2 Brainerd Friends Thought Up Activities For Bored Kids Far Before COVID

Two Brainerd best pals - searching desperately for something to do during a long summer far before COVID-19, came up with an interesting list.

Susan Whelchel, who still lives in the Chattanooga area as does her lifelong friend Chris Keefe, said, "In my time here at home during the pandemic, I found myself going through lots of old papers and was delighted to come across some amusing items from my childhood which may be of some interest today.

" When I shared the pages I'm sending you with my friend Chris (yes, the same one from those many years ago), suggested I submit them to Chattanoogan.com

""Some may get a kick out of them, as we did, and they might even be appropriate for this interminable kids-stuck-at-home time. 

I also located a photo of Chris and I doing the Japanese dance."

Here is what I found among my papers:

“What can we do, Mother?” is the most used phrase we know.

Both of us are sure that you have the same problem. Although our mothers had some very good suggestions, we never could arrive at one that we both liked so we had to find something new to do. (We were out-growing our monthly Monopoly game.)

Below are some original projects.

1. Our most popular progect (sic) was making dummies out of old clothes and paper wads. Chris had a funny experience with one of her boy dummies. She put it in the living room at night and in the morning her mother nearly fainted.

2. A rummage sale made us 37 cents altogether. With this money we planned to become millionairs (sic). (We didn’t quite make it.)

3. And then came our plays. Here are some of their parts:

1. Japanese Dance

2. Tap dance

3. Baton Twirlers

4. Acrobatic performance [sic]

5. Kennedy-Rockefeller Election with imitation of Vaughn Meader

6. Cinderella

7. Puppet Show

8. We planned to have a Sailor Dance, too, but Chris broke the record.

1. We had many clubs. They usually lasted 2 or 3 hours, but one club (Tu-Bo) lasted almost 2 days.

Here are some experiences:

1. We were always trying to sing “Exodus” but it came out flat.

2. Once we both had broken toes at the same time.

So, believe it or not, there is hope for bored kids.