Well, to be fair, kids back then felt perfectly safe going outside and playing in the neighborhood without adult supervision. We'd play until it was time for dinner then my dad would come out on the front porch and give his signature whistle and we'd all come running because being too late was considered worthy of missing dinner. Then after dinner in the summer we'd go out and play again until it got dark. Reading is a pass-time but there has got to be some kind of games.