Post 02 · 2026-05-02

Free Range Kindergartners

Half-day kindergarten in the 1970s, an unsupervised return trip, and a small civil emergency on the south playground.

Two five-year-olds in a 1970s living room — JC asking Paul if he wants to walk back to the school after kindergarten.

JC and I were in half-day kindergarten at EMO. JC's house was really close to the school, and sometimes I'd go over and visit after half-day. This was the 70s, so kids were still allowed to be free range. "Wanna go back to the school?" JC asked. "Can we do that?" I asked. "Yes, let's go!" said JC.

The two boys walking single-file down a path cut through tall grass; JC carrying a small pineapple.

We wandered down the path cut through high grass back to the elementary school campus. It was a warm spring day. JC had a pineapple, for reasons that made sense at the time.

JC and Paul playing tag on the playground while fifth graders lean out of open second-floor classroom windows laughing.

We arrived on the south playground, in view of the fifth-grade classrooms. We started playing some version of tag, running around and yelling at each other. The windows were open, so we basically disrupted class as a buncha fifth graders ran to the window to laugh at the idiot kindergartners.

Suddenly I had to wee. This was an easy thing to fix. I turned my back to the windows and went. The freak-out from the fifth graders was still explosive.

A teacher bursting out of the back of the school as JC and Paul sprint away in the foreground.

An adult burst out of the school and we ran as fast as we could back to JC's house. A day well spent.