10 Candies Every ’60s Kid Ate in Pennsylvania

Remember racing your banana-seat bike down the block of your Pennsylvania town with a comic book in your back pocket and a jaw full of Bazooka gum?

Back in the 1960s, candy wasn’t just a treat—it was part of growing up.

Whether you were blowing giant bubbles, licking neon sugar off your fingers, or trading sweets at lunch, these sugary treasures were woven into every Pennsylvanian boy and girl’s life.

Candy Buttons

There was something oddly satisfying about peeling those long strips of candy buttons off the paper and popping them into your mouth. The little dots were pastel-colored—usually pink, blue, and yellow—and lined up in neat little rows like sugary soldiers.

They didn’t have much flavor, just a sweet little pop, but they were fun to eat and lasted forever.

You never got all the dots off clean. There was always a little paper stuck to the back, and you just shrugged and ate it anyway. No kid was wasting good candy over a scrap of paper.

If you were really careful, you could roll the whole strip up and snack on it slowly while watching cartoons or riding in the back seat on a long trip.

Candy Buttons weren’t about taste—they were about time. They stretched out your candy moment, gave you something to fiddle with, and made your fingers all sticky.

And somehow, that made them perfect.

Lik-M-Aid Fun Dip

Before it became Fun Dip, this powdered treat was known as Lik-M-Aid, and it was a sticky, messy masterpiece. It came in tiny paper pouches filled with brightly colored sugar dust.

At first, kids would just dip a wet finger in and lick it clean—again and again—until their hands were a rainbow of sugar stains.

Then came the game-changer: the Lik-A-Stix. That little chalky white stick was a marvel. You’d dip it into the flavored powder—grape, cherry, or lime—and lick it until the stick was smooth and flat.

It turned candy into a delightful process. The whole thing felt like a sugary science experiment you got to eat.

And the best part for super young kids?

The powder always ended up everywhere. On your shirt, in your desk, maybe even in your hair. It was chaos, sure—but it was the good kind of chaos. The kind you remember years later and smile about.

Pixy Stix

Remember tearing the top off a Pixy Stix and tilting your head back like a pro? Just one pour of that powder and—bam!—your taste buds got hit with a sugar blast that made your eyes water in the best way.

The powder was packed in skinny paper straws, usually in bright colors that matched the fruity flavors. Grape, orange, cherry.

None of them tasted like actual fruit, but boy, did they taste like fun.

Sometimes a kid would get their hands on a jumbo Pixy Stix—the kind made out of plastic tubing that looked like it came from a science lab. You’d guard it like treasure. That thing was currency on the playground, worth at least five trades at lunchtime.

Sure, your tongue turned weird colors and your fingers got sticky, but that was part of the deal.

No one worried too much about sugar back then. It was the ’60s.

You rode your bike without a helmet, drank from the garden hose, and ate pure flavored sugar straight from a straw. Life was good.

Wax Lips

These were the ultimate joke candy. You didn’t buy wax lips because you were hungry. You bought them because they were hilarious.

Pop a pair of those oversized, cherry-red lips into your mouth, flash a goofy grin at your friends, and wait for the laughter.

Sometimes they came with fangs or goofy teeth, which made them perfect for Halloween—or just everyday mischief.

The wax itself was flavored, sort of. Kind of fruity, mostly chewy, and definitely not something you wanted to swallow. But ’60s kids chewed on them anyway, working the wax like bubblegum until it got too soft or just plain weird.

Most of the time, you spit it out before finishing the walk home from the store.

What made wax lips so special was the way they turned every kid into a comedian. You’d pose for your friends, stick out your chin, and do your best monster impression.

It was cheap fun that made you laugh so hard your stomach hurt.

Necco Wafers

Necco Wafers were already an old-timer by the time ’60s kids came around, but they still had a spot in every candy store and grandma’s purse. They came in a wax-paper roll and looked like little pastel poker chips.

The flavors were hit or miss—cinnamon, clove, chocolate, lemon—but there was always a favorite or two in every pack.

