People who grew up in the 60s and 70s know there was a particular freedom in a summer with no schedule, no camps, no enrichment, just a long empty stretch you were expected to fill yourself, and somehow always did

Summers of the past offered unstructured time, fostering creativity and self-reliance through boredom and exploration. This "wasted" time, unlike today's packed schedules, allowed for deep dives into interests and essential risky play, building resilience and a healthy relationship with downtime. Such freedom taught children that time's value isn't always tied to productivity.