Somewhere between my bright teal walls of my childhood bedroom and swings at my elementary school lived a world that I never

thought I would miss at the time. My childhood favorites—whether it was a collection of tiny Shopkins or a song I barely knew the words too—weren’t just objects or moments. They made up my earliest memories and how I saw the world. Through my senses of sight, taste, touch, and hearing, special memories were formed with my childhood favorites.  

Show:

My favorite childhood show was anything on PBS Kids. I had the app, and within it I could watch various shows. My favorites included “Daniel Tiger” and “Wild Kratts.” I think these were my favorites because there was more to them than cartoon characters moving around; these shows had some sort of educational factor to them. These are shows that I would definitely let my future kids watch. I no longer watch them, but I occasionally tune in to other kids shows such as “Barbie Life in the Dream House” when I need a comfort show or something to play in the background while doing homework. 

Snack:

I ate a lot of random snacks as a kid, but if you were to give me one specific snack, it would instantly remind me of my childhood.

Slim Jims—something about these had me hooked when I was younger. I rarely eat them now, but the last time I had one gave me so much nostalgia. 

Toy:

My favorite toys as a kid were Calico Critters and Shopkins. These were both little figurines type toys that I collected with my sister. We actually still have our collections at home and plan to keep them for as long as we can since we cherished them so much as children. When I think about my childhood these toys, are some of the first items I picture. I have so many memories with my

sister as we would play with these toys. One of my favorite things we used to do was trade Shopkins and try to build the best “lineup.” I believe that these toys foreshadowed my love for collections. I now collect pressed pennies from different states and stuffed animals.

Song:

I don’t remember most of the songs I listened to as a child as they were just songs I heard when I attended preschool. However, one specific song I remember is the “Going on a Bear Hunt” song. I enjoyed this song because our class would do a dance that would go along with it. This made the song memorable. As time went on, I veered away from children’s songs and gained interest in any Disney song that played in the movies I watched. A majority of these came from Disney princess movies. I think songs are a common thing that can be tied to childhood memories. Whether it was a children’s song or just a song I listened to when I was little, they take me back to special moments that make up my earliest memories.

Looking back, it’s clear that my childhood favorites were sources of fun or comfort. Whether it was the excitement of collecting Shopkins with my sister or enjoying a Slim Jim while watching a PBS Kids show, each favorite left a mark in my memory—ones I didn’t realize I’d cherish until I was older.