Best childhood memories ever?
Oh, we’ve got plenty from growing up in the ’50s and ’60s — a time when life was simple, and playtime ruled the day.
Back then, being an only child was practically unheard of.
There were always siblings, cousins, or neighbors ready for a game or a bit of mischief.
We mastered social skills before smartphones, learned to talk face-to-face (no emojis required), and took our punishments like champs — caning included!
Today, kids are glued to screens, but back then, our biggest worry was dodging a ball or who got ‘it’ in tag.
Join us as we relive the best childhood memories of being 7 to 12-year-old rascals in the late ’50s and early ’60s.
Contents
Those Good Old Days: Childhood in the 1950s and 60s
Rose Chan was our favorite performer. Wong Peng Soon was the badminton hero everyone admired.
We raised Siamese fighting fish, and the seller felt like a local celebrity.
Renewing a driving license was simple — just paste an extra slip on the back of a small red booklet.
Susu Lembu (fresh milk) was delivered right to our doorstep by the friendly and reliable Mr. Singh.
His bicycle carried a stainless steel container, and the container’s cap doubled as a funnel.
The Kacang Puteh man would stroll through the streets, balancing six compartments of nuts and muruku on his head.
We traded old exercise books for a paper cone filled with Kacang Puteh — a small but precious treat.
During festivals like Hari Raya and Chinese New Year, F&N orange cordial was served from wooden crates displayed on tables.
Eating chicken was rare back then, reserved only for special celebrations.
“Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.” — Chili Davis
We reared Siamese fighting fishes; the seller was our idol.
Childhood Memories of M&M’s Called Treats
We always carried a one ringgit note at night—just in case Mata-Mata stopped us for riding bicycles without tail lights.
Char Kway Teow cost only 30 cents, and some friends even brought their own eggs to add.
One Roti Canai was 15 sen, and a banana went for just 5 cents.
We bought Roti Bengali from the Indian roti man who rode his bicycle around the neighborhood, ringing his familiar bell.
Cold Storage bread came wrapped in waxed paper.
We’d spread it with butter and kaya, wrap it back up, and sneak it to school.
A crewcut by the traveling Indian and Hockchew barber cost just 30 cents—cut all the way to the top.
Why so short? Easy to dry after sneaking swims in the river or sea—usually with no swimming trunks, just birthday suits.
On Sunday mornings, we’d listen to Kee Huat’s “Radio Facts and Fancies.”
And Saturday nights? It was all about “Top of the Pops” with DJ Patrick Teoh.
M&M’s were called Treats.
We entertained ourselves with cheap matinees on Saturdays—usually cowboy flicks or Greek mythology movies like Hercules.
Dad gave us 70 cents for the whole outing.
50 cents for the ticket, and 20 cents for the bus fare and some snacks like Kacang Puteh or Kua Chi.
Nobody paid a ringgit for reserved seats back then.
Iced Ang Tau cost just 10 cents.
The iced ball was only 5 cents, with half red sugar and the other half black sugar or Sarsi.
We never, ever talked to or mixed with girls—at least not until Form 5.
A classmate’s sister taught us how to dance the waltz, cha-cha, rhumba, foxtrot, and the offbeat Cha-Cha-Cha.
The first time dancing with a girl? My heart nearly froze. It went boom boom…
Fondest Childhood Memories — Our Parents Loved Us Dearly
We survived with mothers who had no maids.
Marriage back then meant building a family.
Wives and mothers learned to cook and clean while caring for the children all at once.
We took aspirin, candy floss, fizzy drinks, and even shaved ice with syrup—and diabetes was rare.
In Malaysia and Singapore, we’d add salt to Pepsi or Coke to bring down a fever.
At the first sign of malaria, tonic water was the go-to remedy.
As kids, we’d squeeze onto bicycles or motorcycles—sometimes two or three at a time—with our parents.
The richer families had cars, but no seatbelts or airbags.
My first experience with a modern toilet was mostly just squatting; I grew up knowing the bucket system well.
