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The Great Depression
(1929-1945)

Having Fun in Hard Times - What Kids Did in the Depression

Having Fun in Hard Times - What Kids Did in the Depression
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 5
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   2.23

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    scraps, paddle, freezer, skated, lone, mothers, video, radio, simple, carpet, inch, fresh, jobs, handle, meant, tool
     content words:    Great Depression, Lone Ranger, Green Hornet

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Having Fun in Hard Times - What Kids Did in the Depression
By Toni Lee Robinson 		  
1     What if there were no TV? No video games? What would you do for fun? You might do some of the things kids in the 1930s did. This was a time many people had lost their jobs. Even those who had jobs had a hard time. This time was called the Great Depression.
 
2     Television was new at this time. The first TVs had one or two inch screens! They were very hard to see. Most people in the 1930s couldn't buy a TV anyway. They were too poor. There were no PCs or video games. So how did kids in the 1930s spend their time?
 
3     Many children had to work. Newsboys sold papers. Other kids picked fruit on big farms. Some sold things door-to-door. Most kids gave their money to their parents. It was needed to buy food.
 
4     Some kids could keep a little money to go to the movies. Then, a child's ticket cost ten cents. "Snow White" was one movie kids liked. It was the first cartoon movie ever made. It came out in 1937. "The Wizard of Oz" was another favorite.
 
5     Radio was also new in the ‘30s. Many homes had radio sets. People listened to shows that were a little like books on tape. Actors read the parts. Sound effects made the stories exciting. Kids liked the "Lone Ranger" show. They also liked "The Green Hornet" and "The Shadow."

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