Man...memories. We walked to grade school, no bus offered. By roads it was about a mile, but we'd cut through (gasp,shriek) the woods cutting it to about 3/8 or so with plenty of time for chicanery along the way. We could leave school for lunch if we chose....kids that lived nearby could go home. Those that didn't did whatever or stayed at school.
Those woods.....we played there all the time too. There was one tree we called Old Faithful 'cause it was so easy to climb. Surprisingly easy to fall out of too it turned out. there were "Tarzan vines", grape vines that hung out over gullies to swing from....some held up for a long time, others only one or two swings...only one way to know which was which. We dug "fat girl" traps....just pretty poorly camouflaged holes in the middle of the paths, covered with sticks and leaves hoping the bitchy fat neighbor girl would fall in them.
There was a plan of new homes being built and there was a 4' deep erosion ditch with very slick, clay sides we called the piss ditch because...well you know. One kid would be the piss monster and chase everyone else through, over, up and around it and trust me it was waaayyyy more fun than it sounds....like falling down gasping for breath laughing fun. Rules were sort of made up as we went.....
So much more, too.
Water weed battles.....water weeds are jewel weed and have a stringy, fibrous stem and when you yanked them up the came out with a clod of dirt attached. A natural bolo.....******* hurt.
We built skateboards from a piece of 2x4 with the separated halves of a metal roller skate one half nailed to each end of the board. Lotsa road rash from them.