Our children won’t know the fear of using an outdoor toilet at night or the surprise when the bucket was collected while we were still inside.
We used torn newspapers as toilet paper—crumbling it first, since white toilet paper was a luxury no one knew.
Riding at the back of a taxi was a real treat.
My happiest memories are weekends and school holidays spent swimming in the sea.
We built sandcastles, dug for clams, and feasted on homecooked Nasi Lemak picnics.
Our first and best performances were school plays and playing in the Angklung Orchestra.
Holidays were unheard of; most stayed home, so trips to the playground were special occasions.
Our Parents Loved Us Dearly.
Happiest Childhood Memories Growing Up in the 1950s and 1960s
We’d head to the jungle with friends to catch spiders—no worries about Aedes mosquitoes back then.
The worst disease anyone feared was lockjaw from a rusty nail.
Just seven pebbles (or stones) could keep us entertained for hours.
With a tennis ball in hand, we boys ran wild for hours on end.
We caught guppies in drains and canals, and when it rained, we swam there too.
Our food was salty, oily, and sweet—candies, bread with real butter, condensed milk, coffee, tea, and Ice Kacang.
Despite it all, we weren’t overweight. We ran, cycled, and played all day.
Some of us fell out of trees, got cuts, broke bones and teeth—but we just smiled foolishly and kept going.
Birthday parties? Rare. Most of us didn’t have one until we turned 21.
And honestly, some still don’t know what all the fuss is about the 21st birthday.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and just shouted for them to come out.
If parents found out, we’d get caned at school—and then another round at home.
Parents always backed the teachers.
We flew kites with strings coated in glass powder and horse glue, often cutting our hands.
Winning a kite fight against a local samseng was pure happiness.
We even made our kites to match our fighting style.
We were the last generation to use logarithm tables and slide rules—no calculators back then!
Remember the day at the beach?
Social Development and Early Childhood Memories
A lot of social and emotional growth happens during early childhood.
In the 1950s, much of the fun was family-focused, revolving around the children born in the post-war baby boom.
When we were kids in the ’50s and ’60s, we played with Hula Hoops, Barbie dolls, and electric train sets alongside children of all races.
Mixing with the “wrong” crowd wasn’t even a question.
Every adult—especially mothers—had the authority to discipline any child in the community, and we learned our lessons fast.
Weekends meant family trips to the theatre, a special treat the kids eagerly awaited, maybe a few times a year.
Evenings were for dancing and music lessons, enjoyed by parents, grandparents, and family members of all ages.
Families often lived together under one roof.
Visiting grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins wasn’t necessary—they were just a room or two away.
Before television, adults and children found ways to entertain themselves through singing and playing instruments.
The Kapok guitar was a favorite, passed around as someone played while everyone joined in for a home concert.
With so much freedom to run in the streets, swim, and play, temper tantrums and mood swings were rare.
Kids in the ’50s and ’60s were closely connected to their growing social world.
Most learned to “behave” and manage their emotions, even if that meant facing the occasional caning from their mothers for mischief.
Childhood Memories & The Best Generation Growing Up in the ’50s and ’60s
I truly believe this generation shaped the best parents and grandparents because we remember the tough times clearly.
Congratulations if you were lucky enough to grow up before life became so regulated.
Share this with others who experienced those days — and pass it on to your kids so they understand how brave their parents were.
I also want to credit Brother Chung Chow’s blog, where I found the original script from Mr. M. Jaykas, a friend of his colleague.
Back then, we called all men “Uncle,” no matter their race or background.
While most of this post is in English, there might be some Malaysian slang I missed in the glossary.
Feel free to share any you catch in the comments below!
Unforgettable Childhood Memories Last Forever and Are Best Shared With Friends
What’s your favorite childhood memory?
Look for chances to share those funny, silly, embarrassing, and sometimes naughty stories with your kids.
Did you grow up in Malaysia too?
Did you grow up in Malaysia too?
Now that you remember what life was like back then, would you consider traveling home for your next vacation?