They crumbled a little when you bit into them, but they didn’t melt or get sticky, which made them perfect for saving. You could keep one in your coat pocket for days and it’d still be good.

Some kids even liked stacking them and crunching them down in one bite. Others liked to savor them slowly, one by one.

Necco Wafers weren’t flashy, and they didn’t come with jokes or gimmicks. But they had a quiet charm.

They felt grown-up, like something you’d eat while listening to the radio or helping Dad wash the car.

Charleston Chew

Now this was a treat that felt like it lasted forever. The Charleston Chew came in vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate nougat, all wrapped in a smooth chocolate coating. It was chewy—really chewy. If you had braces, well, good luck.

But that didn’t stop kids in the ’60s from tearing into one after school or at the movies.

The real magic happened when you put it in the freezer. Once it got cold, it would snap into pieces like candy glass, and each bite was a crunchy little miracle.

You’d nibble it slowly, letting it melt on your tongue while you flipped through your comic books or watched Gilligan’s Island reruns.

Named after a dance from way before our time, Charleston Chews still managed to feel fun and modern back then.

It was a candy that worked hard—chewy when you wanted it, crunchy when you needed it, and always worth the mess.

Chunky

Ah, Chunky—the little chocolate block that was small but mighty. It wasn’t flashy, but it packed a punch with thick squares of rich milk chocolate loaded with peanuts and raisins.

It was the kind of candy bar you held with both hands and broke apart like it was something sacred.

Chunky felt like a treat you graduated to. It wasn’t for trading on the playground—it was for savoring. Maybe you’d pick one up at the five-and-dime after church, or maybe it was in your lunchbox next to a thermos of milk.

Either way, it always hit the spot.

And the wrapper! That shiny silver foil with bold red letters made it feel like a real prize. You didn’t eat a Chunky while running around. You sat down, peeled it open, and gave it your full attention.

It was that kind of candy.

Tootsie Rolls

Tootsie Rolls were everywhere in the 1960s. Halloween bags, birthday party piñatas, the bottom of your mom’s purse—they just showed up.

Those chewy chocolate bites had a flavor all their own, somewhere between fudge and caramel, and they lasted a good long while if you didn’t chew too fast.

They came in different sizes, from tiny nibbles to big fat rolls wrapped in yellow, red, and blue paper. The best part? They didn’t melt in the sun like chocolate did, which made them the perfect summer candy.

Toss a few in your pocket, hop on your bike, and off you’d go without a care in the world.

Tootsie Rolls were dependable. Not too fancy, not too sweet—just right. They were a candy you could always count on, and even now, you can find this beloved candy in many grocery stores.

Bazooka Bubble Gum

You could spot a piece of Bazooka a mile away. That little pink square was wrapped in waxy paper, and inside, along with the gum, you’d find a tiny comic strip starring Bazooka Joe.

Sure, the jokes were corny, but ’60s kids read them anyway—every single one.

The gum itself was tough as nails at first. You had to chew it like you meant it. But once it softened up, it gave you big, beautiful bubbles. The kind that popped all over your face and got stuck in your hair.

If you were really lucky, you could blow one big enough to cover your whole nose.

Bazooka wasn’t just gum—it was entertainment. You got a laugh, a chew, and a challenge all in one. It was the total package for a kid with a nickel and some time to kill.

Root Beer Barrels

If you loved root beer (and who didn’t?), then Root Beer Barrels were like little drops of heaven. Hard candies shaped like tiny wooden barrels, they had that sweet, spicy flavor that reminded you of soda fountains and summer nights.

They were slow-melting, which made them last forever. You could tuck one in your cheek during a long car ride or suck on it during math class (if the teacher wasn’t looking).

Some kids liked to crunch them once they got soft, but the real pros knew how to make a barrel last.

They weren’t the flashiest candy on the shelf, but they had soul.

Root Beer Barrels were for kids who liked the simple pleasures: a warm breeze, a smooth tune on the radio, and a good candy in your pocket.

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