Believe it or not, long before movie theaters and bowling alleys, before Settlers of Catan and Xbox, our ancestors found pleasant ways to pass their idle hours. Then as now, obligations filled only so much of the day — the rest was theirs to do with as they liked.
Leisure time has always been a part of the human experience, but its role has shifted over time, differing between cultures and across hierarchical classes. From singalongs to sports to board games — not to mention the occasional public death match — let's take a tour of the things our ancestors did for fun throughout the ages.
Leisure Time in the Prehistoric Era
Early humans likely didn’t draw a hard line between work and play, as Daniel McLean and Amy Hurd explain in Recreation and Leisure in Modern Society. In less technologically advanced societies, they write, “work tends to be varied and creative, rather than being a narrow, specialized task demanding a sharply defined skill, as in modern industry.” What’s more, it’s often infused with ritual aspects that make it feel less burdensome.
