Early 2000's kids grew up in a special period of time; during the rapid rise of modern technology. Many of us went through elementary school without smartboards and not having any sort of computer at home, then graduated high school only six years later with an iPhone in our pockets and not having opened a book in who knows how long. Enjoy some early 2000's nostalgia from a simpler time.
1. Class pictures
https://giphy.com/gifs/southparkgifs-3o6Ztmbv7k7I5spoIw
Do these still exist? Probably, but as a lifetime lover of fashion this was easily one of my most favorite days of the school year.
2. Carpet squares
https://giphy.com/gifs/RlBtYmW0BGUHS
There was always that one lucky class who brought them to assemblies and put everyone else's sore butts to shame.
3. Color-coded behavior cards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSbh9sehNA4
Let's be honest: the threat of a call home kept most of us from ever turning our cards past yellow.
4. Red Ribbon Week
https://giphy.com/gifs/snl-seth-rogen-nasim-pedrad-fqLcYob89OyIg
Ah, the good old days...back when theme days and scary drug factoids actually scared us off.
6. FitnessGram Pacer Test
https://giphy.com/gifs/splat-nicksplat-doug-xT1R9DPYQt60VHs4tW
It might be a meme now, but for us early 2000's kids it was just a part of our yearly gym class curriculum.
7. Square pizza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI7EL37OxmQ
These greasy pieces of cardboard made for the best lunch day of the week, hands down.
8. Snacks for kids' birthdays.
https://giphy.com/gifs/snacks-YiSZXjrh5PtQs
Nowadays elementary schools are more careful about allergies. Odds are if you went to elementary school fifteen years ago or before, it was a sin if a classmate didn't bring cupcakes or brownies for their birthday. Once you saw them walk in with that Tupperware container...it's all you could think about all day.
9. Book markers
https://giphy.com/gifs/chuber-arthur-library-card-3o85xpxuULZ1Svqizu
Back when young pupils used ~real books~ for learning and for fun, these thin pieces of plastic were crucial for keeping the Dewey decimal system intact.
10. Wall pencil sharpeners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qljAQFu9E6g
For real pencils! Unless you were a cool kid and had mechanical pencils.
11. Magic Tree House, Junie B. Jones, and The Teacher from the Black Lagoon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2uZ-JE1N4Y
Some of the most popular books for kids at the time, not only did we read them in our free time but if we had a "cool" teacher they'd read them to us in class.
12. Scholastic book fairs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEfaWww5RfU
What's more exciting than leaving class to visit a pop-up bookstore in your auditorium and buy your very-own brand new, glossy book to take home?
13. Counting blocks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSqGCY_L6CY
As soon as our teachers brought these babies out, the class went wild. How our teachers actually got us to pay attention long enough to teach us anything with these is beyond me.
14. Writing in shaving cream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM-KbR6lCDE
It's the little things! Kids love getting their hands dirty, and some brave teachers took advantage of that by letting us write in shaving cream on our desks.
15. Cursive guide sheets
https://giphy.com/gifs/q-kH45yesfSvXzi
Back when electronic signatures weren't a thing and you actually needed to know cursive…
16. Kid Pix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNb0iY5kCcI
The start of all our technology addictions. I guarantee the theme song is still in the recesses of your mind.
17. Dance Mat typing program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsBbX3jPoBI
It's crazy to think that there was a time when we didn't know how to type. Dance Mat was a favorite during computer class.
18. Schoolhouse Rock!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFroMQlKiag&t=8s
Learning about the US constitution? Grammar? Electricity? If your teacher failed to show you AT LEAST one Schoolhouse Rock video, you sorely missed out. Schoolhouse Rock may have been produced "before our time," but we love the timeless songs, nonetheless.
19. Overhead projectors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mswO8cf0kw
Before smartboards existed, these were necessary for any visual-heavy lesson. If you were called up to write on the projector slide, it was either the best or worst day of your elementary career.
20. Cool Math Games
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkZmkNmbceA
Plot twist: not actually math games. For some reason everyone thought this was a secret to our teachers.
