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If You Went To Elementary School In The Early 2000s, These 20 Things Will Bring You Back

We may have grown up with technology, but our childhoods were a much simpler time.

Kirstin Ortiz

Apr 17, 2019

Temple University

18699

If You Went To Elementary School In The Early 2000s, These 20 Things Will Bring You Back

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.

5. Scooter boards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOPNXjZ2BhY

No explanation necessary.

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.

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If You Went To Elementary School In The Early 2000s, These 20 Things Will Bring You Back

We may have grown up with technology, but our childhoods were a much simpler time.

1. Class pictures

2. Carpet squares

3. Color-coded behavior cards

4. Red Ribbon Week

5. Scooter boards

6. FitnessGram Pacer Test

7. Square pizza

8. Snacks for kids' birthdays.

9. Book markers

10. Wall pencil sharpeners

11. Magic Tree House, Junie B. Jones, and The Teacher from the Black Lagoon

12. Scholastic book fairs

13. Counting blocks

14. Writing in shaving cream

15. Cursive guide sheets

16. Kid Pix

17. Dance Mat typing program

18. Schoolhouse Rock!

19. Overhead projectors

20. Cool Math Games

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I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

1. Watch an R-rated Scary Movie in a Movie Theater

2. Buy a Lottery Ticket

3. Vote in an Election

4. Participate in a Run (or a Walk, Realistically) for Charity

5. Go on a Road Trip

6. Start a Savings Account

7. Get a Credit Card

8. Sign up for Spotify Premium

9. Go to a Club

10. Start a Meditation Routine

11. Go to a Yoga Class

12. Treat Myself to a Dinner for One

13. Volunteer for a Charity

14. Participate in a Research Study

15. Bake Something (That Ends Up Being Edible)

16. Go Skydiving

17. Be Called for Jury Duty

18. Figure Out What I Want to Do With my Life

The holiday classics that shaped my life

1."But what would happen if we all tried to be like Santa and learned to give as only he can give: of ourselves, our talents, our love and our hearts? Maybe we could all learn Santa's beautiful lesson and maybe there would finally be peace on Earth and good will toward men."

"Sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see."

"If you won't use your heart, who cares if it gets broken? If you just keep it to yourself, maybe it'll be like my rollerblades. When you do decide to try it, it won't be any good. You should take a chance. Got nothing to lose."

"Remember, no man is a failure who has friends."

"Life is made up of meetings and partings. That is the way of it."

"If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find a that love actually is all around."

"Sometimes things look good on paper, but lose their luster when you see how it affects real folks. I guess a healthy bottom line doesn't mean much if to get it, you have to hurt the ones you depend on."

"'Maybe Christmas,' he thought, 'doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.'"

"Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to."

"There's room for everyone on the nice list."

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

1. Why are towels considered dirty when you get out of the shower clean?

2. Who closes the bus door once the bus driver gets off?

3. Why is there a "d" in "fridge" but not in "refrigerator"?

4. If you drop soap on the floor is the floor clean or the soap dirty?

5. Is the "S" or the "C" silent in the word "scent"?

6. Does expecting the unexpected make the unexpected the expected?

7. Would Lightning McQueen buy car insurance or life insurance?

8. Who put the alphabet in alphabetical order?

9. What color are mirrors?

10. If 2 mind readers read each other's minds whose mind are they really reading?

11. Is there a synonym for "synonym"?

12. If your shirt isn't tucked into your pants, are your pants tucked into your shirt?

13. Why is it called "quick sand" if you sink slowly in it?

14. If I try to fail, but succeed, which one did I do?

15. If Cinderella's shoe fit perfectly, why did it fall off?

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