Give me some This is the old walnut tree down home...it has swung more children and provided more hours of entertainment than any store bought item ever could.
It is in poor health now, and covered with ivy. It seemed a giant when I was a kid...we almost always had 3 or 4 swings in it. We all played on them...played tag if you can believe that. All the grandchildren swung in that tree at one time or another. Any cousins that came swung in them. Or any other kid....you could swing as high as possible and never have to worry about a swing set turning over.
Of course, they were made of grass string...usually the first few feet around the tree limb was a piece of chain. And not just light-weight chain either. It was stuff that had weight to it....I don't remember how they were attached to the limb. Then we would double or triple the length of grass string, I think sometimes we braided it, and tied it to the end of the chain.
I do remember playing in one one time, by myself, and the chain came loose and hit me in the head. I do remember crying, but I don't remember if I told mom or dad.
Our seat was a length of board, with notches cut in each end....
Now when I am out, I cannot help but see trees and think what a great place to put swings, or a tree house. Some are just made for children...but swings in trees are very seldom seen these days. They are there in the corner of my mind though...just one of those thoughts that are a pleasant to think on.
What wonderful memories to have! We had such simple childhoods and yet such fun. I don't think today's kids can even understand if we tell them what fun it was. We had a great swing set that my dad built with a trapeze as well as a swing. We were on it constantly.
ReplyDeleteGreat post of wonderful memories. I remember swinging as a kid on notched boards as well - but I think it was a rope swing.
ReplyDeleteYou MUST get rid of the vine... don't they choke a tree to death?
ReplyDeleteI remember going to my uncle's house when I was little & wanting so badly to swing on their tree swing... but they had a German Shepherd tied to that tree & he wasn't friendly... he let me get within patting distance THEN LUNGED AT ME... scared me to death!!! I could have killed that dog =0
I forgot to mention that the tree was covered in that vine stuff that they didn't even swing in it anymore... it was killing the tree!
ReplyDeleteWe used binder twine (that's what we called the yellow/orange stuff that was tied around hay bales in Wisconsin). We'd braid it into thicker ropes. One year we even weaved it into a fantastic hammock stretched between 2 trees. That hammock and all the swings around it gave us hours and hours of simple joys. Just like yours.
ReplyDeleteA fine nostalgic narrative and tree shot to go with it.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, come to think of it, there aren't swings in trees anymore. Too bad. It was such a good idea.
What a great post! It's so wonderful to remember all those good times when we were kids.
ReplyDeleteI suppose kids growing up today have not had that experience - of swinging in a tree...too bad. That was great fun for me, too, when I was growing up!
ReplyDeleteThat was a wonderful memory of the swings in your childhood. We had tire swings. When it rained water would get inside but it didn't matter. We kept swingin'
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