Were things better then?
Despite the lack of electronic toys compared to today's kids, I think kids in my age had it better. In the summer everybody was outside. We played baseball, climbed trees and bluffs, crossed railroad tracks, swam in the Mississippi, and ran around at night playing hide and seek. All without any adult supervision.
I wouldn't trade my summer vacations of fun with no electronic devices whatsoever for all the new electronic toys in the world kids have today. We had a blast.