The top 40 things adults miss most about their childhood include never paying a bill, having every meal cooked for you – and taking part in rituals such as hiding Easter Eggs for loved ones.
A study of 2,000 Brits discovered what people yearn for, with 61 per cent admitting they have lost their sense of fun and playfulness as they’ve got older.
Being bought chocolates and sweets, spending time with family and jumping in puddles also feature in the list.
It also emerged that adults feel they have become less carefree (52 per cent), generous (12 per cent) and caring (12 per cent) than they were as a child.
But 22 per cent would like to share their favourite aspects of childhood with their own or future children so they can experience them again.
A spokesman from Cadbury, which commissioned the study to mark the launch of the Cadbury Worldwide Hide this Easter, said: “It’s a shame to see how adults, as they get older, lose their sense of fun and connections to seasonal rituals which we should
be able to do at any age.
“Now, more than ever, the little meaningful moments can really bring us happiness – playing outdoor games with others, reviving fun seasonal rituals such as hiding Easter Eggs for loved ones, dressing up in fancy dress and seeing every day as an adventure.”
The study also found more than half of those polled are looking to bring back the rituals of Easter, such as hiding eggs for loved ones.
And 37 per cent feel this is a way to show people you care for them.
A third plan to take part in a hunt this year because it reminds them of their childhood – as people were typically 10 years old when their parents stopped hiding eggs for them.
But 14 per cent admitted they are a forgetful Easter egg hider and often misplace the chocolate, while 12 per cent are predictable and tend to go for the same hiding places each year.
While a third are planning on hiding an egg for their children, a fifth will be doing so for their partner.
Cadburys’ spokesman added: “With Easter just around the corner, we want adults to reignite their connection to the intrinsically generous rituals they loved in childhood and show loved ones just how much they care.
“From hiding and finding eggs to baking chocolatey treats, it’s a time of the year when people of all ages can have some fun and be generous.
“With Easter rituals being lost over time, a gesture of an Easter egg is the perfect way to reconnect and show that special someone just how much you care.”
The Cadbury Worldwide Hide is a virtual platform where people can hide an Easter egg anywhere in the world for loved ones.
See more here – worldwidehide.cadbury.co.uk
Top 40 things British adults miss about their childhood:
1. School holidays
2. Not having any worries about life
3. Not having to pay bills
4. Spending all day playing
5. Not having to work
6. The freedom
7. The excitement when waking up on your birthday
8. Playing in the park, such as on the swings
9. Having someone else cook your meals
10. Seeing friends everyday
11. Opening presents
12. Taking each day as it comes
13. Finding joy in the little things
14. Getting pocket money
15. Not planning ahead
16. Laughing at anything and everything
17. Kid’s TV shows
18. Spending time with your family
19. Being bought sweets and chocolate
20. Seeing everyday as an adventure
21. Believing in the Easter bunny, tooth fairy, Santa etc
22. Rolling down grassy hills
23. Easter Eggs (e.g. hiding, finding, eating them)
24. Playing hide and seek
25. Eating whatever you liked
26. Not having social media
27. Jumping in puddles
28. Not comparing yourself to others
29. Getting away with anything because you were ‘young’
30. Going to adventure parks
31. Not having a mobile phone
32. Not feeling judged by others
33. Sleeping whenever you felt like it
34. Feeding bread to ducks
35. Getting freebies in magazines
36. Sleepovers
37. Getting party bags
38. Being read to
39. Doing arts and crafts
40. Going on bouncy castles
ENDS
