Since my sister and I had no Television or Video Games we played games and used our imaginations. We played the piano and sang songs. Most girls were expected to be able to play the piano so we had piano lessons and had to practice very hard. Many people held mini concerts to show off their talents as musicians. Such concerts or recitals would be held in the evening and friends of the family would be invited to come and enjoy or even join in.

Grandfather loved to listen to his German Operas on the Victrola. The Victrola is a record player but it had to be wound up before you used it. This was before the days of electricity in the home. Because it did not need batteries or electricity people used to take Victrolas to the beach or out on picnics. But in many places you did not need to take your own music because there would be live bands playing. Bandstands could be found at English Bay and Stanley Park. People would gather and listen to the music and sometimes there would be dancing. It was a great way for young men and women to meet.

Poetry and story readings would also be part of the entertainment at family parties. Many children were expected to learn to recite poems from memory. This was considered an ideal way to teach them poise and confidence.

Most people still know how to play Charades. Charades could be played using book titles, the titles of songs, famous people, animal names and many other categories.

Adults played card games, like Patience, Whist and Cribbage. People often gave parties where all you did was play cards and gossip. My sister and I played Snap!, Happy Families, and Old Maid. A friend once told me that some men played card games, like poker, for money.

Checkers and Chess were just two of the board games we learned to play. We didn't have Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit but board games were popular because you didn't need much room to play them unlike Jacks and Marbles, which had pieces which seemed to disappear until Grandfather came home and stepped on them. My sister and I would play jacks under the dining room table, using the squares in the rugs as our markers.

My sister and I had quite a few dolls; they had porcelain heads and cloth bodies. Very rich people gave their daughters dolls made entirely of porcelain and poorer people gave dolls made of cloth, which were called Rag dolls. Some dollhouses were very grand with wicker furniture and sweeping staircases; others were shaped like country cottages with thatched roofs. We were taught to sew by Grandma Matilda so we were able to make our own doll clothes.

One toy that was very popular was the Noah's Ark. The Ark was made of wood and filled with wooden animals. Many people believed that it was sacrilegious to play with regular toys on Sundays but because Noah was a biblical figure, children were allowed to play with their Noah's Ark on Sundays after church.