The 8 distinct things you remember if you went to an Aussie primary school in the 2000s.

Growing up in the 2000s sometimes feels like a hazy dream. 

As an adult, there are moments from childhood that feel almost like they didn't happen. The sun-drenched days by the pool. Primary school athletic carnivals. Sleepovers where no one actually went to bed at a reasonable time. Saturday Disney... 

I'm feeling utterly sentimental of late and I can't stop thinking about my school days, where I was as free as a bird. 

As such, I wanted to reminisce.  

Here are 8 specific things you will absolutely remember if you went to an Aussie primary school in the 2000s.

Babybel cheese.

Any lucky kid remembers the pure elation you'd feel when you tore open your lunch box and saw the all-too-familiar snack poking out from underneath your sandwich. 

It was a treat in my household. A delicacy. Something Mum hid in the back of the fridge so my siblings and I didn't go digging for it. 

And it's no surprise really because the actual experience of having Babybel cheese was unlike anything else. 

First, the act of peeling open the iconic red wax of the cheesy, playful snack was a fun little mission all on its own. 

Pull, peel and then reveal the delightful, bite-sized reward. 

I didn't know this as a kid, but my mum packing it into my lunchbox was probably one of the best decisions she made for my young self because it wasn't only fun to eat, but it was also nutrient-rich, a good source of protein for my growing body AND it was packed with calcium. 

Even nowadays, they're still a beloved snack for Aussie kids and it's no surprise as to why. They're easy to pack in a lunchbox, portable, mess-free and they even have Disney character designs on the packaging currently. 

Talk about kids today having it GOOD.

Image: Supplied. 

Healthy Harold.

If you ask any Gen Xer, Millennial or Gen Z where they learned about the dangers of illicit substances, it's likely they got all the information they needed from the friendly giraffe in the back of a dark van. 

It sounds ironic, but that's just the reality for every Aussie kid because our life lessons came from Healthy Harold (or originally Happy Harold, back in the day), the giraffe puppet. 

The initiative started in 1979 to educate kids on the importance of making safe and healthy choices. Lining up in a single file line before marching down to the box on wheels parked on the playground is a fond memory for most kids because it was an hour of our life where we got to sit in an air-conditioned dark room and listen to a puppet tell us stories and give us life lessons.

No hat, no play. 

Our childhoods are (rightfully) haunted by being forced to sit out of a day's worth of activities as our friends tackled each other and played hand games under the sun during lunchtime.

And it was ALL because we'd forgotten to grab our hat off the washing line the night before school. 

Of course, it's understandable why those rules are in place (purely for our little skin's protection), but it didn't make the feeling of being forced into lunchtime isolation any easier.

Mother's Day stalls. 

Nothing made you feel like a better child more than taking money from your parents when Mother's Day or Father's Day stalls were on, all so you could buy your parent a questionable mug or notebook. 

Perhaps a key chain with their first name initial, or a candle that hadn't been lit before, if they were lucky. We'd only need $10 to make it work and if we were clever... we could use the change on a snack from the canteen. 

Scoobie strings.

Image: Reddit.

Not many people will remember the shiny coated PVC braided strings that we used to obsess over as kids. 

We called them Scoobie strings. Whilst I was obsessed with learning how to make these, I could never quite nail it sadly. 

The blazing heat of a demountable classroom.

The stifling summer heat may have been hard to deal with, but we almost always chose to have the classroom windows down and the wind in our hair over the freezing air conditioner. 

Even now, as a fully grown adult, there's still nothing quite like having the windows down in our Aussie summer, particuarly during a ride home from the beach in the car (and considering the petrol prices nowadays, it's the easier option).

Trading CDs. Namely, So Fresh The Hits of Summer 2006.

Image: Wikipedia.

So Fresh, the number one selling compilation CD that gathered all of the BEST music from each year, was considered extremely cool clout when walking around at recess, offering to lend it to your friends in exchange for their JoJo or Jesse McCartney album.

It was the greatest thing to receive for Christmas and while I was never allowed to take mine to school, that didn't mean primary school chatter wasn't FILLED with which song was best. 

Ah, the memories.

The classic book fair.  

Image: Reddit.

Everyone loved the school's Scholastic Book Fair. The entire library at school would be revolutionised with rows of sweet-smelling new books and stations filled with rubbers and gel pens and funky pencils. 

Bringing home the Scholastic catalogue which was filled to the brim with books, video games and posters was the most exciting moment of our lives as well.

Our parents rarely let us actually buy anything from the book fair, but when they did, it was one of the best days of our young educational lives. 

Find the limited edition Mini Babybel cheeses featuring popular Disney characters right now at your local Woolies, Coles and Metcash, to celebrate 100 years of Disney.

Buy any two Babybel products and have your chance to win 1 of 10 cash prizes of $1,000 plus other Disney exclusive goodies!  

T&Cs apply.

Feature Image: Supplied/Facebook/Life Education.