat to school once for Dr Suess Day 2014 in 2nd grade).

I remember the library always tried to celebrate Dr Seuss day. There were a lot of Dr Seuss classics like Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, and the Grinch

They really tried to get all the Dr Seuss in your face didn't they?

I remember this while I was in Spring Hill Elementary School.

14 Duck Duck Goose

I remember that game

15 Flip Your Card

My 3rd grade teacher had something similar to this where we'd all get a star numbered based on our last names and the chart would read "w" (for warning), 1 check, 2 checks, and 3 checks. If your star was in the punishment zone, you wouldn't be able to earn a raffle ticket for that day (the raffle tickets were for buying prizes in class on Fridays). Additionally, 3 checks would mean that your parents would be called. More often than not, my star would be moved to the warning zone.

Also, when I was in 2nd grade, we had behavior charts that we took home and showed our parents every single day. "E" stood for excellent (meaning you didn't get in trouble that day), "S" was satisfactory (usually given to you if you were caught talking in class), and "N" was needs to improve (such as if you talked in class a lot during the day or broke a more serious rule). Usually, I'd come home with an "S" on my behavior chart for talking in class a few times, but I did get an "N" on my behavior ...more

Nope, we had cards with grids where we got checks if we were good, and they were marked off if we were bad.

16 Scented Pencils

I don't know why, but for whatever reason, these were seen as being popular in elementary school. Having these made you "cool" even though the scent was somewhat hard to tell and it usually would wear off. The same applies to markers as well.

Weirdly though I didn't get a hand of these Pencils until around middle school.

I didn't have any scented pencils, but a lot of people I knew had them.

Oh I remember these. Just no.

17 Scented Stickers

My fourth grade math teacher had these...

Loved the chocolate ones.

18 Dear Time

Drop Everything and Read. We would always have to read books after lunch for 30 minutes. It was boring, but I remember when everyone was obsessed with the Where's Wally/Waldo books.

19 Buddies

You always got to work with kids in a lower grade than you and do activities and tasks together. It was actually a fun lesson.

20 Handwriting Lessons

Now granted my printing is more like guitar signature to not so well read. In all the while cursive was a good alternative to learn. Luckily back in the mid-2000's they still taught this and I managed to master it after awhile ended up doing more advanced sentences that Summer. If I wrote in print, it would have to be real gently is the best way I go seeing I like to hurry and write.

21 Writing with Only a Pencil

They do this in high school sometimes.

22 Classrooms with VHS Players
23 Putting Your Chair on Table

I hated having to put my chair up on the table in elementary school.

24 Relaxation

The time where you got to lie down on a pillow after every lunch.

I didn't forget this! I eat, sleep and breathe that one word: "relaxation"

25 Hot Lunch
8Load More
PSearch List