The arrival of spring combined with advent of mass COVID vaccinations is the perfect time to refresh ourselves as we emerge from our winter cocoons and quarantines. This year in particular, it’s also the perfect opportunity to safely indulge in a little fun with a re-visit to one’s inner child. Here’s why:
“We’re living in a world that’s more conducive to anxiety than playfulness … Play offers a reprieve from the chaos, and it challenges us to connect with a key part of ourselves that gets lost in the responsibilities of adulthood, especially during a crisis.” Kristin Wong
Here are several play date ideas for you to safely engage your inner child:
- read a favorite story book or book of poems from childhood
- weather permitting, roll down a grassy hill … look for four-leaf clovers in a green field … play hopscotch …
- share favorite childhood memories with friends (and they don’t even have to be the ones you made the memories with)
- dance to the music of a favorite band or recording artist from your youth
- bake a family favorite cake or batch of cookies
- draw pictures with crayons or color in a coloring book [Remember the scent of opening a fresh box of Crayola crayons?]
- build with clay, LEGO® bricks, or other building materials
- read comic books or race Hot Wheels® or Matchbox cars
- watch your favorite childhood cartoons or movies [I love that I can now watch an hour of Bugs Bunny & Friends on Saturday mornings!]
Whatever your inner child decides to do, be playful … whimsical … let your imagination take you wherever it leads … Just let go and enjoy.
“What all play has in common is that it offers a sense of engagement and pleasure, takes the player out of a sense of time and place, and the experience of doing it is more important than the outcome.” Stuart Brown
[Image by Gustavo Rezende from Pixabay]